Mueez Ajao
– Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has urged Erik ten Hag to drop Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford for Monday’s Premier League clash against Liverpool.
– Both players featured in United’s opening two defeats to Brighton and Brentford with Ronaldo still seeking a move away from Old Trafford, while Rashford hasn’t scored a league goal since January.
– United suffered 5-0 and 4-0 thrashings against Liverpool last season and Rooney wants Ten Hag to leave out the two forwards in order to match Jurgen Klopp side’s intensity levels.
Also Read: Rooney sends clear Ronaldo transfer message to Man United
– “I wouldn’t play Cristiano Ronaldo, and I wouldn’t play Marcus Rashford [against Liverpool],” Rooney wrote in his Sunday Times column.
– “If I was in Ten Hag’s position my main concern would be getting energy on the pitch, and United’s failure to recruit a No. 9 means they relied on Ronaldo against Brentford, even though he hadn’t trained a lot with the team. He looked like he needs time to get match fit.
– “He has also let it be known that he wants to leave the club. I don’t know his reasons but, as I wrote in my last column, I’d let him — he’s a great player and will always score goals but the task for Ten Hag is to produce a team that can compete for the title in three or four years’ time. That means rebuilding with younger players.
– “As for Marcus, I think he needs to do a lot of soul-searching and figure out what he wants, for his own good, before anything else. Because watching him is a real concern: He looks like he wants to be anywhere but on a football pitch.
– “I haven’t seen him smile on the field for a long time. His performances have dipped — he hasn’t been selected by England for more than a year. I’m coming from a place of wanting the best for him. He’s a lovely kid and a local lad who came through the ranks at United, who everyone wants to see doing well.
– “But you look at the difference between Marcus now and when he first came into the team: the passion he showed, the smile on his face when he scored. It’s night and day.”
– Rooney also said he was surprised that Casemiro is set to join United from Real Madrid and called on the club to sign younger players.
– “Casemiro, United’s new signing, will not be eligible to face Liverpool, which is a pity because he will undoubtedly improve United,” Rooney added. “He’s a good player. I’ve played against him and he’ll bring a bit of character, a bit of work rate, but is he exactly what United need? I’m not sure.
– “This goes back to the need to look to the future. Ideally, they should be signing players in their early to mid-twenties, and Casemiro is similar to Christian Eriksen — someone who has been a good player, but are they going to help the club move forward? Frenkie de Jong, Ten Hag’s principal midfield target, would be a better fit.
– “The Casemiro deal seems to have come from nowhere, and looks a reactive signing — I’d be surprised if he was a player identified as a priority to bring in when Ten Hag arrived. It looks like, having been unable to sign De Jong, United just reacted to Casemiro being available.”
