While Sir Alex Ferguson is no longer in charge at Manchester United, his opinion still carries a lot of sway. Since he retired, the club has, obviously, not been the same. Current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has improved the club, in some regards, but he still seems clearly out of his depth in his current role as gaffer.
His decision to bench a few of his main stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, in the 1-1 draw to Everton this past Saturday, is mind-boggling. Ferguson feels CR7 should have started that league fixture, one that was staged right before start of international break.
https://twitter.com/DevilsOfUnited/status/1445077643595063301
In the video above, posted by the Daily Mirror, he says in conversation with former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov:
“You should always start with your best players.”
This response is in reference to Ronaldo, and it makes one wonder- if the greatest manager of all-time is saying this, then maybe we should follow advice? Sounds crazy, right? I mean, what a revolutionary concept!
But seriously, OGS is definitely a United man, who knows the culture well, and he helped restore some of what was missing under the club under Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and David Moyes.
However, the calls for his sacking, within the United fan base, are fully justified, as it’s clear he doesn’t do tactics and formations well enough to win trophies at Old Trafford. He may have played under Sir Alex, but he is obviously no Sir Alex.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
He co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.