Solskjaer's decision to start the match against Everton, without Cristiano Ronaldo as the starter, surprised many sports analysts and United fans. And apparently, this choice was not right, and for the former legendary coach of the "Red Devils", Sir Alex Ferguson.
During a conversation with former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at Old Trafford, the cameras captured a very interesting moment. Sir Alex was heard saying, "You always have to start meeting your best players." The comment came after the 1-1 draw that United recorded against Everton, a meeting in which Ronaldo entered the field, only in the 57th minute. According to Ferguson, the opponents got an extra boost the moment they saw that Ronaldo was not on the field.
More or less the same opinion was shared by the former striker of the English national team and Arsenal, Ian Wright. He commented on Match of the Day:
"When you have Cristiano Ronaldo on the team you have to build a team and structure around him in order to work for him. "If you have a person on the team who wins matches, and you can't serve him properly, for him to do what he knows how to do, he will normally leave the field that way."
Despite the uproar, Solskjaer once again defended his decision:
"He (Ronaldo) and I understand better than the experts. The right moments should be chosen when it should play and when it should not be activated. "He is no longer a young player, but he is more professional than ever and ready to start any match with new energy."
Meanwhile, the positive news for the United coach is that his assistant, Mike Phelan, has renewed with the club until 2024.
