Cristiano Ronaldo should be STARTING for Manchester United over Marcus Rashford, says Graeme Souness

Graeme Souness insists he would be starting Cristiano Ronaldo if he was Manchester United boss – and has urged Erik ten Hag to play him over Marcus Rashford, who has ‘stood still’ in recent years. 

Ronaldo was on the bench as he watched on while United were thumped 6-3 by bitter rivals City and was not even introduced as a substitute – with speculation over his future continuing to dominate the headlines. 

The Portuguese forward asked to leave United this summer but ended up staying after a lack of concrete interest – creating a toxic environment in the dressing room with Ten Hag still yet to hand him regular first team football. 

Cristiano Ronaldo (L) should be starting for Manchester United, insists Graeme Souness (R)

Marcus Rashford was chosen to lead the line against City but he struggled to make an impact 

But Souness feels Ronaldo is the answer to United’s recent struggles and would like to see him start over Rashford after the England star failed to make an impact.

Speaking on talkSport, he stressed Ten Hag could not afford to wait for Rashford to start producing and criticised him for ‘standing still’. 

‘Time is not your friend in football, you have to be winning games today,’ he said. 

‘It’s not about waiting for Marcus Rashford to become the player that most people believe he can be. It’s not about giving Martial, because of his age, a place in the team over Ronaldo. It’s about today in football. Yeah, I would have [played] Ronaldo.

‘Marcus Rashford, when he first burst into the team as a young player you thought ‘he’s the real deal’. He’s stood still. If you were to ask me today, next week, big game – for all his shortcomings, Ronaldo, I would have played him in front of Rashford.’

When asked why Ronaldo had not been introduced against City, Ten Hag bizarrely claimed it was ‘out of respect for his big career’.

But United legend Roy Keane said the move only displayed the opposite to Ronaldo, saying on Sky Sports: ‘I think Man United are showing disrespect to Ronaldo. I think he should have been let go before the [closing] of the window.

‘Okay, you’re the manager, you need options but you don’t hold onto Ronaldo to sit on the bench. He’s one of the greatest players ever.

‘He’s played him in one or two European games. It’s just going to get uglier as the season goes on. 

‘If he’s sitting on the bench for United, week in, week out it’s just going to get uglier. I think United have shown nothing but disrespect to Ronaldo.’