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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Liam Wood

Paul Merson revives Cristiano Ronaldo criticism with Manchester United demand

Paul Merson has revived his bizarre stance against Cristiano Ronaldo - urging Manchester United to drop him!

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored 14 goals since completing his sensational return move to Old Trafford this summer window after 12 years away with Real Madrid and Juventus.

Despite that tally, Ronaldo has been picked out on occasion for criticism from pundits, not least Merson.

The Sky Sports favourite and former Arsenal playmaker has openly taken aim at the Portuguese sensation previously this campaign - and Merson has now gone one step further in his demands.

Ronaldo netted his 14th goal of the season for United against Burnley on Thursday night.

However, as attentions turn to Wolves, interim manager Ralf Rangnick has been told to omit the 36-year-old from his next starting XI and, instead, favour Edinson Cavani as a sole frontman.

Ronaldo and Cavani led the line in Rangnick's trademark 4-2-2-2 formation during the Burnley game.

Speaking to Sportskeeda , pundit Merson said: "You don't know what you're going to get with Manchester United. They were so fortunate against Norwich City and were never going to beat Newcastle United away from home, so this will once again be a hard game for them.

"That said, I can totally see how it's going to pan out for them.

"They will beat Burnley and Wolves and people will say their manager is unreal and all that, but based on what I've seen so far, I don't see them finishing in the top four. Manchester United are a long way off and if they do somehow manage to get to fourth, it'll be a great season for them."

What do you think about Merson's claim? Have your say in the comments section below.

Merson added: "In terms of their team, I strongly believe Cristiano Ronaldo should be left out of the team.

"It won't happen, but Edinson Cavani should take his place up front with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood in contention to play on the wings. Something's not right there. I think there's a lot going on behind the scenes and it doesn't look good for them."

We've teamed up with LiveScore to invite fans to vote for their favourite results - the games which were much more than a score. Vote for the match that mattered to you here .

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