CRISTIANO RONALDO and Harry Maguire have been AXED from Manchester United’s starting XI for their crunch clash with Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag has opted to bench the club legend and the world’s most expensive defender for the visit of the Merseysiders.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is desperate to leave Old Trafford before the end of the season.
Maguire, meanwhile, has turned in less than stellar displays in the Red Devils’ back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Brentford.
And the England defender’s unsteadiness has seen him fall out of favour with new boss Ten Hag.
Ten Hag recently blamed United’s poor displays on a lack of leadership, saying: “When the attitude is not good from the team, often the leaders are not there.
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“Because they are the ones who give the example and go in front. That is a point we have to work on.
“I always work with a group of leaders, not one in particular. I spoke with the leaders about this issue.
“It doesn’t have to be senior players but we have a core group who have to be the example and take the responsibility.
“This is also a process. We work with that, we started a couple of weeks ago and they have to grow.”
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United legend Roy Keane said of the decision to drop the duo: “He’s got to do something. He’s got to make the changes.
“You’re talking about the way they’re playing and the systems, but this team needs to show some sort of personality and character that they can bounce back from these disappointments.
“But we’ve seen over the last year or two that they don’t have it in them. I can see why you’d leave Maguire out.
“Defensively, they’ve been all over the place. Harry has not been great and you have to make the changes. That’s the manager’s job.
“I always feel with Ronaldo, he’s missed pre-season, we don’t know what’s gone on in the background, but you always feel you’ve got a chance when he’s on the pitch of scoring a goal.
“So I would be reluctant to change Ronaldo. But Maguire, I think there’d be no surprises with that one.
United are currently rock bottom of the Premier League and have only found the back of the net once.
But Dutchman Ten Hag has no time for excuses, saying: “I’m not interested in the reason why – they just have to deliver. That’s my obligation and theirs.
“We are in a process. Sometimes you have a drop and you tell them, you face them, and say, ‘That’s unacceptable’.
“I think every manager will demand it from his players and it’s normal. It’s your obligation to the club to fight and give 100 per-cent.
“In every process, this element is coming up.
“One of the points as a manager is that you have to work on the attitude and mentality of the players. That’s what I’m doing.
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“This is the first time since June 27 that I wasn’t happy and not satisfied and I told them.
“You have to bring at least the same as the opponent but, when I say at least, we have to do more than the opponent, in and out of possession.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
