Weighing in on the debate after Cristiano Ronaldo walked down the tunnel early in Manchester United's win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, here is what Thierry Henry and Patrice Evra said as they disagreed with one another's opinions.
Ten Hag To 'Deal' With Ronaldo After Early Old Trafford Exit
During the Red Devils' 2-0 victory over Spurs, cameras showed the 37-year-old heading for the tunnel before the final whistle was blown.
It has subsequently been claimed that Ronaldo left the stadium before the match ended, similar to the behaviour Erik ten Hag strongly condemned in United's final pre-season match before the campaign started.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was seemingly furious that he was not brought on during the team's win over the Lilywhites after he was named on the bench, with Marcus Rashford preferred over him.
Speaking in a punditry role after the game, Arsenal legend Henry took the stance that Ten Hag needs to make decisions that benefit the team, noting that Ronaldo is not the footballer he once was.
"It is not an easy one, but for the boss, he is here for the team, not Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano is part of the team and you need to find that solution," he said, according to the Daily Mirror.
"At times, he has to play without him and what's difficult is when people talk about him.
"He will talk about what he has done in the game and not many people can sit at his table who have achieved what he has, but it is about what he is currently doing and what he is doing is not what he used to."
Meanwhile, Evra, a former teammate of Ronaldo's, was of the opinion that Ten Hag is disrespecting the Portuguese by not starting him in important matches.
"I would have to start him," he stated.
"One interview from Ten Hag after the game against Manchester City and why he didn't bring him on, was because he respected his character.
"If he respected his character, he would surely have to play him and play him every time."
Ten Hag Sends Message To CR7 After Angry Sub Reaction
Ronaldo has started just two league matches this season for the Red Devils, while he has appeared from the bench on a further six occasions, scoring one goal.
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