Ralf Rangnick reckons Cristiano Ronaldo CAN be a key player for Man Utd under Erik ten Hag after Chelsea rescue act
RALF RANGNICK reckons that Cristiano Ronaldo can stick around and be a crucial player for Manchester United next season.
The Red Devils' interim boss is nearing the end of his spell in charge of the club.
The latter days of his temporary tenure have been dogged by poor performances and claims of dressing room unrest off the pitch.
But Rangnick, who will compile a dossier to hand over to successor Erik ten Hag, is still sure of Ronaldo's reliability on the field.
Speaking after his side's 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford, the 63-year-old said: "I mean not only the goal he scored today but also his whole performance, his attitude, how often he helped in our own half.
"At the age of 37, this is not normal to do that.
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"He showed that today, if he plays like he played today he can still be a great help for this team."
Further quizzed about Ronaldo's future under Ten Hag, he added: "In the end it's both Erik's and Cris' decision, what they want to do.
"So I think it's not for me to speak about that but as a I said, today the performance of Cris was really great."
Appearing on Sky Sports, Ronaldo's former team-mate Roy Keane added: "I just think if you've got a player in your group who can score that amount of goals, they have to be involved.
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"Now Ronaldo will want to play week-in, week-out and that'll be the problem.
"When the new manager comes in he'll be looking for another striker.
"Ronaldo won't be hanging round unless he's playing week-in and week-out.
"I think he won't mind being rested for the odd League Cup game or a European game if they've already been through.
"But we saw the disappointment going back a few months, whether it was Chelsea, and City... injuries were popping up.
"But I think he wants to play week-in and week-out and that'll be the problem for the manager because he'll probably be looking and going 'no you're... I probably have to rotate you in certain games'."