Teddy Sheringham believes Erik ten Hag has a 'tough' dilemma regarding how much he starts Cristiano Ronaldo in his first season in charge at Manchester United.
Despite some concern that the striker may look to leave Old Trafford for a second time just a year after his return — due to United's failure to qualify for the Champions League — Ronaldo looks set to stay for another season after he revealed he is happy in Manchester and is looking forward to working with new boss Ten Hag. His decision has come as a massive relief as the Portuguese was the club's best outfielder by some distance last season, finishing as top scorer with 24 goals.
Despite his brilliance in front of goal, Sheringham believes Ten Hag will have a tightrope to walk in his handling of Ronaldo. Though the No.7 and fans alike will be demanding that he starts most matches, the United great believes the 37-year-old may struggle to hand such regular game time at his stage of his career.
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"A superstar like Ronaldo will demand to play," Sheringham told Lord Ping. "Ronaldo has to understand his own body as well and appreciate that he's not 28 anymore.
"He's not at the pinnacle of his career. It's a tough one because Manchester United fans want to see him out there because he can still produce moments of absolute brilliance.
"Is he going to be perfect for the way Ten Hag wants to play? ten Hag needs to work that out. He needs to think if Ronaldo will be a help or a hindrance.
"I think he’ll be a help because he's a world-class player, but he doesn't have the mobility as much as he used to. I still couldn't tell you exactly what type of player Ronaldo is.
"He’s not a right-winger anymore. He's not a number 10. He's not a centre-forward. It’s hard to find the right balance with him."
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