Gary Neville has warned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he needs to “have a word” with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
After Machester United’s poor 1-1 draw with Everton at Old Trafford, the striker stormed off down the tunnel at full-time.
Neville criticised Ronaldo for his behaviour and claimed his reaction put “real pressure” on boss Solskjaer, who he urged to hold talks with the forward.
Despite the Portugal legend’s thrilling homecoming to the Theatre of Dreams, with five goals in six matches, he was visibly furious after the final whistle was blown – but Neville was not impressed.
Speaking on his own podcast, Neville said: “I watched the game and I watched him walk off. I can’t say I like it.
“Is Cristiano upset when he doesn’t play? Yes. Is he upset when he doesn’t score? Yes. Is Cristiano annoyed as hell when the team doesn’t win? Of course. We know these things, he doesn’t need to prove that.
“He walked off the pitch muttering to himself which in some ways throws the questions up in the air.
“What’s he saying? Who’s he annoyed with? And it can only come back to the manager.
“So I do think actions like that – Ronaldo is smart enough to know – will bring real pressure, more pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“It is what it is but I think that has to be managed in the next couple of months. Cristiano won’t always score and can’t play every single game, but I think if he’s going to walk off like that it’s going to put immense pressure on Ole.
“There’s no doubt the talk after the game was about the manager.”
There has been growing pressure on Solskjaer as United continue to look unimaginative and without a plan against teams that they should be beating comfortably.
With upcoming games against rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as tricky tests against Leicester, Tottenham and Atalanta, United are at risk of falling behind if they cannot find the best form.
However, despite these concerns over Solskjaer, Neville praised his former teammate for being an “incredible bridge” for the club following a difficult period after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
He said that the club had “lost its way” but returned to some of its values and identities under Solskjaer.
In spite of this, Neville thinks Solskjaer should pull Ronaldo to one side and make it clear any public shows of discontent are not good for the team.
He added: “The signings have been a lot like Manchester United, but I do feel now with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho… they’re recognised world-class talents, and with that comes a pressure to deliver.
“Ole knows it’s make or break this season. You have to win a trophy with players like that.
“So he needs to look after himself, be selfish and make sure he manages Cristiano in such a way and has a word with him to say, ‘look, come on, if you’re going to do that, do it in the changing room because ultimately that does bring extra pressure on me’.
“I don’t think it would have helped Ole but on the other hand, Cristiano is not a sheep and won’t just follow. He will demonstrate his dislike and his lack of happiness in that situation.”
