‘Training beast’ Cristiano Ronaldo is a ‘race car’ and should have started for Manchester United against Chelsea, says Rene Meulensteen, who tells Ralf Rangnick to focus on supplying forward and not pressing

Cristiano Ronaldo should have started for Manchester United against Chelsea, insists the club’s former coach Rene Meulensteen.

And he believes interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s priority should be getting service to the forward.

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Meulensteen was United’s first-team coach between 2007 and 2013, where he worked under the club’s legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson. 

The club won three league titles whilst the Dutchman was at the club, as well as a Champions League. 

Having worked with Ronaldo during his time at Old Trafford, he says that he saw ‘no reason’ for him not to start in United's 1-1 draw with Chelsea, insisting he doesn't need to be rested for games as he is a ‘training beast’. 

Meulensteen told talkSPORT: “You look at how important he has been for United so far. If you take his goals away, then I think the situation would be looking far grimmer.

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“I think Michael Carrick in his interview said that he had a good chat with him and Ronaldo was good, but I'm sure that Ronaldo wouldn't have agreed with it because he always wants to play.  

“That's him. He always wants to be important to the team. There's no reason to leave him out, physically.  

“I think if you look back to the game yesterday, again, in hindsight, I would have seen no reason for him not to start.” 

He added: “Cristiano Ronaldo is a race car and as long as there is petrol in the tank, he keeps driving.  

“It's more about managing him outside those games because he's a training beast as well.” 

Meulensteen also urged new United interim boss Rangnick to forget about pressing and focus more on getting service to Ronaldo. 

He added: “Everybody is now talking about pressing and gegenpressing with Rangnick coming in - I don't know where that discussion has come from. 

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“Pressing is not something that you just introduce from one day to the next. 

“There's a time for pressing but, more than anything, what I think Manchester United needs to go back to is to play football - keep the ball, keep the ball with rhythm, keep the ball with authority, open the opposition up. 

“There's no point in pressing the ball and then giving it away straight away because that's what United keep doing. That would be my emphasis. 

“If you’ve got Ronaldo in your team, what does he need? You need service. 

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“Where does the service come from? From wide areas. 

“That is the thing that you need to look into - how can they get players in good positions in wide areas to provide that service for Ronaldo? 

“Because the more quality service, the more goals he will score.”

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