"A player like Ronaldo often has a suffocating effect on the team" - Erik ten Hag urged to ditch Manchester United superstar and warned about the impact of Antony

Former Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has indirectly urged Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag to remove Cristiano Ronaldo from the team.

Writing in his DeTelegraaf column (reported via Mirror), he said that Ten Hag's handling of Ronaldo could set an example for the team.

Marwijk stated that the Portuguese captain's star status could be having a suffocating effect on the team. He believes that Ten Hag needs to assert his dominance in the dressing room.

“A player like Ronaldo often has a suffocating effect on a team. Other players would have been looking at him when he joined the group after a few weeks of missing pre-season. They are curious how the new coach will react to Ronaldo's presence. Believe me, players talk to each other and watch what a coach does with such a player.

The former Dutch boss accepts that it could be hard to bid adieu to club legends like Ronaldo but at the same time thinks that difficult decisions can free up the group at Old Trafford.

He cited the example of Sir Alex Ferguson in this regard, saying:

“When the coach makes hard decisions, it works liberating for the group. It's hard to say goodbye to such great stars. I only know one coach in the world who didn't care what the fans thought. That was Sir Alex Ferguson."

Marwijk continued by talking about how Ferguson dealt with David Beckham during his time at Manchester United. Despite Beckham being a star player and a fan-favorite, Ferguson had no qualms about replacing him to assert his dominance in the dressing room.

“Look what Ferguson did with David Beckham at Manchester United. Beckham was the most popular footballer in all of Britain, but one day he just sent him away. Most coaches struggle with unpopular decisions, but Ferguson never did."

Ferguson did so with the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam as well.

He later sent Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam, too. I look at the situation of Ronaldo in the United team and it reminds me of what happened with Beckham.”

The former Dutch manager has also warned Ten Hag about his expectations of United's potential new signing Antony. Marwijk feels the Brazilian winger is not a regular goalscorer. However, he added that Antony can contribute in other aspects to make the team look good.

"I have heard the criticism that Antony was never able to score 10 goals in a season at Ajax. But he is not a scoring player - and he will not score much in England. But he can make the difference because he has the ability to create things and can always give an assist. He looks spectacular with his actions, but is also really decisive."

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Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has rejected a Napoli move: Reports

Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre has reported via Football Italia that Cristiano Ronaldo has rejected the opportunity to join Serie A side Napoli this summer.

The 37-year-old has reportedly been looking at options to secure an exit from Old Trafford to continue playing in the Champions League. Despite Napoli offering that, the Manchester United forward has apparently turned down the move.

With less than 100 hours left in the transfer window, the Portuguese captain will have to make a swift decision about his future.