Cristiano Ronaldo’s refusal to come on from the bench during Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night has been described as “terrible” by Paul Parker.
The former United defender told the Betfred Football Show that Ronaldo’s show of petulance “let his teammates down… he’s not putting his teammates first.”
Parker labelled the Portuguese superstar’s antics disrespectful to boss Erik ten Hag, who has dropped him from the squad for the game at Chelsea on Saturday.
According to Parker, Ten Hag has dealt with the issue brilliantly, adding that it’s “madness” that an individual has taken the spotlight away from a game where United “ripped apart” Spurs, recording a “2-0 win that flattered them.”
He believes momentum will help the Reds to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in this weekend’s blockbuster fixture.
Regarding the sacking of Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, Parker referred to some of their recent performances as “dire”.
He added: “There has been nothing exciting about them. They’ve lost their way.
“John McGinn’s form has fallen off, and I wonder whether that is to do with him being given the captaincy.”
Parker believes Villa will respond and beat Brentford 2-1 this weekend, while he opts for 2-0 victories for Arsenal and Fulham at Southampton and Leeds respectively.
At the bottom of the table, he’s predicting a 1-1 draw between Wolves-Leicester and a 2-1 success for Newcastle at Spurs – while he reckons West Ham will have few issues against Bournemouth and triumph 2-0.
Parker backs Liverpool to beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 – the same scoreline that Manchester City will beat Brighton by at the Etihad.
Finally, Parker went for a 2-1 away win for Crystal Palace at Everton.
