"I don't think anyone would quibble" - Gary Pallister makes interesting comments on Manchester United's captaincy situation involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire

Four-time Premier League winner Gary Pallister believes nobody "would quibble" if Cristiano Ronaldo becomes Manchester United's new captain.

Current Red Devils skipper Harry Maguire has received plenty of flak following an underwhelming 2021-22 campaign. Maguire looked extremely out of sorts for much of the season and simply couldn't lead a misfiring United side.

The club could reportedly change their skipper under new manager Erik ten Hag. According to The Sun, the Red Devils' players will vote on who their next captain should be ahead of the 2022-23 season. The Mirror reported earlier that ten Hag has identified Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the options to take over the captaincy.

Pallister believes people will warm up to Cristiano Ronaldo becoming captain. He also expressed his sympathies for Maguire, who he feels has taken a lot of stick from the media and the fans. He told Lord Ping:

"I don't think anyone would quibble if that was the case. I feel for Harry Maguire. I've been in a position like him where he's taken a bit of stick off the media, fans. It happened to me when I first went into Manchester United, a record signing. You get that big feast upon your head and it puts the spotlight on you even more."

The 56-year-old added:

"I think Harry has been victim of the problems that are at United. For two years, he's been terrific. He was the only choice for captain of United. Unfortunately his form, and I'm sure he'll be the first to admit, has been up and down the last season. He came off the back of a great Euros, and it's been a bit of a struggle."

Pallister added that he felt sorry for the English players' lack of rest over the past year:

"I feel sorry for a lot of the England lads, they're not getting any rest. They came straight from the Euros, had a few weeks off then went straight into the season, they're away now playing in this Nations League. They're going to have a few more weeks off then the season starts, then the World Cup starts when we have the break."

The former Manchester United footballer continued:

"They need a proper break. I find it ludicrous. I don't think there's any care for international footballers. They need a rest, about six or seven weeks off. Just to get away from the pressures and physicality, recover from injuries you pick up during the season."

Pallister concluded by stating that he hopes Maguire will return to his best next season:

"I think that's part of the reason for Harry as well. I have no qualms about him, hopefully he'll return to his best form next year. If he hasn't got the captaincy, I'm sure he's a big enough man to deal with that. He wants to be a success at Man United, he wants to win trophies there. It has been tough for him, but I wouldn't be thinking of leaving him out of the side."

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Cristiano Ronaldo could be beaten by David de Gea to Manchester United captaincy

While Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly on the list to become the next Manchester United skipper, he isn't alone.

The Mirror's report suggested that Bruno Fernandes and David de Gea are also on the list. Additionally, The Sun reported earlier this month that de Gea is the favorite to take over from Maguire.

That shouldn't deter Cristiano Ronaldo, however, as he did extremely well in an underperforming Manchester United side during the 2021-22 season. The 37-year-old scored 24 times in 38 matches across all competitions and won their Player of the Year award as well.