Erik ten Hag has hit back at Cristiano Ronaldo by pointing out that the Portuguese admitted Manchester United are not well placed to win the biggest trophies this season despite criticising the manager for stating the same.
In a pre-season interview Ten Hag discussed United’s chances of winning the Premier League and Champions League. “We are really a long way away from that,” he told the Dutch outlet AD Sportwereld. Ronaldo criticised this apparent lack of ambition on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, saying: “Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you’re not going to fight to win the league or Champions League.” But Ronaldo then effectively contradicted himself. “They can win the Carabao [Cup] – Champions League or Europa League or Premier League, difficult,” he said.
“No, he said this, if you read the article very well,” he said. “He is far away in the Saudi [Arabian league], so everyone can have an opinion and is entitled to have an opinion. It is OK.”
Ronaldo’s comments come after he left United in November 2022 after twice walking out on Ten Hag’s team: at Old Trafford during a pre-season friendly with Rayo Vallecano and in the Premier League meeting with Tottenham.
Before this international break United lost their last two games, 2-1 at Brighton and 3-0 to Liverpool at home. Ten Hag was asked whether this made Saturday’s trip to Southampton a must-win game.
“We have to win all of our games,” he said. “We will see where we are in May. It is very early in the season and it is about winning trophies, being as high as possible in the league.
“It [noise around the club] doesn’t impact me – I know in the process where we are. We have to integrate a lot of young players in the team. We still have to deal with injuries and bring players back into the team. Before anyone thinks about excuses: no, we have to win every game.”
Ten Hag is missing Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Rasmus Højlund, Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelöf because of injuries. He said Højlund and Shaw were “progressing very well but not ready for this game” and that the £42m signing Manuel Ugarte was available.
The back-and-forth between Ronaldo and Ten Hag highlights the ongoing tension between the two, with Ronaldo's comments seemingly aimed at undermining the manager's authority. Ronaldo's criticism comes at a time when Manchester United are struggling to maintain their form, having suffered a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in their last outing before the international break. The team's poor start to the season has led to speculation about Ten Hag's future at Old Trafford, with some observers suggesting he will not survive the entire season.
Despite the noise surrounding the club, Ten Hag has maintained a calm and collected demeanor. He insists that he is focused on the task at hand, which is to improve Manchester United's performance and restore the club to its former glory. However, Ronaldo's recent comments suggest that the former Real Madrid and Juventus star remains a thorn in the side of the current manager, with the two clearly not seeing eye-to-eye.
While Ronaldo has moved on to a new chapter in his career in Saudi Arabia, his comments continue to reverberate in the English football landscape. It is clear that the relationship between the player and the manager is irreparable, with Ronaldo's criticism of the club's ambition likely to further fuel speculation about Ten Hag's future at Manchester United.
