Ten Hag: Ronaldo's Actions Let Us All Down at United

Erik ten Hag has openly stated that Cristiano Ronaldo's actions during his tenure at Manchester United were disappointing, both for the team and for him personally. The former manager expressed his feelings in a recent interview, highlighting the fallout from Ronaldo's controversial exit. When Ten Hag took the reins at United in the summer of 2022, Ronaldo was in his second stint at the club. However, their relationship soured quickly, leading to a dramatic departure just months later. "He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him," Ten Hag remarked to The Athletic. Ten Hag had even traveled to Portugal to discuss his vision for the club with Ronaldo before officially starting his role. While he acknowledged Ronaldo's legendary status in football, he felt compelled to make tough decisions as a manager. "I respected him a lot, but I had to keep the players I admire in the squad," he added. The rift began to widen when Ten Hag benched Ronaldo for a Premier League match against Chelsea in October 2022. This decision followed Ronaldo's refusal to come on as a substitute just days prior against Tottenham. Things escalated further when Ronaldo declared in an interview that he felt "betrayed" by the club and lacked respect for Ten Hag. At the time of his departure, Ronaldo was 36 years old and had returned to United from Juventus in 2021. Under Ten Hag's management, he managed to net only three goals in 16 appearances before the situation became untenable. Ten Hag noted that the expectation for Ronaldo to contribute defensively was misguided. "He couldn't run either in possession or out of possession because he didn't prepare himself properly," he explained. The manager emphasized that even top players must work for the team and that Ronaldo had advised teammates to conserve their energy during training sessions. As Ten Hag's remarks emerged, it was also revealed that Ronaldo had been handed a 30-day suspension along with a fine by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving the national team camp prematurely. After a challenging spell at United, Ten Hag was dismissed in October 2024. During his time, he did manage to secure a Carabao Cup win in 2023 and an FA Cup victory in 2024. Reflecting on his tenure, he mentioned his desire to bring in talents like Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane, and Declan Rice, while voicing his opposition to the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli in August 2024. "I pointed out the issues in our squad, especially the need for a center-half and a center-midfielder, while stressing that we required more goals," Ten Hag concluded. "That was the biggest challenge throughout my three years at the club."