Aheed Abrar
‘Furious’ Cristiano Ronaldo in conflict with ‘stubborn’ Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘furious’ with Erik ten Hag, who the Portuguese feels is ‘stubborn’ about the style of play, according to The Times (Subscription Required) [h/t Metro].
Ronaldo is unhappy with the Dutch manager for his recent comments on keeping the 37-year-old on the bench “out of respect” against Manchester City. The Red Devils lost 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium. And the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was an unused substitute.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus star is also at ‘loggerheads’ with Ten Hag regarding the ideas the former Ajax head coach ‘unnecessarily wedded’ to. The Portugal international has also privately complained about the ‘nature and quality’ of the training sessions.
Ronaldo wanted to leave United in the recent transfer window as the Red Devils failed to finish in the top four. However, a move did not end up materialising for the 37-year-old.
The Portugal international missed most of the preseason. And since then, the forward has had a tough time getting into the starting XI at the Manchester-based club which would understandably irk a player of his standing.
While Ten Hag has stated he relies on Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been relegated to the bench. The 37-year-old has started one time for the Red Devils in the Premier League.
Ronaldo has had a tough time at United in front of goal in the 2022/23 campaign. He finished last season as our top goalscorer. However, under the Dutch manager, the 37-year-old has scored once in nine appearances in all competitions.
Ten Hag has preferred Marcus Rashford in the centre-forward role. And with the Red Devils looking to play on the counter, the 24-year-old seems to be the best fit.
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Ronaldo is one of the greatest players the footballing world has witnessed. However, United seem to be moving in a different direction under the new boss. And it remains to be seen whether the 37-year-old is part of Ten Hag’s plans.
