Yuvraj Singh
Erik ten Hag confirms Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the squad to face FC Sheriff in the UEFA Europa League
The 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur was arguably the best Manchester United performance so far in the Erik ten Hag era but instead of the team’s effort receiving the front news headlines, it was about Cristiano Ronaldo refusing to come on as a substitute and leaving the stadium before the full-time whistle.
This invited the fury of Ten Hag who dwells on being a disciplinarian and would not have let the incident slide past with ease. Hence, with the full confidence of the United hierarchy, Ronaldo was taken off the team in our last game against Chelsea.
Now, with FC Sheriff in the UEFA Europa League next, Ten Hag was asked about Ronaldo’s inclusion in the pre-match press conference (h/t Manchester Evening News) to which he admitted that the Portuguese International is back in contention to be selected.
“I think we said everything and we answered all the questions, he was out for one game and is back in the squad as usual.
“You don’t have to [ask more questions] because we will not answer anymore, so all the questions, I think, are everything we explained and we have to focus on the game tomorrow.”
Clearly, Ten Hag has drawn a line over how much attention can be levied on a player, who in the past has shown his desire to leave the club and it is heavily speculated that in the coming months, he might not be part of the rebuild under the manager.
Hence, it does make sense to delve concentration on more pressing factors such as the form of the team and the signs of progress being shown by it with a qualification to the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League on the horizon.
Ten Hag is adamant that he would not allow the press to make his first spell in charge more about his relationship with Ronaldo and less about the team’s performance and should be praised for the manner in which he has handled the situation.
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The team has seen an uprise in form and will be looking to get all three points when Moldovian club FC Sheriff visit Old Trafford on Thursday.
