Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham: Erik Ten Hag targeting Old Trafford role as pressure mounts on interim boss The heat is turning up on the big Dutchman and many of us are going through some of his old decisions, such as how he dealt with football legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
`Ex-Man United coach lifts the lid on Ten Hag fallout with Ronaldo and explains how the icon was “BROKEN” by “wasted” second Old Trafford stint
Ronaldo with form under Ten Hag
Manchester United welcomed Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2021 with the hope that he would help win them trophies. After a prolific first year where Hawkshaw scored an incredible 24 goals in all competitions, but it went to ink come the summer of 2022 when Erik ten Hag arrived. Ronaldo believed he was in Gareth’s plans but the pair quickly fell out with each other.
Read also: Comically Useless – Piers Morgan Slams Erik Ten Hag After Manchester United’s Humiliating Loss
McCarthy, who was with Ten Hag during Ronaldo’s season in the first team, thinks the Portuguese superstar was misused. In an interview with Zero Zero, McCarthy said: “I believe Manchester United squandered a fantastic opportunity to utilize Cristiano in the right manner. But I was not the head coach so I could not do that work.
The Fallout Begins
Ronaldo’s frustrations in the Ten Hag era were well-documented following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan in 2022 where he publicly slated the club and the manager. Things worsened their relationship as Ten Hag wanted Ronaldo to press higher from the front, which does not fit with how the forward prefers to play.
Read also: Legendary Reunion: Scolari Visits Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr
‘Cristiano wanted the team to press together, and Ten Hag wanted him to lead the press,’ McCarthy explained. “Ronaldo wasn’t happy. In training and everything he gave, before everyone two hours each to the seventh is. He might be the best athlete I’ve ever seen. But it just didn’t work for the two of them.
Even a force of nature like Ronaldo would find it difficult to get into that team, due to Ten Hag preferring younger players such as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the number nine spot. Ronaldo, McCarthy continued, thought he was being ignored and disrespected because he believed that even by now his team-mates ranked higher than him.
Ten Hag’s Tactical Approach
McCarthy has criticized Erik ten Hag’s overseeing, the Dutch tactician well-known for his tactical nous, yet ended up with a straight-laced manner that lacked the ‘X-Factor’ that could have inspired players like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Read also: Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘I Don’t Have Much Time Left’ – Focused on Team Success Over Individual Awards
“Modern football, players need to see that passion in their coach,” said McCarthy. It is the emotion of Erik that they are lacking – he is a brilliant tactician but cannot inspire them emotionally. That’s where we differ. He was more conservative, and I just wanted to connect with the team.
Similarly, Ronaldo was of the impression that Ten Hag’s style did not play to his strengths. Says McCarthy, “Sometimes the best scenario for Ronaldo was to just to give him the ball – and let him play. He is an all-time great and that is how you bring out the best of him.
Ronaldo’s Move to Al-Nassr
Following the public feud, Ronaldo left Manchester United midway through 2023 to move to Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr. But since his switch Ronaldo has shown he can still do it and broke records in Saudi Arabia, scoring 53 goals. That being said, Ronaldo is still showcasing his world-class talent at Juventus even though his time with United did not end in the best of ways.
On the other hand, Ten Hag is on the brink of a Manchester United firing. Amid reports he could be on the verge of being sacked, the bust-up with Ronaldo is one of the key moments during his time in charge. For any top-level footballers, McCarthy’s veiled criticism of the manager could now be a caution about tying emotional intelligence with tactical knowledge in dealing with elite players.
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