Cristiano Ronaldo ‘let Man United down’ as Erik ten Hag delivers critical verdict on legendary forward

Erik 10 Hag believes that Cristiano Ronaldo fto Manchester United down earlier his departure by communal consent successful November 2022.

Ronaldo made a sensational instrumentality to Old Trafford successful August 2021 and ended his archetypal play backmost astatine the nine arsenic their apical scorer with 24 goals.

However, Man United’s nonaccomplishment to suffice for the Champions League led to the legendary guardant wanting to permission successful the summertime of 2022 – a determination which yet failed to materialise.

Ronaldo was past forced to play a relation mostly from the substitutes' seat nether Ten Hag, who was appointed Red Devils brag successful May 2022, and this led to tensions increasing betwixt the pair.

The narration betwixt Ronaldo and Ten Hag yet broke down, and the erstwhile was handed a nine suspension aft refusing to travel connected arsenic a substitute successful a Premier League lucifer against Tottenham – Ten Hag aboriginal told reporters: “I warned you (Ronaldo), present determination are consequences”.

In an explosive interrogation with Piers Morgan conscionable days earlier his Old Trafford declaration was mutually terminated, Ronaldo said: "I don't person respect for [Ten Hag] due to the fact that helium doesn't amusement respect for me.

"If you don't person respect for me, I'm ne'er going to person respect for you. Not lone the manager, but the different 2 oregon 3 guys who are astir the club.

"I felt betrayed. I don't care, radical should perceive to the truth. Yes, I felt betrayed. I consciousness that immoderate radical didn't privation maine here, not lone this twelvemonth but past play too."

“Ronaldo fto the squad down, and helium fto maine down,” says Ten Hag

Ten Hag, who was aboriginal sacked by Man Utd successful October 2024, has since opened up connected his clip astatine Old Trafford and moving with Ronaldo successful an wide-ranging interrogation with The Athletic.

“He fto the squad down, and helium fto maine down, due to the fact that we planned with him,” said Ten Hag. “I flew retired to Portugal to talk with him astir what I was aiming for earlier I came to United.

“Obviously, he’s 1 of the champion successful shot history. I respected him a lot, but astatine that time, arsenic a manager, I had to marque a rational determination and support the players I respect in.”

Ten Hag claims that Ronaldo often withdrew from grooming sessions astatine Man United and failed to conscionable the required heart-rate thresholds during the practices helium did attend.

Furthermore, pursuing Man United's dense 4-0 nonaccomplishment to Brentford successful August 2022, Ronaldo allegedly completed lone 2 of the 3 mandatory laps during the gruelling punishment tally imposed by Ten Hag connected the full squad.

‘Ronaldo didn’t hole himself’, says Ten Hag

“I confronted him with this,” said Ten Hag. “Many times I say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to enactment for you to bring you successful the close position, but if you can’t bring yourself successful the box, you can’t score’.

“He was not susceptible to bash this. It’s the incorrect thought to enactment this to maine that I expected him to bash the pressing, that he’s exhausted, but helium couldn’t. He ran neither successful possession nor retired of possession. The crushed was due to the fact that helium didn’t hole himself.

“Every apical squad has to clasp the apical player, but the apical subordinate has to enactment for the team.

“He was telling the players, ‘Save your legs astatine the training’. I recognize it erstwhile you are apical fit; you person sessions, you tin prevention the legs, but archetypal you person to bid yourself to get into the close fittingness levels.”

Ten Hag believes that Ronaldo’s power rubbed disconnected connected immoderate of his Red Devils teammates, adding: “Players person to act, they person a large responsibility. Football is, for some, not the highest priority, and United for immoderate wasn’t the highest priority.”

Ronaldo - who was recently punished by the Portuguese FA - near Man United to articulation Al-Nassr successful January 2023 and has since scored 128 goals successful 151 appearances for the Saudi Pro League side, winning his archetypal rubric with the nine past season.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag has besides criticised Man United’s hierarchy, including Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, for ‘breaking promises’ during his clip astatine Old Trafford.