Premier League42 min ago2 minute read

Ten Hag Opens Up On Ronaldo Problems At Manchester United

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo lacked fitness and commitment during their time together at Old Trafford.

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A Strained Relationship At Old Trafford

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has shared his thoughts on working with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ten Hag felt the striker was not fit or committed enough during their time together at the club.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford from Juventus in 2021. He scored 27 goals in a 54 game spell under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag. However, Ten Hag often left the Portugal forward out of his starting lineup.

United terminated Ronaldo's contract in November 2022. That move came after Ronaldo gave an interview stating he felt betrayed by Ten Hag and criticised the club hierarchy. Ten Hag was sacked nine games into the 2023 24 season with United sitting 14th in the Premier League. He is now the technical director at FC Twente.

Issues With Fitness And Decline

Ten Hag explained that every top player must work for the team, calling that the main problem with Ronaldo. He noted that while Ronaldo is one of the greatest players ever, his ability to deliver on the pitch had declined over the last seven or eight years. He praised Real Madrid for knowing when to say goodbye to players at the right moment.

Ronaldo was 36 when he returned to England. Ten Hag said he gave Ronaldo special status and explained his role early on. But he added that Ronaldo could no longer bring himself to push through the pain or train at his maximum to stay fit. Arriving late due to personal circumstances also hurt his preparation at the start of the season.

Ten Hag also mentioned Lionel Messi, noting how hard Messi worked for Argentina. He stated that no player is bigger than a club or country. Ten Hag added he holds no bitterness towards United and enjoyed working with the people and fans there.

What it means for the next game

Manchester United vs AS Roma (Champions League, Tue, 03 Nov): Manchester United win 36%, draw 24%, AS Roma win 41%; expected goals 1.63 to 1.75. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals. Our best value pick: AS Roma to win.

Manchester United vs Aston Villa (Premier League, Sun, 08 Nov): Manchester United win 41%, draw 25%, Aston Villa win 34%; expected goals 1.62 to 1.44. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.