The very last thing Erik ten Hag wanted was for Cristiano Ronaldo to reopen wounds with Manchester United.
Simply weeks into the brand new season and a way of disaster is already looming over Previous Trafford. Two losses from the primary three English Premier League rounds has left supervisor Ten Hag wanting up at his rivals once more, and membership icon Ronaldo says United must “rebuild every little thing” to compete with the very best.
“They need to rebuild from the underside. If not, they can’t compete. It will likely be inconceivable,” Ronaldo stated in an interview with the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
Ronaldo was important of Ten Hag when leaving United following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in 2022, by which he did not respect the previous Ajax supervisor.
His newest feedback, by which he additionally accused Ten Hag of sending the mistaken message relating to United’s ambitions, come at a time when the Dutchman is battling to show round his group’s kind after overseeing the membership’s worst league season in 34 years.
“So, he is far-off in Saudi (Arabia), removed from Manchester. Everyone seems to be entitled to have an opinion. It is okay,” Ten Hag responded.
However Ronaldo’s feedback have solid one other unhelpful highlight on his former supervisor after losses to Liverpool and Fulham round a win over Brighton.
United goes to Southampton on Saturday, the beginning of a troublesome run within the league that features journeys to Crystal Palace and Aston Villa and a house match in opposition to Tottenham.
Ten Hag, who saved his job after an inside evaluate in the summertime, was backed within the switch market by new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe with six signings throughout the window. Additionally, the supervisor was publicly supported by the hierarchy.
Three hours earlier than the Liverpool house recreation on Sept. 1, new CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth met with English media within the Previous Trafford boardroom to clarify why Ten Hag was the suitable man to take the membership ahead.
The quotes weren’t reported till after a humbling 3-0 loss, which gave them much more resonance.
Backing in soccer, nonetheless, is conditional. Ten Hag was given the advantage of the doubt within the offseason and the chance to show final yr’s eighth-place end — United’s lowest within the Premier League period — was an outlier, fairly than proof of his unsuitability to return the membership to the summit of European soccer.
After two years at Previous Trafford, Ten Hag is used to the skin noise that’s half and parcel of managing England’s most well-known membership and winner of a report 20 league titles, the final 11 years in the past.
“It does not influence me. I do know within the course of the place we’re, what we have now to do, the place we’re going,” Ten Hag stated on Thursday. “I’ve stated earlier than we’re nonetheless in a transition interval. Now we have to combine numerous younger gamers additionally within the group.
“Earlier than anybody thinks about excuses, no, we have now to win each recreation.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester Utd
English Premier League
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