Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly ready to see the club ship out Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to ESPN, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is ready for the club to part ways with under-fire attacker Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 37-year-old has largely made his position at the club untenable following a bare it all interview with journalist Piers Morgan. Ronaldo touched upon various aspects of concerns at Old Trafford and even went on to declare his lack of respect for ten Hag.
Having taken over from Ralf Rangnick in the summer, the Dutchman has been quietly going around rebuilding the team. A manager who runs a tight ship, ten Hag will be unamused with Ronaldo’s comments and has now given his blessings for him to be moved on from Manchester United.
The Dutchman met with co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough on Monday to discuss the fallout of Ronaldo’s interview. Not only are the club considering legal options but also face the situation that Ronaldo has burnt bridges between himself and the squad. Integrating him back into the roster after the World Cup will be easier said than done.
Ten Hag has already had two issues with Ronaldo since taking over at Manchester United. The Dutchman has not been starry-eyed by the 37-year-old’s reputation and has not hesitated to discipline him either. The interview now appears to be the Portuguese ace’s third strike, and he seems to have played his final card.
The Manchester United boss is not a man to be trifled with and has proven it in the past. He did not take kindly to Noa Lang’s outburst while at Ajax, and the sensational youngster was let go soon after. Ronaldo now appears to have joined that list.
Much was expected from the Portuguese international following his second coming to Old Trafford. While he did impress last season, his total lack of self-awareness in the current campaign can only be termed mind-boggling. In fact, while his arch-rival, Lionel Messi continues to dazzle in Ligue 1, Ronaldo has barely been in his element all season and has seen his performance levels drop off dramatically.
Whatever be his grievances, the 37-year-old cannot consider himself to be above his manager and teammates and air dirty laundry in public. Manchester United finally appear to have a man in charge who has a plan, and they cannot afford to let a petulant veteran derail the process.
Ronaldo, for his part, has the right to be miffed. However, he has performed poorly for Manchester United this season, and the club have shown that they can survive without him. Should they cut the under-fire attacker in January, it should not prove to be a difficult decision.
