Last week, Erik ten Hag dropped a bombshell about his time at Manchester United and coaching Cristiano Ronaldo during an interview with The Athletic. Dishing the dirt on players, transfers and how he felt his time managing there was.
With him taking the brunt of the blame for some of the Red Devil's most embarrassing results in recent history and some of the most public disputes with players, he's looking to set the story straight.
Clashes with Cristiano Ronaldo
When Ten Hag was appointed at Old Trafford, the narrative suggested he immediately wanted to push the ageing Portuguese icon out the door. According to Ten Hag, the reality was the exact opposite.
Recognising Ronaldo as "one of the best in football history," Ten Hag actually flew to Portugal before officially taking the reins in Manchester. His goal was to speak directly with the forward, outline his vision, and integrate him into the squad's game plan.
"He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him," Ten Hag revealed. "I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire in."
Friction began from the one of the first training sessions between the former United manager and Ronaldo, claiming that the former Real Madrid star routinely pulled out of scheduled sessions and failed to get his heart rate raised to the required elite levels when he did participate.
The most damning revelation centers around the infamous punishment run following United's humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022. Ten Hag famously forced his squad to run the 13.8 kilometers they were outrun by the opposition.
Ten Hag claims Ronaldo simply did not complete the punishment, pulling out after just two of the three scheduled laps.
Furthermore, he alleges that Ronaldo was a disruptive influence on the squad's preparation, telling his teammates to "save your legs at the training."
"I understand it when you are top fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs," Ten Hag explained. "But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels."
A Difference in Philosophies
The ultimate breaking point wasn't just about Ronaldo's infamous refusal to press from the front—it was about a fundamental inability to get into goalscoring positions due to a lack of physical conditioning. Ten Hag fought back from the stereotype given to him that he was demanding relentless pressing from his strikers.
"I confronted him with this," Ten Hag said. "Many times I say, 'Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can't bring yourself in the box, you can't score.' He was not capable to do this."
The Dutchman seemed to feel like Ronaldo's ego had overtaken his performances on the pitch to be able put in the intensity needed for English football like he once could.
"It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. But he couldn’t," Ten Hag stated. "He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn't prepare himself. Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team."
From the Portugal Talisman going public with an interview with Piers Morgan about the state of the club it was always going to be the end of his time back in England.
