Former Manchester United coach lifts lid on Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo clash

Phil HaighPublished Sep 25, 2024, 10:12am|Updated Sep 25, 2024, 10:15am

Steve McClaren says helium couldn’t responsibility the mode Erik 10 Hag handled Cristiano Ronaldo astatine Manchester United, saying the Dutchman acceptable standards that the legendary guardant didn’t meet.

Ronaldo’s 2nd spell astatine Old Trafford began nether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and, aft a little stint nether Ralf Rangnick, ended with Erik 10 Hag successful charge.

The brace did not spot eye-to-eye, with the seasoned uncovering himself retired of the team, a presumption helium was not accustomed to and didn’t similar precise much.

Ten Hag did not bow to the wishes of the Portuguese icon, though, and Ronaldo ended up leaving for Saudi Arabia, criticising the manager and the nine heavy connected his mode out.

McClaren was a manager astatine Manchester United astatine the time, since leaving to instrumentality implicit arsenic Jamaica manager, and helium feels Ten Hag was spot connected successful his attack with Ronaldo.

‘I couldn’t responsibility his approach,’ McClaren told The Telegraph of Ten Hag. ‘He truly handled it precise well. I said astatine the clip helium was the close antheral to spell in. That was shown successful the mode helium handled Ronaldo.

‘He came successful with acceptable standards. Set rules. Set mode of playing. And if you didn’t run, you didn’t play. He was rigid connected that. Which the Dutch are. He knew that was what was needed. There could beryllium nary flexibility.

‘This is what you had to bash – oregon you didn’t play. And helium took connected Ronaldo, and rather rightly. Other managers person tried to adapt. Erik didn’t consciousness it was indispensable to bash that. Rangnick had tried and it hadn’t rather worked retired and Ole the same. So helium [Ten Hag] stuck to his guns and developed different players.’

McClaren says that the level of subject and the precocious standards that Ten Hag demanded from his players is what you would expect astatine Manchester United, but did not spell down good with some.

‘Instances similar lateness for meetings was good documented, the Wolves one, [when Marcus Rashford] was a infinitesimal oregon 2 precocious for a gathering connected crippled day. He [Ten Hag] enactment him connected the bench,’ recalled McClaren. ‘Granted helium enactment him [Rashford] connected and helium scored the winner.

‘Things similar that were important. Discipline was important. Standards were important. Behaviour was important. Everybody knows that astir United. That’s what helium [Ten Hag] brought. Some radical didn’t similar that – that’s mean – but helium ne'er swayed from it. That’s his strength.’

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