Steve McClaren takes swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo as he claims Man Utd legend fell short of Erik ten Hag’s ‘standards’

CRISTIANO RONALDO failed to conscionable Erik 10 Hag's standards earlier his acrimonious Manchester United exit.

That is according to erstwhile Red Devils adjunct Steve McClaren.

McClaren, 63, was reunited with Ten Hag successful 2022 erstwhile the Dutchman took implicit arsenic Old Trafford boss.

Fourteen years earlier, they archetypal met arsenic McClaren was appointed FC Twente manager and had Ten Hag arsenic an assistant.

So erstwhile the erstwhile Ajax main arrived successful Manchester, helium brought Sir Alex Ferguson's erstwhile No2 McClaren backmost to the club.

And that meant the Yorkshireman got a first-hand presumption of Ten Hag's managerial attack - and saw precisely what happened with Ronaldo.

The five-time Ballon d'Or victor infamously had his declaration ripped up and helium discontinue United midway done Ten Hag's archetypal play arsenic the brace fell out.

Ronaldo refused to travel on, sulked connected the sidelines, near matches aboriginal and past publicly slated the manager successful a bombshell interrogation with Piers Morgan.

Ronaldo, 39, explosively revealed helium cannot respect Ten Hag due to the fact that "he doesn't amusement maine respect" and said helium felt "betrayed" by United, who had made "zero" advancement since Ferguson's exit.

McClaren, though, believes his brag was successful the close arsenic helium took a swipe astatine Ronaldo's behaviour.

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Speaking to The Telegraph, McClaren said: "I couldn’t responsibility his [Ten Hag’s] approach.

“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 [the departure of Cristiano] Ronaldo.

"He [Ten Hag] 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, nary mode the players could manoeuvre [out of that responsibility].

“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.

"Ralf Rangnick had tried and it hadn’t rather worked retired and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the same. So helium [Ten Hag] stuck to his guns and developed different players."

Ronaldo near Manchester United to articulation Al-Nassr successful the Saudi Pro League successful December 2022.

Two months later, Ten Hag led United to the Carabao Cup, ending a six-year trophy drought for the Red Devils, earlier qualifying for the Champions League.

Last season, a disappointing run blighted by injuries led to an eighth-placed decorativeness successful the Premier League.

However, a stunning show successful the FA Cup last saw Ten Hag's men bushed Manchester City.

That capped disconnected what McClaren described arsenic a "turbulent" archetypal 2 seasons for him and Ten Hag astatine Old Trafford.

The accomplishment of Sir Jim Ratcliffe arsenic a number proprietor past play besides prompted speculation and uncertainty implicit Ten Hag's future.

McClaren decided to measurement away, taking connected the role arsenic Jamaica nationalist squad boss.

But Ten Hag, 54, signed a caller declaration to widen his stay.

However, it has been different hard commencement to the play with achy defeats against Brighton and Liverpool earlier a goalless gully with Crystal Palace.

And the simmering feud with Ronaldo reared its caput again successful caller weeks.

Ronaldo slammed Ten Hag for suggesting United are not acceptable to vie for the Premier League oregon Champions League - past told his erstwhile manager to instrumentality proposal from his caller adjunct Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The Portuguese guardant told Rio Ferdinand: "Manchester United, they request to rebuild everything, successful my opinion.

“The coach, they accidental they cannot vie to triumph the League and Champions League.

“[As] Manchester United coach, you cannot accidental that you're not going to combat to triumph the League oregon Champions League. 

“If Ten Hag listens to Ruud, possibly helium tin [help himself]. I deliberation it tin assistance a batch due to the fact that helium knows the nine and the nine should perceive [to] the guys who were there."

But Ten Hag deed back - insisting it was Ronaldo's ain appraisal that United could not situation for the biggest titles.

Then the Dutchman borrowed a celebrated punctuation from his nemesis to sermon Marcus Rashford ending his extremity drought.

Ten Hag said: "It's precise important. For each striker, they privation to beryllium connected the scoring list.

"Once the archetypal is in, much is coming. Once, a striker was talking astir a ketchup bottle, erstwhile it's going, it's coming more."

That antithetic ketchup notation is an analogy Ronaldo has utilized to picture a guardant uncovering goal-scoring form.

Ronaldo previously offered the condiment-themed proposal to Portugal team-mate Diogo Jota, portion helium has utilized the quip aggregate different times passim his vocation - archetypal referencing it backmost successful 2010.