Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has taken a stand against criticism from the club's former superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo. In a recent exchange, Ronaldo suggested that United needs to rebuild and criticized Ten Hag for not being supportive enough of the players.
During a podcast hosted by retired United legend Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo emphasized the need for Manchester United to fight for titles, stating, \"Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you're not going to fight to win the League or Champions League. You have to be, to mentally say, listen, maybe we don't have that potential, but I cannot say that. We're going to try. You have to try.\"
Ten Hag did not take kindly to Ronaldo's remarks. \"He said that Manchester United can't win the Premier League,\" the manager responded. \"He is far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester so everyone can have an opinion and is entitled to have an opinion. It is okay.\"
With Manchester United losing two of their first three Premier League games in the 2024-25 season, Ten Hag is under increasing pressure. Despite having a contract extension until 2026 and public support from club CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, speculation about his future remains.
Undeterred, Ten Hag remains focused on the long-term vision. \"It doesn't impact me. I know in the process where we are, where we're going. We're in the transition period, we have to integrate a lot of young players in the team,\" he stated. \"We have to bring the injuries back into the team. Before anyone thinks about excuses, we have to win every game, I know that. The team knows this. We will focus on every game and have the mindset we have to win.\"
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Ten Hag fires back at Ronaldo's remarks: He's far away in Saudi Arabia
cgtn.com
