The soap opera that is the Erik ten Hag, Cristiano Ronaldo conflict just keeps getting juicer, and we’re here for it! After a suspension came down for Cristiano Ronaldo because he left Man United’s game against Tottenham early opinions popped up on both sides. We mentioned yesterday that it was Erik ten Hag who was to blame for the situation. A sentiment that was then echoed by Man United legend Roy Keane.
Today Erik ten Hag addressed the ongoing conflict and revealed that this was actually Cristiano’s second offense. The Dutch coach mentioned that it was actually Ronaldo who had refused to come on off the bench. This marked the second time that Cristiano had refused to do so. Essentially what ten Hag is saying is that disciplinary action was going to come down on Ronaldo regardless of whether he left the game versus Tottenham early or not. Do these new developments change our perspective on the situation? Who is to blame for this mess?
Erik ten Hag Claims He’s Trying To Build A Culture
What Erik ten Hag went on to say when he addressed the Ronaldo issue, was that he was trying to build culture at Man United. Apparently in his culture Ronaldo’s behavior just doesn’t fit. That’s pretty evident for all to see. As Roy Keane recently mentioned though, leaving Ronaldo on the bench, and asking him to come on only 5 minutes is also disrespecting Ronaldo. According to ten Hag, as we’ve mentioned, this is the second time that Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to go in a game. Ten Hag mentioned that the first instance where Cristiano refused to go into a game was in the preseason against Rayo Vallecano. Giving us a glimpse into how long the rift between the two has gone on!
We mentioned this yesterday; it’s certainly clear that ten Hag wants to build a culture at Manchester United. The question is, is this the type of culture that a team like Man United needs? That’s a real question that the Galzer’s need to ask themselves. United is now going to try and build competitive teams by promoting players through their youth system? If that’s the strategy then Erik ten Hag is certainly the man for the job. The fans already aren’t supportive of the Glazer’s at all though. Now they have the idea to be a developing team, and not necessarily a contender? That’s going to be a hard sell for sure.
What Are Cristiano Ronaldo’s Options At This Point?
Don’t be surprised if he just packs his bags, and heads over to train with the Portuguese national team from now until the World Cup. We mentioned yesterday that being a team player is maybe not what’s best for him moving forward. At this point nobody is going to believe that he wants to be a team player any way. That certainly limits his options heading into the winter market. Many of the teams contending for a Champions League are not going to touch him just because of these issues.
Let’s break those contenders down! Realistically, Bayern Munich, and Man City seem to be ahead of the rest. He’s got no chance of ending up on either team. Maybe Munich, but it’s a long shot. Real Madrid is always Real Madrid, and there may be a glimmer of hope if Florentino can get Ronaldo at a discount price. The one team that we may want to keep an eye out for is PSG! Money is not an issue in Paris, and pairing Cristiano with Messi may be something that the Qatar owners are going to be interested in. Despite the fact that doing so could definitely mess up the locker room. That and a return to Sporting Lisbon are the only realistic options that we see at this point!
