Even before the season started we got the sense that Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo were going to be on a collision course. The Dutch manager made it abundantly clear that Ronaldo was not going to be part of his regular starting eleven. For his part the Portuguese superstar tried his best to leave Manchester United over the summer. In spite of his efforts he ended up being trapped at Old Trafford at least until the winter transfer window.
Tensions have been visibly high all season, but things took a turn for the worst after Cristiano Ronaldo headed back to the locker room before the end of the team’s game against Tottenham yesterday. This action prompted Erik ten Hag to remove him from the eligible players that will face Chelsea this weekend. There’s probably plenty of blame to go around. At the end of the day when any relationship breaks down both sides could be to blame. In this situation though we tend to side with Cristiano Ronaldo! In our view Erik ten Hag shoulders most of the blame. Here are our reasons why.
Ronaldo's latest strop. Leaving the bench and heading down the tunnel with the game still going on. On an otherwise fantastic night for his team, has to find a way to make the story about him pic.twitter.com/ZOv9cuU4i3
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) October 19, 2022
Erik ten Hag Thinks He’s Running An Academy Team Not Manchester United
Erik ten Hag may end up finding success at Manchester United, but at this point in time the Glazer family are probably regretting their decision to bring him on. A big reason why is because ten Hag still thinks that he’s the manager at Ajax, and not Manchester United. When you’re coaching a team full of young players like ten Hag’s Ajax teams it’s beneficial to have a strong minded coach that at times even supersedes the players in importance. He’s essentially using Ronaldo to assert his dominance over the dressing room. Manchester United though is a global brand not an academy team. The fact of the matter is Cristiano Ronaldo is the most valuable asset that brand has. We’re not talking about his value on Transfermarkt.
While Erik ten Hag may think that he’s doing the team some good showing that not even Ronaldo is above the team this could be sending a different message. Star players are certainly looking at the way that Ronaldo is being treated. Which established superstar in their right mind is going to want to sing with United if ten Hag is the coach? For the Glazer’s that’s a massive blow to their brand. Although Manchester United has certainly featured plenty of home grown players that went on to be household names over the years that’s not exactly what they do. They’re not Arsenal, no offense gunners!
Could Ronaldo Have Handled Things Better? Yes, But Maybe Not To His Benefit
It’s certainly a bad look in general for Cristiano Ronaldo to be seen walking out on his team. At this point in his career though we could make the argument that doing so is actually to his benefit. What would happen if Cristiano just sat on the bench and not really complained about not getting minutes? It would be easier for other teams to paint the narrative that he’s washed. More importantly it would be easier to paint the narrative that he’s washed, and he knows it. Which is arguably much worse.
At least with this type of behavior he’s showing potential suitors that he’s still as competitive as ever, and he wants to play. Do these types of behaviors turn away certain teams that maybe had him on their radar? Definitely, there’s no way around that. That could also be to his benefit though, with these types of outbursts any team that wants to come and save him won’t do so, to have him sit on their bench instead of United’s. At this point in his career Ronaldo is right to think more about himself than the team. Plus, being egotistic has always been his brand.
