Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Manchester United has been cast into serious doubt following an explosive interview with TV presenter and journalist Piers Morgan..
Ronaldo has accused the club of ‘betraying’ him, manager Erik ten Hag of’showing no respect’ to him, and the Glazers’ ownership of the club. His comments are said to have enraged squad members, who believe he should leave Old Trafford before the end of the January transfer window.
Ronaldo’s contract at Old Trafford is set to expire at the end of the season, and it was never likely to be renewed before the details of his interview with Morgan were revealed, so he now has little chance of staying beyond the summer..
United have adopted a new philosophy and sense of togetherness this season, inspired by Ten Hag’s appointment. The Dutchman, who values discipline, has instilled a new culture at the club, which means that anyone who criticizes him is punished, as Ronaldo discovered when he refused to come off the bench against Tottenham last month.
Despite the fact that Ronaldo is by far the biggest name Ten Hag has managed in his career, he has not been afraid to make ruthless decisions in the past. Ten Hag was in a position at Ajax where he had to show one of his players who was in charge..
Noa Lang, who had scored a hat-trick on his league debut for Ajax just over a fortnight earlier, decided to challenge Ten Hag from the middle of the pitch in the second round of the Dutch cup in 2019. Ten Hag had ordered Lang to “run deep,” which prompted Lang to complain.
Ten Hag challenged Lang, prompting the latter to tell the winger to “shut up” and “listen.” It was proof that Ten Hag isn’t afraid to irritate those with whom he works.
Lang’s attitude eventually became so concerning that Ajax’s management considered loaning him out for a short time. Ten Hag, on the other hand, said no, instead ordering him to be sold..
In recalling that situation, Dutch football expert Marcel van de Kraan said, drawing parallels with the current one with Ronaldo: “He’s had a similar – but not quite – situation at Ajax when Noa Lang, a Dutch international who has just arrived in Doha with the Dutch squad [for the World Cup], had a bit of stardom surrounding him, giving him a big mouth and seeking confrontations on the pitch.
“That was all visible; apart from the incidents where Ronaldo walked away into the tunnel and left the team [against Rayo Vallecano and Tottenham Hotspur], most of the things here [with Ronaldo] have happened on the training ground or away from everyone. However, when he clashed with Noa Lang, Ten Hag demonstrated courage..
And [he] also demonstrated that he was willing to forget it, to work with him again, until the moment came during the winter break; right, we have to do something here. And Marc Overmars, the sporting director at the time, said, ‘All right, shall we loan him out?’ Do you know what Erik’s response was? ‘No, sell him right now..
“This was the signal I was looking for when I saw the whole Ronaldo saga and this interview over the weekend. ‘There’s no way he’s [Ten Hag] going to have him [Ronaldo] back,’ I thought..
With Van de Kraan’s comments in mind, Ten Hag is unlikely to be afraid of making an example of Ronaldo and showing him the exit, which the latter has always desired. United should respect Ten Hag’s decision in this situation and support him no matter what..
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