Ronaldo has spent his career bullying managers - but not Ten Hag
Daniel Edwards
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
- 5 min read
All things considered, the first two months of Erik ten Hag's Manchester United have left a very positive impression indeed.
The Reds squad have been making all the right noises about the Dutchman's training methods, even if his high-octane favoured style of play means they have had to run like they have never run before in pre-season.
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Results too have been encouraging, even if it is often folly to read too much into friendly outings.
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Thrashing Liverpool in their first match of the summer was certainly something to get fans excited about what to expect over this coming season, while the regular appearance of players such as Anthony Martial and especially Donny van de Beek, marginalised at Old Trafford since almost the moment he arrived, and the injection of new blood in the shape of Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez suggests the club will be far more competitive than during that grim 2021-22 campaign.
Despite that optimism, there is still concern around the halls of Old Trafford. And that is centred on just one man, wantaway striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is accustomed to receiving what he wants. More than a decade of prodigious scoring has earned the veteran a certain leeway in his behaviour, and he is more than happy to take advantage of that.
Managers, directors and fans alike, then, are inclined to look past his bouts of pouting and petulance as long as the goals keep coming, and they generally do.
When he wants out, as occurred at both Real Madrid and Juventus in quick succession, few dare to contradict him, and hold the door wide open; while on the pitch there is a tacit understanding that the team must play Ronaldo's way, with almost every attack funnelled through that muscular vortex with the number seven on its back.
A relative unknown quantity at the top level of football in spite of his success with Ajax, Ten Hag seems an unlikely figure to break that domineering presence. But judging by his actions this week the manager will not shy away from a fight to show who is the king of the Old Trafford dressing room.
"This is unacceptable. For everyone. We are a team and you have to stay until the end."
Ten Hag's reaction was certainly more forthright than United, who issued a meek assurance that they had "no issue" with their superstar walking out of the stadium in full view of fans and the TV cameras, a startling show of disrespect, particularly since his management team has spent much of the summer openly touting its client to almost any Champions League participant with the money to meet his wage demands.
This all, of course, came after Ronaldo failed to travel with Man Utd on their pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia for "family reasons". He only joined up with the squad for the first time a week ago, where he again reiterated his desire to leave the club.
It has been a farcical situation for Ten Hag, who does not yet know whether Ronaldo will form part of his first-team squad for 2022-23. If it were up to the player he would not; but if the 37-year-old is to line up it will be as just another squad member, with no privileges or allowances and the obligation to play as a cog in Ten Hag's system.
In short, Ten Hag will not be bullied into accommodating the star, his wishes and whims, but rather Ronaldo will have to fall in line, and quickly.
It could be argued that going public over what is still a largely trivial matter was overkill from the boss. But he was well advised to lay down a marker early in his relationship with the Portugal star.
The Ronaldo dilemma
For all his virtues on the pitch Ronaldo has devoured coaches and managers in this latter stage of his career. He played under three in as many seasons at Juventus while both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick came and went at United in 2021-22, giving him a total of five different coaches in the space of four years.
All of those have experienced the same problem. How does one accommodate the overwhelming individual presence of the Portuguese without breaking the team as a collective?
It has proven an intractable problem, and costly: despite Ronaldo's goals Juve dropped from runaway champions to scratching for fourth over his stint.
Meanwhile, United missed out on the top four and Champions League altogether - pointedly, while Ronaldo impressed with 18 league goals overall the team's attacking production plummeted from 73 to just 57, below the likes of Leicester City and West Ham.
If Ten Hag hopes to keep his job, then, solving that Ronaldo dilemma appears to be crucial, and the Dutchman clearly believes that he must tackle the issue both off and on the field.
He will not be intimidated by his dazzling star power and commercial muscle, or afford special privileges, leaving his charge with a simple choice: buckle down and play for the team, or seek employment elsewhere.
