Ronaldo 'let down' Man Utd with behaviour, says Erik ten Hag

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Martin Macdonald | Writer

Erik ten Hag’s spell at Manchester United had its highs and lows. After taking charge in 2022, he guided the club to a third-place finish in the Premier League during his debut season and lifted the League Cup. United also reached the FA Cup final, but lost to Manchester City.

Things took a turn for the worse in his second campaign, as United struggled with injuries and inconsistent form to finish eighth in the league, their lowest Premier League position at the time. Despite those difficulties, Ten Hag ended the season on a high, beating City 2–1 in the FA Cup final to secure his second trophy at Old Trafford.

The pressure continued to mount after a disappointing start to the 2024/25 season, and United dismissed the Dutchman in October of 2024. Although he left with two trophies to his name, poor league performances ultimately proved costly.

His time at the club was also marked by a very public falling-out with Cristiano Ronaldo, which contributed to the forward’s departure before he moved to Saudi Arabia. They worked together for just four months before CR7 publicly criticised Ten Hag in an interview with Piers Morgan, which catalysed his Old Trafford exit.

"He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him," Ten Hag said in an interview with The Athletic.

"I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for, before I came to United.

"Obviously, he's one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire."

Ronaldo and Ten Hag's outlooks weren't compatible as the manager requested his team press high, while Ronaldo was in his mid-to-late 30s at the time and couldn't keep up with the demands.

"Many times I would say, 'Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you, to bring you in the right positions, but if you can't bring yourself in the box, you can't score,'" the Dutchman explained.

"He was not capable of doing this. It's the wrong idea to put this to me, that I expected him to do the pressing. He was exhausted. He couldn't. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn't prepare himself. Every top team has to embrace the top players, but the top players must work for the team.

"He was telling the players, 'Save your legs at training'. I understand it when you are fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first, you have to train yourself to get to the right fitness levels."

Former Man Utd midfielder Fred, who played with Ronaldo, previously launched a savage attack on Ten Hag and his man-management skills.

"Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of crap," the Brazilian said on the 'Charla Podcast.'

"He argued with everyone. He argued with me, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Casemiro, with [Marcus] Rashford ... He wouldn't put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful.

"[With Ten Hag] Only his Dutch players played. A clique-ridden coach. But, tactically, one of the best I've ever worked with.

"He wanted the team to run, but Cristiano [was already] older. He took Cristiano out [of the starting lineup], and then there was a falling out."