September 13, (THEWILL) – Manchester United Manager, Erik ten Hag, has rebuffed recent criticisms from former player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese star, now playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, questioned Ten Hag’s ambition and approach at the struggling English Premier League club.
Ronaldo, speaking on a podcast hosted by ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand, suggested that Ten Hag’s attitude was too negative for a club of United’s stature. He argued that the Manager should always express a desire to compete for top honours, even if the team’s potential might fall short.
Ten Hag, addressing these comments in a press conference, stated that Ronaldo was “far away in Saudi, far from Manchester” and that “everyone is entitled to have an opinion”. The Dutch manager maintained that Ronaldo’s words did not affect him, emphasising his focus on the team’s ongoing development process.
United have had a difficult start to the 2024/2025 season, losing two of their first three league matches. Ten Hag acknowledged that the club is in a “transition period,” integrating young players and dealing with injuries. Despite these challenges, he stressed that the team’s goal remains to win every game.
The Red Devils are set to face Southampton in their next fixture. While players like Luke Shaw and Rasmus Hojlund remain unavailable due to injury, new signing Manuel Ugarte could make his debut following his international duty with Uruguay.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
