Erik ten Hag has taken a jab at Cristiano Ronaldo, suggesting that the Portuguese forward’s opinions hold little weight since he is “far away from Manchester.”
Ronaldo, in a podcast hosted by Rio Ferdinand, criticized Ten Hag for not asserting that Manchester United would fight for the Premier League or Champions League titles.
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In response, Ten Hag has rejected Ronaldo’s comments, emphasizing that it was Ronaldo who had previously claimed United could not win the Premier League. “He said this. If you read the article very well. He is far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester so everyone can have an opinion and is entitled to have an opinion. It is OK,” Ten Hag remarked.
The Dutch manager is facing increased scrutiny ahead of Manchester United’s match against Southampton on Saturday, following a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool. Despite public support from CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, there are ongoing speculations about Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford, just months after his contract was extended until 2026.
“It doesn’t impact me,” Ten Hag said regarding the speculation. “I know in the process where we are, where we’re going. We’re in the transition period, we have to integrate a lot of young players in the team. We have to bring the injuries back into the team. Before anyone thinks about excuses, we have to win every game, I know that. The team knows this. We will focus on every game and have the mindset we have to win.”
Ten Hag also confirmed that Luke Shaw and Rasmus Højlund will not be available for the Southampton game as they continue their recovery from injuries.
