It's exactly what everyone in the Manchester United locker room has been hoping for all along. A manager who treats players as closely to equals as possible, who insists that respect be earned and that a player's position on the team be earned through their performances. Sadly, Cristiano Ronaldo did not get what he wanted out of the situation.
The fading forward wanted to continue receiving the special treatment he had received for many years, as well as the right to insist that a team be built around him. that they worship at his feet because he is the altar at which they do so. And he wanted all that having agitated for a move away all summer, having his camp leak stories that he wanted to leave on the eve of Ten Hag's first pre-season, refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham, and then walking away from Old Trafford early to ensure that the attention was once again directed toward him. We are still waiting for the full content of Ronaldo's tell-all interview with Piers Morgan, which will take place later this week, but based on the excerpts that have been released so far, his argument is not convincing. Nobody should forget that this has been a difficult year for Ronaldo on a personal level, and the fact that he is famous and wealthy does not make it any simpler for him to come to terms with it. However, this does not give anyone the right to turn their ire on their own employees, especially when he is the highest-paid employee they have ever had at their company.
The team spirit that Ten Hag is cultivating was once again on display at Fulham, even if the performance levels weren't as high as they could have been. United were adamant that the interview with Ronaldo would not overshadow their victory there. It could be considered appropriate that the game-winning goal was scored by a winger who was only 18 years old but had the whole world at his fingertips. The past consists of having sit-down interviews with hosts of talk shows who, at best, are marmite. The present is the future. Donald Trump and Ronaldo have been Morgan's most valuable acquisitions over the past few years. There probably won't be a lot of people willing to volunteer to make up that four-ball.
The interviewer that was selected is also very illuminating. When it comes to Ronaldo, Morgan is a social media sycophant, and we can be sure where his sympathies will fall regarding this issue. Will we actually see Morgan investigating some of Ronaldo's own transgressions since he returned to the club, or will this all be constructing a storyline where he is the one who has been wronged? If the former, then when can we expect to see this?
Speaking on talkSPORT on Monday morning, Morgan emphasized that he had questioned Ronaldo about his refusal to come on against Tottenham. However, he told the broadcaster that he felt it was disrespectful of Ten Hag to ask him to come on with three minutes left in a game that United were losing. Morgan's comments were made in reference to Ronaldo's refusal to come on against Tottenham. They triumphed 2-0 with their best performance of the year, so I believe we are able to make an educated guess as to who is in charge of the narrative in this discussion. During that same interview, he also stated that Ten Hag had made the decision to "reprimand him [Ronaldo], publicly berate him." It would be very difficult for him to find any evidence to support that claim. However, that will take place later in the week. When United analyze the facts and consider what they have learned up to this point in order to determine an appropriate punishment for their 37-year-old striker, they may also come to the conclusion that what Ronaldo is doing is in fact a compliment to Ten Hag. This summer, Manchester United needed a manager who would be a tough boss and would elevate the position of manager to the position of being the most important figure at Old Trafford.
The part of the interview that we've seen so far that focuses on Ronaldo's criticism of Ralf Rangnick is one of the more relevant parts. It is an insignificant point, but one that is also largely accurate. Ronaldo asserts that he was unaware of him and that he was not the only player present in the locker room at the time. The fact that none of the players respected the German contributed to the further deterioration of the team's spirit and unity within the locker room.
The mass exodus of senior players that took place over the summer was instrumental in clearing the decks and marking the beginning of the end of the era of player power. The appointment of Ten Hag to that position further strengthened that. He places a strong emphasis on accuracy and precision in his strategy, but he is not one for idle chatter, and his lack of interaction with other players on the tour caused some of them to feel awkward.
Ronaldo skipped that tour due to personal obligations, and it appears that he is implying that the club did not provide him with sufficient support or understanding during that time. Without further explanation, it's hard to comment on that, but when he did return, he didn't do much to win over the new management structure's favor.
It is illuminating that within a few weeks of working with Ten Hag, Ten Hag had already changed his mind about the importance of retaining Ronaldo's services. Their awkward conversation on the sidelines during the Rayo Vallecano friendly felt like it shed some light on the situation, and the fact that the player simply does not fit in the new system was made abundantly clear during the 4-0 loss to Brentford. Ten Hag's life began from scratch on that day, and the circumstances gave him the opportunity to be merciless.
Probably everything can be traced back to this one point. Since then, Ronaldo hasn't seen nearly as much action with the team as he once did. Ten Hag does not respect him because he does not believe that he is good enough, not because Ten Hag does not respect him. On the basis of the results of this season, it is impossible to make the case that Ronaldo should be playing when Antony Martial is fit to play. Even when he isn't there, they look like a different team — one that is more fluid and has better functionality — when he isn't there.
When Ronaldo was disciplined the day after the game against Tottenham, Ten Hag's no-nonsense approach to dealing with him was on full display. The Dutchman received praise for taking action and kicking him out of the squad for a game; however, if there has been a mistake made by Ten Hag this season, then perhaps it is allowing him to get back into the squad with such little difficulty.
The likes of Alejandro Garnacho and other younger players continue to look up to Ronaldo as a role model. Ronaldo is still an influential figure in this squad. Therefore, it didn't send the right message when Ronaldo was given the longest run he'd ever had in the team directly after his inappropriate behavior with the Spurs. It most certainly did not help matters when Aston Villa, just 18 days after the player's refusal to play for the club, named him captain of the team.
After his second humiliating display of contempt in public this season, there is no way he can redeem himself. United and his teammates have every right to be incensed by this interview, both for the information it contains and the timing of its publication. During the World Cup, it will be fascinating to watch Ronaldo interact with his international teammates Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes because of the dynamic that exists between the three of them. Dalot has thrived under Ten Hag and Fernandes has been getting better and better.
The egotistical and self-absorbed interview that Ronaldo gave has brought their efforts into disrepute. They may be able to put it out of their minds in order to focus on the challenge of winning a World Cup, but they should make it abundantly clear that he is not welcome to return to Carrington ever again.
Ronaldo's refusal to come off the bench cost United an unspecified amount of money, but the club has never confirmed this. At this point, the punishment ought to be as severe as is humanly possible. There is no use in attempting to save relationships at this point in time. In spite of Ronaldo's best efforts to portray himself as the victim in this situation, it is abundantly clear that he simply wants out of the club in January. However, there was no reason to attempt to coerce the club into making a decision in such a manner. He had the option of leaving at the end of the summer window, but the player and his entourage had to face the unsettling reality that Saudi Arabia was the only country that had any interest in signing him. It's possible that he's trying to tell us, now, that the Saudi Pro League did, in fact, have some appeal. It's possible that it will have to, because if he has a poor showing at the World Cup, then it's likely that he's done competing at the highest level in Europe.
It is largely irrelevant whether United let him leave for free in January, demanded a fee, fired him, or put him in the Under-21 team. All of these options are equally valid. He will never be allowed to play for the club again, nor will he ever be allowed to train with the first team.
Ten Hag has completely transformed the atmosphere in the United dressing room by bringing in influential players such as Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro and giving more responsibility to players who already have a strong voice. After what has happened, Ronaldo will not be welcome back.
It might not feel like it right now, but the fact that Ronaldo had to lower himself to a talk show in order to lob grenades at a manager who won't play him based solely on reputation is actually the highest compliment he could pay Ten Hag. This is exactly what United desired to hear from their new manager, and they got it.
