Former Manchester United assistant manager Steve McClaren feels Erik ten Hag was correct to confront Cristiano Ronaldo during their infamous public feud, which resulted in the Portuguese superstar leaving the club.
McClaren returned to Old Trafford for a second term in 2022, working alongside Ten Hag and overseeing the Dutchman’s connection with Ronaldo.
After Ten Hag benched the five-time Ballon d’Or winner on several occasions in the early weeks of the 2022-23 season, Ronaldo accused the United manager of ‘betraying’ him and said he had no regard for him.
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Ronaldo’s contract was amicably ended just days later, leaving fans and analysts divided on who was right. McClaren, who left United to lead Jamaica’s national team this summer, has defended Ten Hag and his choice to move on from Ronaldo.
‘I couldn’t fault his [Ten Hag’s] approach,’ McClaren told The Telegraph, reflecting on the heated feud. ‘He handled it quite nicely. I said at the time that he was the right person to go in.
‘That was evident in how he handled Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. Ten Hag came in with predetermined standards. Establish rules. Determine how you want to play. And if you didn’t run, you weren’t playing. He was firm on that. Which the Dutch are.
‘He knew exactly what was needed. There could be no flexibility, no way for the athletes to avoid that obligation.
‘This is what you had to do—or you didn’t play. And he confronted Ronaldo, which was entirely appropriate. Other managers attempted to adjust. Erik did not believe it was necessary to do so. [Ralf] Rangnick tried but failed, as did Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer]. So he (Ten Hag) stuck to his guns and nurtured other players.
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