Ronaldo Let Me And The Team Down – Erik Ten Hag Breaks Silence On Man United Fallout

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo’s training standards during their time together at Old Trafford, alleging that the Portuguese forward failed to meet the demands expected of him and let the team down.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Ten Hag made the remarks in an interview with The Athletic, revisiting the strained relationship that developed between the pair after the Dutchman took charge of Manchester United in the summer of 2022.

Ronaldo was in his second spell at the club when Ten Hag arrived, but their relationship deteriorated within months, eventually contributing to the forward’s controversial departure from United later that year.

Ten Hag, who was dismissed by Manchester United in October 2024 following a disappointing run of results, recalled an incident after the club’s 4-0 defeat to Brentford at the beginning of the 2022/23 season.

He alleged that Ronaldo struggled to complete a running exercise involving three laps at the club’s Carrington training ground, raising concerns about the forward’s fitness and preparation.

The former manager said he had repeatedly challenged Ronaldo to improve his movement and positioning, particularly when the team was trying to create scoring opportunities.

“I confronted him with this. Many times I say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score’,” Ten Hag said.

He maintained that Ronaldo was not meeting the physical demands of the playing system he wanted to implement, rejecting suggestions that he had expected the forward to perform an excessive amount of pressing.

“He was not capable to do this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession,” he added.

Ten Hag attributed the alleged difficulties to what he considered inadequate preparation, arguing that even the most accomplished players must maintain the fitness levels required by their teams.

He also recalled Ronaldo advising teammates to conserve their energy during training sessions, a suggestion Ten Hag said was appropriate only for players who had already attained the necessary level of fitness.

The Dutchman further expressed disappointment over the situation, saying he had planned around Ronaldo’s involvement and had travelled to Portugal before joining United to discuss his vision for the team with the forward.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him. I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United,” Ten Hag said.

Despite his criticism, Ten Hag acknowledged Ronaldo’s standing in football history and said he continued to respect the player, but argued that his responsibilities as manager required him to make decisions based on the team’s needs.

“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,” he said.

Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United in November 2022 followed a highly publicised breakdown in relations with the club. Ten Hag’s latest comments have renewed attention to their disagreement over training standards, tactical expectations and the responsibilities of senior players within a team.