Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent remarks, dismissing the criticism and emphasizing that the external opinions surrounding the club do not affect him.
Ronaldo, speaking on a podcast with former United teammate Rio Ferdinand, criticized Ten Hag for comments made in a pre-season interview, where the manager suggested that United were “a long way away” from winning the Premier League for the first time since 2013. While Ronaldo agreed that his former club was not in a position to win the title, he felt that Ten Hag’s statement sent the wrong message as a leader.
When asked about Ronaldo’s comments before United’s upcoming match against Southampton, Ten Hag clarified that the forward had expressed a similar sentiment.
“No, he said this, if you read the article very well,” Ten Hag responded. “He is entitled to his opinion. It’s OK. He is far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester.”
Following back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Liverpool, United is set to face Southampton, with the team facing the possibility of their worst start to a season since 1986-87. In that season, Ron Atkinson was sacked and replaced by Sir Alex Ferguson after a poor run of results.
Ten Hag confirmed that defender Luke Shaw remains unavailable for selection, despite having made three appearances for England during Euro 2024. Additionally, striker Rasmus Højlund will miss the Southampton match as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained during the summer tour of the United States.
However, recent signing Manuel Ugarte, who joined the club for £50.2 million, is fit and available, though he only returned from international duty with Uruguay on Thursday.
The two-week break since the Liverpool defeat has fueled speculation about Ten Hag’s future at the club, with many suggesting that he might not last the season, especially as co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe begins to exert influence.
Despite the external discussion, Ten Hag remains focused and unaffected by the speculation.
“It doesn’t impact me,” Ten Hag stated. “I know where we are in the process and what we have to do and where we are going.”
Ten Hag reiterated that the club is still undergoing a transition, with many young players being integrated into the team, while also contending with injuries.
“Before anyone thinks about excuses, no, we have to win every game. I know that. The team knows that. It doesn’t matter who is available,” he said.
