In a podcast interview with former United teammate Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo challenged Ten Hag’s pre-season remarks made in the Netherlands, where the manager stated that the club was “a long way away” from winning the Premier League for the first time since 2013.
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Ronaldo agreed with the assessment but criticized Ten Hag for what he perceived as a negative message.
Responding to Ronaldo’s comments ahead of Saturday’s match against Southampton, Ten Hag acknowledged that Ronaldo had expressed similar sentiments.
“No, he said this, if you read the article very well,” said Ten Hag.
“He is entitled to his opinion. It’s OK. He is far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester.”
Following back-to-back losses to Brighton and Liverpool, Manchester United faces Southampton with the pressure of avoiding their worst season start since 1986-87, a campaign that led to Ron Atkinson’s dismissal and Sir Alex Ferguson’s appointment.
Manager Erik ten Hag revealed that full-back Luke Shaw remains unavailable, despite playing three times for England during Euro 2024. Striker Rasmus Hojlund is also out as he continues recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the summer tour in the United States.
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However, new signing Manuel Ugarte is fit and ready for selection, having returned from international duty with Uruguay on Thursday. The £50.2m midfielder could make his debut.
Amid growing speculation about Ten Hag’s future following the two-week international break, some believe the 54-year-old may not last the season as co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe begins to exert his influence. Despite the mounting pressure, Ten Hag, who recently returned home to manage his former club FC Utrecht in a charity match, remains unfazed by the external “noise.”
“It doesn’t impact me,” he said. “I know where we are in the process and what we have to do and where we are going.
“I have said before we are still in a transition period. We have to integrate a lot of young players in the team and still have to deal with injuries and bring players back into the team.
“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.”
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