Former Manchester United coach Steve McClaren has shed light on how Erik ten Hag handled the delicate situation with Cristiano Ronaldo during their time together at Old Trafford. According to McClaren, who worked closely with Ten Hag, the Dutch manager set clear standards that the legendary Portuguese forward ultimately did not meet.
Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United began under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, continued briefly under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, and culminated with Erik ten Hag at the helm. The relationship between Ronaldo and Ten Hag became strained, largely because Ronaldo, accustomed to being the centerpiece of any team, found himself sidelined and out of favor. The veteran striker struggled to adjust to this unfamiliar position and clearly didn’t enjoy it.
However, Ten Hag didn’t bend to Ronaldo’s status or expectations. Instead, he maintained his strict standards, which led to Ronaldo’s eventual departure from the club. Ronaldo’s exit was accompanied by sharp criticisms aimed at both Ten Hag and the club, and he moved on to Saudi Arabia, leaving the situation at Manchester United behind.
McClaren, who has since taken on the role of Jamaica manager, reflects on Ten Hag’s decision-making and praises his approach. He highlights how the manager didn’t waver in enforcing the high standards he believed were necessary for success at Manchester United. According to McClaren, Ten Hag’s handling of the situation with Ronaldo was exactly what was required at the time.
Steve McClaren Praises Ten Hag’s Handling of Ronaldo as Essential for Manchester United’s Future
In an interview with The Telegraph, McClaren stated, “I couldn’t fault his approach. He really handled it very well. I said at the time he was the right man to go in. That was shown in the way he handled Ronaldo.”
McClaren explained that Ten Hag came to Manchester United with a clear philosophy: there were set standards, rules, and a specific style of play. Players who didn’t adhere to these guidelines, particularly in terms of work rate, would find themselves on the bench—regardless of their reputation. This rigidity, a hallmark of Dutch coaching, was essential for Ten Hag to implement the structure and discipline he believed the team needed to succeed.
Ten Hag’s unwillingness to make exceptions for Ronaldo stood in contrast to other managers who had tried to adjust their approach to accommodate the superstar. McClaren pointed out that both Rangnick and Solskjaer had attempted to adapt to Ronaldo’s presence, but those efforts had not delivered the desired results. Ten Hag, however, remained firm in his principles, and instead of bending to Ronaldo’s stature, he focused on developing other players within the squad.
The level of discipline that Ten Hag demanded, according to McClaren, was in line with the expectations traditionally associated with Manchester United. While not every player welcomed the strict standards, Ten Hag’s insistence on maintaining them was one of his core strengths. McClaren recalls that there were instances where these high standards became publicly apparent, such as the case with Marcus Rashford, who was briefly benched for being a minute or two late to a pre-match meeting. Rashford eventually came on to score the game-winning goal, but the message was clear: discipline and punctuality were non-negotiable.
McClaren emphasized that this approach was vital for the club, even if it didn’t sit well with everyone. He noted, “Discipline was important. Standards were important. Behaviour was important. Everybody knows that about United. That’s what he [Ten Hag] brought. Some people didn’t like that—that’s normal—but he never swayed from it. That’s his strength.”
The friction between Ten Hag and Ronaldo may have dominated headlines, but McClaren’s insights suggest that the Dutchman’s unwavering commitment to discipline and high standards was exactly what the club needed, even if it came at the cost of parting ways with one of football’s biggest stars. Ten Hag’s firm approach not only addressed Ronaldo’s situation but also helped set the tone for the team’s culture moving forward, prioritizing long-term success over short-term accommodations for individual players.
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