MY ACCOUNT
Cristiano Ronaldo’s “emotional reaction” in Manchester United’s win over Tottenham should have been prevented by Erik ten Hag, according to Rio Ferdinand.
Portugal great Ronaldo reportedly refused to come on as a late substitute in the 2-0 win at Old Trafford and was omitted from the squad that drew 1-1 at Chelsea on Saturday, while he was not allowed to train with the first team.
It marked another twist in a long-running saga involving Ronaldo, who attempted to depart United for a second time in the close season after the club failed to secure Champions League qualification.
Having had a disrupted pre-season, Ronaldo has also found game time difficult to come by under Ten Hag, with only two of his six starts this campaign coming in the Premier League.
Ferdinand, a former team-mate of Ronaldo’s at United, acknowledged the superstar forward was in the wrong for leaving early but believes Ten Hag should have handled the situation better.
“I’m not sitting here saying [Ronaldo] was right to do that. His actions are wrong but if you look at the bigger picture, this could have been prevented. As a manager, that’s your duty – you’ve got to look at the bigger picture,” Ferdinand said on his podcast FIVE.
“Before every game, Sir Alex Ferguson came to the table and explained to you what was going on. He’d go: ”Listen, you’re not going to play the next two games but there’s a third game up the road that’s made for you and you’re going to play’.
“So, you don’t get them emotional reactions next week when you’re not playing. Just looking at the bigger picture down the line, so there’s no surprises. When you get a bad surprise, the emotion takes over and you get these types of reactions.”
Ferdinand feels Ten Hag could have resolved any bubbling tension before it got to the point it did against Tottenham last Wednesday.
“Erik ten Hag’s reaction is the way that you’d want to see it as a fan. My pushback on that is that I don’t think he should’ve allowed it to get to that point,” he added.
“You have to have the conversation and talk to Ronaldo – who, all his career, has mapped out season after season.
“Looking at the bigger picture, so he can prepare himself. At 37 years old, he probably needs that more now than ever in his career.”
United are back in action against Sheriff in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting West Ham at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.
