Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he has put the Cristiano Ronaldo situation behind him as he deals with the forward’s departure for the first time.
United terminated Ronaldo’s contract by mutual consent two days before the start of Portugal’s World Cup campaign after he gave an explosive interview to Piers Morgan. Talk TV in which he criticized the club and Ten Hag.
Ronaldo said he felt “betrayed” by people at the club who tried to force him out and that he “disrespects” Ten Hag because “he shows no respect for me”.
The Dutchman, who is in Spain with the United players, not at the World Cup, in a winter training camp, said MUTV: “He’s gone and it’s gone.
“We are now looking forward and looking to the future,” added Ten Hag ahead of Wednesday night’s friendly against Spanish top flight Cadiz.
Ronaldo, who is now free to find another club, has played down talk of him joining Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, saying the reports are “not true”.
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Portuguese football journalist Pedro Sepulveda admits Cristiano Ronaldo is not a former player and has to think about the best way to end his career.
The 37-year-old has so far failed to ignite the World Cup and was dropped for the under-16s match against Switzerland on Tuesday night. substitute Goncalo Ramos’ hat-trick to inspire a 6-1 thrashing.
“We are going in the right direction”
Alejandro Garnacho holds up his shirt after scoring the winning goal
United went into the World Cup break on top after teenager Alejandro Garnacho’s late winner sealed a 2-1 victory at Fulham to leave them three points clear of fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.
Ten Hag has had a transformative effect on performances at Old Trafford after a nightmare start, losing his first two games to Brighton and Brentford.
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FREE WATCH: Highlights of Fulham v Manchester United in the Premier League.
“I have a feeling, we have a feeling, that we are in the right direction, but we also know that we still have a lot of work to do here,” he added.
A key aspect of United’s improvement from last season – the club’s worst finish in the Premier League era – has been recruitment under Ten Hag.
Lisandro Martinez and Antony from Ajax, Casemiro from Real Madrid and Christian Eriksen on a free transfer have all played a big role for United since the arrival of the summer, helping to improve the character of a team criticized for attitude problems in previous years. the seasons.
Casemiro celebrates his header that gave Manchester United a late point at Chelsea
Asked if the mentality of these signings was key, Ten Hag said: “Yes. With the footballers, we clearly looked at that as the first thing, the talent the player has.
“The person behind is also an important factor, but that cannot be underestimated. You need the right characters in the dressing room, not only if you want to win the game, but if you want to win trophies.”
Reports have suggested that United could dive into the transfer market again in January to replace Ronaldo, with Ten Hag’s already limited attacking options now further reduced in the 37-year-old’s exit.
Memphis Depay celebrates with Cody Gakpo after opening the scoring for the Netherlands against the United States
Dutch duo Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo are of interest to Ten Hag after helping the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where they face Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Friday night.
Ten Hag explains post-World Cup plan for Man Utd players
England’s Marcus Rashford has been one of Man Utd’s standout performers at the World Cup
Ten Hag has been paying close attention to how his players fare at the World Cup, with 11 members of the squad still competing at the Qatar tournament after successfully reaching the last eight.
United return to action against Burnley in the Carabao Cup Round of 18 on December 21, three days after the World Cup final, and the Ten Hag has warned there will be no rest for his players returning from the World Cup.
“We had a plan, we have prepared the players according to the plan so there can be no ambiguity about the program,” Ten Hag said.
– We make the players aware that when you are out of the World Cup, you must return to the club and the league will resume immediately.
“You have to be ready for it, but I think our players are used to it. Our players are winners and they are now fighting for the World Cup and the moment they are out – hopefully one is a winner – they have They have to face success or defeat , and of course they have to be ready for another challenge.”
