Premier League English

David Moyes on Erik ten Hag’s handling of Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo

Man United play West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and David Moyes has discussed his former club.

David Moyes has refused to be drawn into the discussion surrounding Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo was reintegrated into the first-team squad earlier in the week after peace talks with Erik ten Hag and he started against FC Sheriff in the Europa League on Thursday night, scoring his first Old Trafford goal of the season in that match.

The 37-year-old has been unhappy at his lack of minutes this term, but the former Ajax manager has been widely praised for his handling of the player, who made headlines when storming down the tunnel early during United’s 2-0 defeat of Tottenham. 

United are undefeated in seven matches and they’ll be looking to extend that record against West Ham on Sunday. Ten Hag praised Ronaldo for his performance in midweek, which suggests the forward could make his third league start this weekend.

Moyes, speaking at his pre-match press conference, was asked about United’s improvement this season and he also commented on Ten Hag’s handling of the Ronaldo situation, although he made sure to carefully choose his words on the issue.

“I think they have improved and they look like they’re heading in a good direction at the moment,” Moyes said. “But I think we are as well, so we have to look at what we do. Obviously going away to Old Trafford for anybody is a tough game.

“We know that is the case, they have some really excellent players, so we’ll have to play really well, but we have good players as well. As I’ve said earlier, we’re finding a bit of form. We could do with finishing the opportunities a little bit better.

“Overall, I’m really pleased with how we’re doing. It’s not for me to talk about Manchester United [and the Ronaldo situation], I had my chance to do that a long time ago, but I always look at any manager that goes into Manchester United and wish them good luck.

“It’s a fantastic job and a great club, so the opportunity to manage there is a fantastic experience. The players at Manchester United speak for themselves and the player you mentioned is an extraordinary player but I don’t want to have an opinion on it.”