Erik ten Hag had long shown his true colors as a combative manager not receptive to criticism but he toned it down when reacting to Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s most recent criticism directed at him.<\/p>\n
The Dutchman has gained somewhat of a notorious reputation for rarely holding back when criticism is targeted at him and he invariably gives as good as he gets \u2013 whether that is disagreeing with critical journalists in press conferences, or labelling analysis from pundits Jamie Carragher and Alan Shearer “subjective” and “stupid”.<\/p>\n
However this recent outburst from Portugugese legend Ronaldo was clearly a scrap he wanted to keep clear of, being fully aware that retaliating at a journalist will often go down well online as United fans will shore up support for any manager who bites back at Liverpool\u00a0loyalist Carragher or Newcastle fan Shearer. Taking on Ronaldo, however, is a totally different thing altogether.<\/p>\n
The relationship between the two had been irreversibly fractured two seasons back as Ronaldo publicly stated then he had “no respect” for the Dutchman during his no-holds-barred Piers Morgan interview in November 2022 and this week he reopened that can of worms on Rio Ferdinand\u2019s Five podcast\u00a0to gleefully throw in a few stinging barbs at the manager who had dared to rain on his parade and actually ended his second spell prematurely at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n
Those salacious Ronaldo comments filled the void during the international break, which those in the know are fully aware this is a precarious time for managers under scrutiny \u2013 a predicament ten Hag would be familiar with after two defeats in the first three Premier League\u00a0games this season.<\/p>\n
Hence having seen the 39-year-old’s obviously pungent views on his own managerial style and on the club circumambulate the globe in a flash, Ten Hag would have been expecting to be asked about them at his pre-match press conference for Saturday’s trip to Southampton.<\/p>\n
As expected, immediately after a perfunctory enquiry about the shape of the squad for the game on the south coast, the gaffer was questioned about Ronaldo\u2019s comments and what he made of it, as in whether it was right for the Dutchman to say United are currently far from being able to win the Premier League and the Champions League?<\/p>\n
Noticeably, on this particular occasion, Ten Hag \u2013 perhaps knowing that getting involved in a war of words with a United legend, no matter how badly his second spell ended, isn’t a good idea when disgruntled supporters and detractors had begun to voice their dissent during the defeat to Liverpool \u2013 seemed less willing to spoil for a fight with the Portuguese legend..<\/p>\n
Instead, he opted to change strategy and pecked at Ronaldo out on a technicality instead, saying \u2013 not incorrectly \u2013 that the latter had also said United can’t win the league. Ronaldo had stated that it’s very different for a detached former player to say it than it is for the United manager to be saying it.<\/p>\n
The issue of detachment was the second tactic employed in Ten Hag’s response, although it was low-key compared to some of the fireworks that had usually accompanied his previous press conferences when things reflected badly on him.<\/p>\n
“He said that Manchester United\u00a0can\u2019t win the Premier League,” Ten Hag said. “He said this if you read the article very well. He\u2019s far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester. Everyone can have an opinion. It\u2019s okay.”<\/p>\n
Ten Hag claimed the noise that always exists around United “doesn’t impact me” and repeated his view that the team, as is his usual tune, were on the right track, despite the poor start to the campaign in terms of results.<\/p>\n
The United gaffer knows he needs results to ease the pressure, despite the new Board going public with their full support for him, regardless of the results on the pitch. That sounds almost too good to be true.<\/p>\n
For now, Ronaldo will be off his back and the Dutchman has managed to defuse a further potential fall-out with an idol to many United supporters still profess loyalty to.<\/p>\n
And for now, away in Saudi Arabia, the man who is still baying for ten Hag\u2019s blood, and who has now gone past 900 goals in his glittering career so far, will be compelled to retreat to the shadows and and bide his time while hoping to plot further mischief against his Dutch nemesis, having not got the feral bite he was hoping for, after his loaded interview with Ferdinand.<\/p>\n
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