When Cristiano Ronaldo made his triumphant return to Manchester United in the summer of 2021, the world watched with bated breath. The Portuguese icon was coming back to the club where he had first risen to global stardom. Fans were eager to see if he could replicate the magic of his earlier years at Old Trafford. Despite being 36 years old at the time, he defied age. In his first season back, Ronaldo scored an impressive 24 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions. However, the reunion was far from the fairy tale that many had envisioned.
Ronaldo’s return coincided with a period of turbulence at Manchester United. The club sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November 2021 after a string of poor results. Interestingly, the Norwegian played alongside Ronaldo during his first stint at the club. Then, they brought Ralf Rangnick in as an interim manager. However, the veteran struggled to adapt to his high-pressing style of play. The mismatch between the manager’s tactics and the player’s abilities became apparent, and the Portuguese’s influence on the pitch began to wane.
The situation deteriorated further when Erik ten Hag took over as manager in the summer of 2022. The Dutchman’s vision for the team involved an energetic, high-intensity style of play, which clashed with Ronaldo’s more traditional forward role. The writing was on the wall: the Portuguese superstar, once the team’s talisman, found himself increasingly marginalized.
Ronaldo sparks new clash with Erik ten Hag
The relationship between Ronaldo and Ten Hag reached a boiling point during the 2022 season. Frustrated with his lack of playing time and feeling disrespected by the new manager, Ronaldo publicly criticized Ten Hag. This tension culminated in an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, where Ronaldo did not hold back.
He accused Ten Hag of disrespecting him and trying to push him out of the club. Even after all this time, the bitter taste of his…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ronaldo-takes-another-shot-at-ten-hag-and-manchester-united/
Author : Martina Alcheva
Publish date : 2024-09-04 18:49:35
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