Manchester United’s regression under Erik ten Hag this season has come as a surprise to many after such a promising maiden campaign at Old Trafford. But Cristiano Ronaldo may have foreseen the Red Devils’ collapse during his explosive exit last year, based on his and a former assistant’s comments.
Ten Hag looked like the man to drag United out of their decade-long decline after lifting the Carabao Cup and sealing a third-place Premier League finish.
But his project has imploded this term, overseeing as many defeats as United’s 10 wins and one draw last week at Galatasaray, which left the club on the brink of a Champions League group-stage exit.
The 53-year-old faces a crunch period, with fixtures against Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Aston Villa in the December schedule.
And while reports claiming he is losing the support of his players are rife, too many members of his squad have severely underperformed.
Many of Ten Hag’s options played under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who brought Mike Phelan, Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant, back to Old Trafford.
In September, Phelan revealed that Ronaldo would often get frustrated with the response when he attempted to raise the standards of his team-mates after his sensational 2021 return.
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“I remember certain times when he pushed and pushed hard, and he didn’t get much reaction or much response. And there was frustration,” Phelan said.
“When you deal with top, top people, it’s about them and where they can finish and where they can get to. They want to look back and go, ‘Wow, that was successful’.
“And he probably realised, and I don’t know as I never had that conversation with him, that he couldn’t do it at Manchester United. So his challenges were elsewhere.”
Several stars not providing the goods for Ten Hag this season also failed to deliver alongside Ronaldo when Solskjaer and his interim predecessor, Ralf Rangnick, were at the helm.
But the five-time Ballon d’Or winner likely won’t believe Ten Hag is immune from blame, either.
Before his November exit, Ronaldo conducted a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan, blasting different aspects of United, including the Dutchman.
Ronaldo said: “Yes [I felt betrayed], not only the coach but another two or three guys around the club. I felt betrayed. I felt like some people didn’t want me here, not only this season but last season, too.
“I don’t have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never going to have respect for you,” the 38-year-old added.
