Ten Hag’s Ronaldo Claims Expose United’s Pre-Season Crisis
The former Manchester United manager says the forward instructed teammates to skip training drills after missing pre-season.
Manchester United entered the 2022-23 Premier League campaign without a functioning tactical baseline, a structural failure now detailed by former manager Erik ten Hag that explains why one of football’s most decorated strikers became unplayable within weeks.
The Dutchman, currently serving as technical director at FC Twente, outlined in an interview with The Athletic how Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford physically unprepared for modern elite requirements. Ronaldo missed significant portions of pre-season due to personal reasons after rejoining the club in the summer of 2021. Ten Hag stated the forward pulled out of training sessions and completed only two of three mandatory running laps following a 4-0 defeat to Brentford early in the season.
This physical deficit forced immediate tactical concessions. Modern pressing systems require synchronized movement from all eleven players. When a central striker cannot execute defensive transitions or maintain positioning inside the penalty area, the entire structure collapses. Ten Hag told The Athletic he repeatedly informed Ronaldo that teammates were working to create scoring positions, but the Portuguese international “couldn’t bring himself in the box” because he “didn’t prepare himself.”
“He was telling the players, ‘Save your legs at the training’,” Ten Hag said. “I understand it when you are top fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.”
United paid a steep price for this disconnect. The team dropped to the bench a player who had scored 24 goals across all competitions during his return season. The breaking point arrived during a victory over Tottenham Hotspur when Ronaldo refused to enter the match as a substitute and walked down the tunnel. Ten Hag responded by removing him from the first-team squad for one match.
Ronaldo returned briefly but played no part in United’s final two fixtures before the Premier League paused for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He never appeared for the club again.
Ten Hag revealed he traveled to Portugal before taking the United job in April 2022 specifically to discuss his plans with the forward. “Let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag told The Athletic. “Obviously, he’s one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire in.”
The breakdown highlights a recurring friction point in European football between aging superstars and managers implementing high-intensity systems. Clubs often sign marquee names for commercial impact while coaching staffs attempt to build squads around athletic metrics that those veterans can no longer meet.
Ronaldo addressed the deteriorating relationship months ago. In a November 2022 broadcast on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he accused Ten Hag of attempting to force his departure and stated he felt “betrayed” by Manchester United. “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me,” Ronaldo said during that interview. “If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
Ronaldo has not publicly responded to Ten Hag’s latest comments. He subsequently signed with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, completing his exit from European club football.
