(Football news) Manchester United arguably played their best match since Erik ten Hag took over as manager in their 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. The scoreline flattered the visitors as Hugo Lloris put on a majestic performance in front of goal while Manchester United weren’t clinical enough, squandering multiple one-on-one opportunities. Despite the nature of the win against such formidable opponents, the news in the aftermath was largely dominated by a frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo, who was an unused substitute, walking down the tunnel before full-time.
As a result, the 37 year old is now expected to train away from the first team squad and a club statement read “Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday's game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture." Ronaldo released a statement of his own on social media that said “As I've always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn't changed. I haven't changed. I'm the same person and the same professional that I've been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process.
"I started very young, the older and most experienced players' examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I've always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I've represented. Unfortunately that's not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us. Right now, I just feel I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my team-mates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."
Recapping Manchester United’s performance against Tottenham, the Red Devils had their best performance at Old Trafford in recent memory, possibly since Sir Alex Ferguson's final season. While it’s too soon to get carried away, it appears that Ten Hag’s squad have finally begun adapting to the managers methods with the 28 attempts on goal being the most from any Premier League side this season. At Ajax, Ten Hag had a clear strategy of dealing with players regarding any kind of misconduct, ‘there's only one way and it's the Erik ten Hag way’. The conversation between the Dutchman and Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to have been along those lines and the five time Ballon d’Or winner is not an exception to that philosophy.
The match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is a big one, especially considering that only a point separates the two teams. There is no doubt that Ronaldo will be missed, even if he would have come on as a substitute but it’s clear that Manchester United and Erik ten Hag have sent a clear message about who has the power at Old Trafford. Moreover, dropping Ronaldo against Chelsea is also a message to the rest of the squad that any form of misconduct will not be tolerated and it goes a long way in finally extinguishing the longstanding problem of player power that has existed in the Manchester United dressing room since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Also read: Steven Gerrard sacked by Aston Villa after Fulham defeat
