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Former Manchester United assistant manager Steve McClaren has insisted that Erik ten Hag was right to take on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ten Hag and Ronaldo publicly fell out, in a bitter feud that resulted in the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s departing the club for the second time in his career.
United’s appointment of Ten Hag in the summer of 2022 saw Ronaldo’s playing time significantly reduced, as the Dutchman demonstrated a clear preference for other attacking alternatives who he felt could press better and cover more ground.
In response, Ronaldo granted a highly controversial interview to British broadcaster Piers Morgan, in which the Portugal national team captain accused the Red Devils manager of disrespecting him and trying to kick him out of Old Trafford.
Ronaldo also slammed the club’s owners and his own teammates. Unsurprisingly, the 39-year-old’s contract was mutually terminated just days later and he ended up joining Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr.
McClaren was reunited with Ten Hag in 2022 when the Dutchman took over as United gaffer from Ajax. 14 years earlier, the pair first met as McClaren was appointed manager of FC Twente. Ten Hag served as McClaren’s assistant at the time.
So when Ten Hag arrived in Manchester to take over the reins from interim manager Ralf Rangnick, he brought McClaren – who also served as Sir Alex Ferguson’s no. 2 – back with him.
McClaren got a first-hand account of Ten Hag’s approach during the Ronaldo saga and admitted that the forward “fell short of Ten Hag’s standards.”
The 63-year-old, who was recently appointed as Jamaica boss, told The Telegraph, “I couldn’t fault Ten Hag’s approach. He really handled it very well. I said at the time he was the right man to go in.”
“That was shown in the way he handled [the departure of Cristiano] Ronaldo. He came in with set standards. Set rules. Set way of playing. And if you didn’t run, you didn’t play. He was rigid on that. Which the Dutch are. He knew that was what was needed. There could be no flexibility, no way the players could manoeuvre [out of that responsibility].”
“This is what you had to do – or you didn’t play. And he took on Ronaldo, and quite rightly. Other managers have tried to adapt. Erik didn’t feel it was necessary to do that. Ralf Rangnick had tried and it hadn’t quite worked out and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the same. So Ten Hag stuck to his guns and developed other players.”
McClaren added, “That was the key thing. He was not afraid to throw youngsters in. On instances like lateness for meetings that was well documented, the Wolves one, when Marcus Rashford was a minute or two late for a meeting on game day. He put him on the bench. Granted he put Rashford on and he scored the winner.”
“Things like that were important. Discipline was important. Standards were important. Behaviour was important. Everybody knows that about United. That’s what Ten Hag brought. Some people didn’t like that – that’s normal – but he never swayed from it. That’s his strength.”
McClaren also reflected on his two-year spell at United with Ten Hag. He mentioned that the first season, in which the club qualified for the Champions League and won the Carabao Cup, was a “huge achievement.”
On last term’s struggles that saw the Reds finish in eighth position in the Premier League, he blamed the team’s shortcomings on injuries, which kept them from nailing down a consistent run of performances and results.
He however noted that he left United on a “high note” by winning the FA Cup at the expense of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
When asked whether Ten Hag has at times been judged unfairly, McClaren responded, “Absolutely. Perception is not reality and that is a tough job. Ole has admitted to that. Rangnick similar. Someone had to come in and steady the ship at least. I have got to say with Ineos, I see a great future for Manchester United. I think they are behind him [Ten Hag] and if they continue like that and stick together United will succeed.”
Ten Hag has often been accused by a section of fans and the media of favouring the signing of Dutch players or stars he has previously worked with in the Eredivisie.
That transfer policy has had varying levels of success. The likes of Lisandro Martinez and Andre Onana have done relatively well but on the other hand, Brazilian winger Antony continues to underperform after United splashed £86million to secure his services from Ajax.
Summer arrivals Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt are two other players who Ten Hag coached in Amsterdam while Tyrell Malacia and Mason Mount caught Ten Hag’s eye through their exploits in the Eredivisie.
When put to the task about this, McClaren defended Ten Hag and remarked, “First, the players know the way he wanted to play. Two, the players were available. Three, knowing he didn’t have a lot of time at United to get things going.”
“Lisandro Martínez at the beginning, it was a case of are you sure? Yes, Ten Hag was. Because Martínez knows the way Erik wants to play. I have done the same as a manager. Going into a club trying to instil something, I always wanted two or three I have worked with previously. You need followers and people who believe in what you are doing. There is a list of five potential signings and you pick the one that you know.”
“Casemiro couldn’t believe the detail and the tactical knowledge that Ten Hag had. Casemiro thought he had seen it all at Real Madrid. That’s what I valued in that first year at Twente. Erik helped me bed into the club. Every session planned, every drinks’ break. Meticulous. Even down to what you had to wear. Socks up or down. He won’t like it if I talk about his fashion sense.”
On United’s Europa League opener vs. FC Twente on Wednesday, McClaren revealed that it’s an “unbelievable” match-up for Ten Hag, who is emotionally connected to both teams.
Ten Hag himself admitted in his press conference that he loves Twente and it would hurt to “hurt” the side.
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