Steve McClaren details Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag stand-off at Manchester United | OneFootball

Steve McClaren has outlined how a stand-off between Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag took hold at Manchester United, driven by the manager’s pressing demands before the forward’s 2022 exit.

According to Goal.com, Ronaldo was released after an interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised the club’s owners, his manager and team-mates. Ten Hag sought a high-energy pressing style, which heightened tensions.

"There was a lot of battles on that training field. There was a lot of, 'all I want you to do is this, this, this and this'. That was Erik's coaching, 'Ronnie, this is your job'." He was speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast.

"I used to say to Ronnie: 'all he [Ten Hag] wants you to do is, you're the first press, make one run, make two runs, and maybe make a third one, if you feel like it. And then, recover back into the middle, in case we win the ball, and then we can play to you."

"That's all he wants you to do. If you can't do that, you won't be playing. Or if you won't do that, you can't be playing. Okay, or he won't pick you. I'm telling you, he won't pick you'." He added, "It was a little bit of a fight. Not a fight, but a standoff, and who is going to win? Erik stuck to his guns."

"The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the League and Champions League. (As) Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you're not going to fight to win the League or Champions League. You have to be, to mentally say, 'listen, maybe we don't have that potential, but I cannot say that. We're going to try. You have to try'." He was speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.

Ten Hag was later sacked and replaced by Ruben Amorim, who has also since lost his job. Ronaldo has found silverware hard to come by at Al-Nassr, although they are pushing in the Saudi Pro League despite Al-Hilal signing Karim Benzema in January.

Michael Carrick is now interim manager at Old Trafford until the end of the season, with United on course for Champions League qualification despite no European football this term.

Source: Goal.com