Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has brushed aside recent criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo regarding his comments on the club's prospects.
Ronaldo, speaking on a podcast with former United teammate Rio Ferdinand, criticized Ten Hag’s remark in a pre-season interview in the Netherlands, where Ten Hag stated that the club was "a long way away" from winning the Premier League for the first time since 2013.
While Ronaldo admitted that he also believed the club was unlikely to secure the championship, he felt Ten Hag's comments conveyed a negative message.
In response to Ronaldo's remarks ahead of Manchester United's match against Southampton, Ten Hag emphasized that Ronaldo had previously expressed similar views. “No, he said this, if you read the article very well,” Ten Hag stated. “He is entitled to his opinion. It’s OK. He is far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester.”
Manchester United, following defeats to Brighton and Liverpool, face Southampton knowing that another loss would mark their worst start to a season since 1986-87, a period that saw Ron Atkinson's dismissal and Sir Alex Ferguson's appointment.
Ten Hag confirmed that full-back Luke Shaw, who has not played for United this season despite featuring in Euro 2024 for England, remains unavailable. Additionally, striker Rasmus Hojlund will miss the game as he recovers from a hamstring injury sustained during the summer tour of the United States. New signing Manuel Ugarte is fit but has only recently returned from international duty.
Recent discussions have centered on Ten Hag’s future, with speculation that he may not last the season as co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe becomes more involved. Ten Hag, who recently managed FC Utrecht in a charity match, stated that external opinions do not affect him.
“It doesn’t impact me,” Ten Hag said. “I know where we are in the process and what we have to do and where we are going. I have said before we are still in a transition period. We have to integrate a lot of young players in the team and still have to deal with injuries and bring players back into the team. Before anyone thinks about excuses, no, we have to win every game. I know that. The team knows that. It doesn’t matter who is available.”
