"The manager needed to win that battle" - Pundit gives his take on Erik ten Hag's handling of the Cristiano Ronaldo situation at Manchester United

Former Manchester United defender Paul McGrath has given his verdict on Erik ten Hag's handling of Cristiano Ronaldo's situation at Old Trafford earlier this season.

Ronaldo bagged 24 goals and three assists in 38 games across competitions in the 2021-22 campaign after sealing a sensational return to Manchester. He even won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in his first season back at the club.

However, the forward saw his prominence reduce after Ten Hag took the reins at Manchester United last summer. He started just five Premier League games for the team this term before eventually leaving by mutual consent in November.

Eyebrows were raised when Ten Hag dropped Ronaldo to the bench when the Red Devils hosted Liverpool after losing 4-0 to Brentford in his second game in charge of them. The Dutchman proved his doubters wrong as the Old Trafford outfit went on to claim a 2-1 win.

The Portuguese icon had to settle for a place on the bench as Manchester United went on a four-game winning streak. Frustrated with his lack of playing time, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner launched an attack on Ten Hag in an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Ronaldo parted ways with the Premier League giants by mutual consent as a result. Ten Hag's side, though, have since won the EFL Cup and could add another trophy to their cabinet if they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final on June 3. They also need one point from their remaining two league games to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

McGrath reckons dealing with Ronaldo's ego was one of Ten Hag's biggest challenges as Manchester United manager. The former defender noted that the tactician has come out on top after getting the forward out of his squad.

"Ten Hag looked like he had walked into a job that might be impossible for him to deal with (after the first two games)," McGrath wrote in his Sunday World column. "Then you throw in the problems he had with Cristiano Ronaldo and it added more fuel to the fire.

"The manager needed to win that battle with Cristiano Ronaldo and then back it up with success – and that’s what he has done."

McGrath pointed out that Ten Hag would have been questioned for getting rid of Ronaldo had results not gone his way.

"Taking on a player of that magnitude and getting him out of the club was always going to be a massive story, but Ten Hag prevailed," McGrath added. "This was a manager putting down a marker and standing up to one of the biggest players and egos in world football.

"If things had gone wrong after he got Cristiano Ronaldo out of his squad, people would have suggested it was a mistake and Ten Hag would have been under huge pressure."

Ronaldo scored thrice and provided two assists from 16 appearances across competitions before leaving Manchester United in November.

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How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared since leaving Manchester United?

Cristiano Ronaldo went into the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a free agent and was determined to prove a point. Although he scored in Portugal's opener against Ghana, he soon found his influence diminish. The-then manager Fernando Santos relegated the forward to the bench for the Selecao's knockout games, including the 1-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

After the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on a free transfer. Hence, he became the highest-paid player in the world. He reportedly earns over €200 million a year at the Riyadh-based club.

Cristiano Ronaldo has bagged 13 goals and two assists in 14 Saudi Pro League games for Al-Nassr so far. The former Manchester United superstar, though, could finish the season empty-handed as Al-Aalami have been knocked out of all cup competitions. They are also second in the league, three points behind toppers Al-Ittihad with three games left.