"There's a time" - Premier League winner tells Cristiano Ronaldo to respect Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag

Former Chelsea center-back Glen Johnson has urged Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to respect his manager Erik ten Hag and be a team player.

Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur (October 19). He also stormed down the tunnel before the full-time whistle, sparking criticism. Ten Hag responded by dropping the superstar from the matchday squad against Chelsea on Saturday (October 22).

While most have criticized Ronaldo for his behavior, few have blamed Ten Hag for disrespecting the Portuguese by not playing him against Spurs. Johnson, who won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, admitted that mutual respect was needed between player and manager, but primarily criticized Ronaldo for his behavior. Speaking on Midnite, Johnson said (via Daily Star):

“Respect is mutual. No player can do what they want, the team is more important than one player, I don't care who it is. Both Ten Hag and Ronaldo need to show respect to each other, of course, Ronaldo deserves respect for what he's done. But then he needs to respect his manager.

“If the team is winning, players who are not playing need to shut up, there's a time and a place when you're banging on the manager's door, and that's when you're not playing when the team is losing every week.”

The incident against Tottenham was not the first time Cristiano Ronaldo left the field prematurely under Ten Hag. He left Old Trafford at halftime during a pre-season friendly clash against Rayo Vallecano in July.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has featured in 12 games for Manchester United this season, scoring twice across competitions.

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Manchester United reportedly received only one enquiry for Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer

According to ESPN, the Red Devils have long been prepared to let Ronaldo leave for free but are yet to attract any concrete offers from Europe. It has been claimed that United have been open to a transfer since Ronaldo made it clear that he did not want to continue.

They have also refrained from asking for a fee for the superstar, hoping that some club would be willing to take on his £500,000-a-week contract. Yet, apart from Saudi Arabian team Al Hilal, no team have shown interest in signing the superstar.

There is hope within Manchester United that Ronaldo might attract offers if he enjoys an impressive 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign. There is also the possibility of loaning him out in January.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s current contract with Manchester United expires in June 2023.