- Cristiano Ronaldo played against Omonia Nicosia Thursday
- He did not score any goal
- Erik Ten Hag now says he did a lot for the team
Erik Ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has given his two cents on Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance in Thursday’s Europa League match against Omonia Nicosia of Cyprus.
Ten Hag used Ronaldo as a centre-forward against Omonia after benching him in the Premier League over the weekend. Unfortunately, the player’s situation wasn’t good.
Despite having nine attempts at goal and hitting the woodwork once, Ronaldo struggled to have an impact on the game. In the end, he was only credited with one assist as Manchester United triumphed 3-2 away from home.
The Manchester United manager in his postgame interview refuted rumours that Ronaldo laboured against Omonia in vain. He insisted that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had an impact on the game despite not converting any of his shots.
Erik Ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo by Marca
He told Manchester Evening News that Ronaldo saved two goals and did well with Marcus Rashford’s goal.
“The first two, good saves from the goalie, so he had a couple of chances, he created a couple of chances. He was involved with a good run with the first goal for Marcus Rashford, so he had an impact in this game.”
Ten Hag added that his squad created a lot of chances in the first 45 minutes totalling to 14 which gave their rivals a hard time.
This Sunday’s Premier League matchup between the Red Devils and Everton is set to take place at Goodison Park. Following Ronaldo’s second consecutive goalless performance on Thursday, all eyes will be on Ten Hag to see if he will use the forward.
Given the current situation and the significance of the game, it is very likely that the forward will sit on the bench again at the weekend.
It will be more challenging for the Portuguese to get off to a good start given the performance of Rashford and Anthony Martial, who together scored three goals for the Red Devils.
Ronaldo, according to Ten Hag, is content to play for Manchester United but understandably irate when he doesn’t, as he was on Sunday when Manchester City hosted United.
After the forward’s unhappiness with the course of his first season back at Old Trafford became public, rumours surrounding his future dominated the summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo/Sporting News
Ronaldo had an outrageous offer from Saudi Arabia but no Champions League heavyweights moved to sign the Portuguese player. He was forced to skip the preseason tour as well as stops in Thailand and Australia due to a family matter.
Following this, there are worries about Ronaldo’s future and contentment at Old Trafford. Many also questioned his relationship with the United manager who benched him in his first match after the pre-season tour.
Then, on Sunday, Ronaldo watched Manchester City’s Erling Haaland thrash United 6-3 at Etihad. Ten Hag confessed that Ronaldo was unhappy that he wasn’t part of the squad facing off City on Sunday.
However, he was in good spirits on Wednesday at training in Carrington before facing off with Omonia Nicosia. The United manager maintains that Ronaldo is competitive and one of the biggest players at Old Trafford.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login