Cristiano Ronaldo slams Erik ten Hag after abysmal Premier League start

Footballing GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United in 2021 was not a fairytale, with his exit from the club primarily due to his frosty relationship with Erik ten Hag.

'CR7' lasted less than half a season with Ten Hag as the manager. The club terminated his contract in November 2022 after he blasted his former boss in a worldwide interview with journalist Piers Morgan.

According to The Guardian, Ronaldo claimed he felt "betrayed" after his United exit and said of Ten Hag: "I don't have respect for him because he doesn't show respect for me."

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Since he left the club at the end of 2022, Ten Hag has led Manchester United to a League Cup victory in February 2023 and an FA Cup trophy against rivals Manchester City at the end of last season.

However, too many inconsistencies and no clear playing style have meant United have underperformed in Europe and the Premier League. They finished eighth last season, the worst result in the Premier League era.

Manchester United started the season with a 1-0 victory against Fulham at Old Trafford. Since then, they have lost to Brighton and been embarrassed by Liverpool. They currently occupy 14th place in the table.

According to The Sun, Cristiano Ronaldo slammed Ten Hag after another sub-par start to a Premier League season and believes the club needs a new rebuild.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand's podcast, Ronaldo said: "As I told you, Manchester, they need to rebuild everything, in my opinion. The coach says 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."

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The 'Red Devils' have had a significant overhaul since Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover, with the addition of Ruud van Nistelrooy to the coaching staff being one of the most notable moves.

Van Nistelrooy, who played at United and won the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup, knows exactly what it takes to win at Old Trafford, and Ronaldo has warned Ten Hag to listen to the former striker.

Ronaldo added: "If Ten Hag listens to Ruud, maybe he can (help himself). I think it can help a lot because he knows the club, and the club should listen (to) the guys who were there. You [Rio], Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, whatever, Sir Alex Ferguson. You cannot rebuild a club without knowledge. Not guys who work in the office. They understand."

"So, I believe that Ruud will help because he was inside the club. He knows the club. He knows the fans. If the coach listens to him, I think they can improve a little bit the club."

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