Piers Morgan is known to stir controversies. Morgan brings out the worst side of people which otherwise people wouldn’t say out loud in public, I think.
Having said that, Ronaldo had lost credibility when he started hunting for clubs at the beginning of this season in his desperate attempt to play in the Champions League.
When he went out club hunting, his loyalty and enthusiasm playing for Man Utd was questionable even to neutral football fans like me.
In my opinion, Ronaldo had crossed the line in the match against Spurs when he refused to step onto the pitch as a substitute when instructed to against Tottenham. Later in a show of dissent he headed to the locker room and leave the stadium before the final whistle on United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford last month. A total disrespect to the manager, team and spirit of the game.
Ten Hag on the contrary downplayed this in the media. After a brief banishing him from the squad for the trip to Chelsea, Ten Hag offered Ronaldo a reprieve, inviting him back into the first team for the following fixture, handing him a start for the Europa League win over Sheriff Tiraspol. Moreover, he was also given the captain band at Aston Villa just over a week ago.
Ronaldo’s outbursts, actions and now this interview has tarnished his reputation instead while spewing out unwarranted criticism at the club, team members and its manager.
In my opinion, Ten Hag has taken up a tough job at Man Utd, trying to transform United’s fortunes and live up to the unparalleled legacy left behind by Sir Alex Ferguson. Frankly, the club has seen better results without Ronaldo and they don’t need a disgruntled player to hinder their chances of turning around to make it into the top 4, if not for the PL title this season. I think, Ten Hag is the only manager who can do this at this moment.