EPL: He was telling players ‘save your legs’ – Ten Hag opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo

In an interview with The Athletic, ten Hag discussed the circumstances surrounding Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United.

Ten Hag revealed that he travelled to Portugal to meet Ronaldo before his formal appointment as Manchester United manager.

He said, “He disappointed the squad. He disappointed me, because we had formulated plans involving him. I travelled to Portugal to discuss my vision before I assumed my position at United.

“Naturally, he ranks among football’s greatest players. I held him in considerable esteem. However, as a manager, I was compelled to make a pragmatic choice and retain the players I valued most.”

Ten Hag argued that Ronaldo struggled to fit into the team’s tactical system and failed to position himself effectively in the penalty area to take advantage of scoring opportunities.

The former Manchester United manager also said Ronaldo did not move enough, both on and off the ball, attributing this to what he described as inadequate physical conditioning.

He continued, “I addressed this concern with him. On multiple occasions, I conveyed, ‘Ronnie, everyone is prepared to assist in positioning you effectively, but if you cannot position yourself in the box, you cannot score’.

“He was unable to accomplish this. It would be inaccurate to claim that I demanded he participate in pressing or that he was exhausted. However, he could not deliver.

“He exhibited minimal activity both when possessing and not possessing the ball. The root cause was his insufficient conditioning.”

Ten Hag maintained that Ronaldo’s status as a top player did not exempt him from the responsibility to work for the team.

He added, “Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team.

“He was telling the players, ‘Save your legs at the training’. I understand it when you are top fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.”