"A dressing room that isn't really sure" – Shaka Hislop explains 'worst case scenario' for Erik ten Hag after Cristiano Ronaldo decision at Manchester United
Former West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has said that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag unsettled his dressing room atmosphere by bringing on wantaway striker Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2-1 loss against Brighton Hove & Albion on August 7.
Ronaldo, who is in the final year of his contract, started from the bench in United's Premier League season opener on Sunday due to a lack of fitness. However, the 37-year-old came on in place of Fred as United trailed by two goals at home. Although the Red Devils pulled a goal back, they couldn't find an equaliser as Ten Hag tasted defeat on his competitive debut with United.
Cristiano Ronaldo did not start against Brighton due to his physical condition and not because of the situation in the transfer market. [@FabrizioRomano, United Stand YT] #mufc
Speaking on ESPN FC, Hislop shared his two cents on Ten Hag's man management during his Premier League debut. He said:
"We're not really sure what he said to Ronaldo, what he's said to that dressing room, how he manages this. But he's had to bring Ronaldo on to save things, and it didn't work. The worst case scenario is that everybody is looking at him as somebody who said one thing about Ronaldo, "I'm leaving him out, I'm not going to bring him on", but then had to go to him when the chips were down."
He added:
"It's almost as if to say "I'm sticking to my guns, this club is bigger than any individual", take the loss on the chin, and handle this long term, again we're not sure how he's going to deal with it. But the worst case scenario is that he said one thing; he went back on it, and now you have a dressing room that isn't really sure that they can trust what he says, handles players differently."
Earlier, the Manchester United striker had missed the club's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia last month, citing personal reasons. After returning to action in a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano on July 31, he made waves after leaving Old Trafford at half-time after he was substituted off.
Jorge Mendes is working to find a solution for Cristiano Ronaldo and will try until the end of the window. Ronaldo is still positive in the dressing room and is a top professional. [@FabrizioRomano, United Stand YT] #mufc
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag urged to offload Cristiano Ronaldo
Writing in Daily Mail, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy opined on how Erik ten Hag could make a mark at Manchester United. He said:
"Erik ten Hag has gone into Manchester United, a huge club, and is trying to implement his own philosophy. Yet he's doing so with a great deal of noise around him — and a lot of that noise is being created by Cristiano Ronaldo."
He added:
"I think this is a wonderful chance for Ten Hag to make his mark. Go to the United hierarchy and say: 'Let him go; I don't need the problems.'"
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was reportedly linked with heavyweight clubs like Chelsea, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer. However, a transfer has not yet materialised for the Mancheter United striker.