New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag’s plan to keep Cristiano Ronaldo
Erik ten Hag expects Cristiano Ronaldo to stay and adapt to his high-tempo style. In Melbourne, the new Manchester United manager sat down for his first grilling from the UK press.
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Erik ten Hag is convinced that Cristiano Ronaldo will adapt to Manchester United’s new playing style and raised the prospect of keeping the wantaway star at Old Trafford for the next two seasons.
Ronaldo wants to leave for a club that is competing in the Champions League, but Ten Hag, the United manager, knows that there is a one-year extension clause in the 37-year-old’s contract that could be activated when it expires at the end of next season.
“I am well informed. He also has also an option [to have his contract extended by a year],” Ten Hag, 52, said.
When asked if that meant Ronaldo could therefore stay until the end of the 2023-24 season, Ten Hag said: “Yes. Of course, I have signed here for three years, but in football it’s short-term as well. We have to win from the start. I don’t look that far ahead. I have a strategy, it’s a process, it takes time.”
Ronaldo is absent from United’s pre-season tour of Australia and Thailand for family reasons.
The five-times Ballon d’Or winner is a target for Atletico Madrid. Ronaldo branded speculation that he had held talks with Sporting Lisbon, his former club, as “fake” on Monday.
Ronaldo knows that his options are extremely limited given that very few clubs can afford to match his present wage, which is worth more than £500,000 per week.
Ten Hag said he expects Ronaldo to stay and play a key role in his bid to get United back into the Champions League by playing high-pressing, high-energy football. The former interim manager Ralf Rangnick famously said that Ronaldo was “not a pressing monster” but his successor is sure that the Portuguese forward can press the opposition.
“I think Cristiano is capable of doing that. In his career he has shown everything,” Ten Hag said. “I have set my demands [of the squad]. We want to play in a certain way. A top player can contribute and Ronaldo is an absolute top player in our squad.”
Ten Hag has no qualms about Ronaldo’s absence from the tour, although he was unable to say whether he would be returning to training in Manchester next week when the rest of the squad return from Perth, where they play their final tour friendly against Aston Villa on Saturday.
“He is training [in Lisbon],” Ten Hag said. “I think we all know Ronaldo is a top professional and he will be fit, that is the last concern I have.”
Ten Hag made it clear that he wants his players to set high standards on and off the pitch after dressing room infighting — and poor performances — helped contribute to an embarrassing sixth-placed finish last season.
“When there is no discipline around you, you will not find it on the pitch as well,” Ten Hag said. “On such issues, I’m quite severe.”
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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag had his first sit-down with the UK press in Melbourne on Monday. PAUL HIRST outlines what he said.
THE PLAYERS SAY THIS IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST PRE-SEASONS FOR THEM. DID THE FITNESS LEVELS OF THE SQUAD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED?
Yes. This is why we started training quite early, to improve their fitness, but also because I wanted to bring in a certain way of playing. We want to play proactive, attacking football. We want to play good, but if we don’t play good we still have to win.
HOW DO YOU GET MESSAGES ACROSS TO THE PLAYERS?
You have a package of tools as a coach. You have training sessions, meetings, collective and individual, and they all have their own theme and topic. It is a process and everyone has to stick together. There has to be a structure in the team, a platform from which we can win games.
WHAT GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE THAT YOU WILL SUCCEED WHERE OTHER MANAGERS HAVE FAILED?
I must say I have a strong belief in myself. This is a big challenge, but everywhere I’ve been I’ve got the maximum out of my teams. This is my most difficult project, but I am convinced I can do it. This job is a pleasure, that’s why I took it.
HAS LAST SEASON AFFECTED THE PLAYERS’ CONFIDENCE?
You can see that it affects the players. Now we have to cheer them up and motivate them. We are trying to bring the confidence back. One of the important parts of achieving success is that you have self-belief as an individual and as a team. You have certain tools that you can use to help the players, like individual talks for instance, but sometimes also you can be highly demanding of the players. We tell them what we expect and we give them feedback.
WILL LISANDRO MARTINEZ GO STRAIGHT INTO THE TEAM AND WHY DID YOU BUY HIM?
We bring him in not to strengthen the squad, but the team. I analysed United last year in the left side of the defence. He is left footed and that is an advantage in possession and defending. And he also brings a South American spirit [he is an Argentina international], controlled aggressiveness. I think he will suit Manchester United and the way we play.
AT 5FT 9IN, HE’S NOT THE TALLEST DEFENDER. DO YOU THINK THAT WILL BE AN ISSUE?
I think he’s not the tallest but he is quite good in the air. I feel comfortable with that. Of course, you need the right balance. He has good timing, that’s one of his capabilities.
CAN HARRY MAGUIRE PLAY IN A HIGH DEFENSIVE LINE?
I think so. I think we have good centre halves and Harry is one of them. He has played many times for England. Harry is really impressive and I expect a lot from him, but there is also internal competition and that is what a club like United needs.
WAS THERE ANY DEBATE ABOUT KEEPING HIM AS CAPTAIN?
No, I always see the captaincy as an issue that I dictate. The team building for me is an important point and I always talk about a group of leaders. The captain is really important and I’m happy with him.
DO YOU HOPE THAT KEEPING HIM AS CAPTAIN WILL GIVE HIM MORE CONFIDENCE?
It can help. I will support him everywhere I can. In the end he must do it by himself, and he has the qualities to do it. He has shown it so often in the past.
YOU’VE SIGNED THREE PLAYERS SO FAR AND HAVE BEEN LINKED WITH THE BARCELONA MIDFIELDER FRENKIE DE JONG. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE WINDOW?
We are looking for a player who can play in the holding midfield position, but it has to be the right one. There are not many in that position capable of the level we demand. If we can’t find him, we have to deal with the players in our squad now and we will develop one in that position.
IF YOU CAN’T SIGN DE JONG THIS SUMMER, WOULD YOU PREFER TO WAIT TO GET HIM LATER OR SIGN SOMEONE ELSE NOW?
We need the right player. We have a list of players who have the attributes to play that role. We will strike the moment the player is available.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO CRISTIANO RONALDO SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN ON TOUR?
The status is the same as last week in Bangkok [Ronaldo did not travel for personal reasons]. No change.
CRISTIANO HASN’T DONE A PRE-SEASON WITH YOU. DOES THAT CONCERN YOU?
He is training [in Lisbon]. He is a top professional. That’s the last concern I have.
WILL HE BE BACK WITH THE SQUAD IN MANCHESTER NEXT WEEK?
I cannot tell you. Not yet.
CAN HE PLAY FOR A TEN HAG TEAM THAT PRESSES FROM THE FRONT?
Cristiano is capable of doing that. In his career he has shown everything. I have set my demands. We want to play in a certain way. A top player can contribute and Ronaldo is an absolute top player in our squad.
HE HAS ONLY ONE YEAR LEFT ON HIS CONTRACT. HOW DIFFICULT WILL IT BE TO ACCOMMODATE HIM WHEN YOU KNOW IF HE STAYS THIS SUMMER, IT WILL BE FOR ONLY ONE MORE YEAR?
I am well informed, he also has a year option in his contract, right?
SO HE COULD STAY FOR LONGER?
Yes. I have signed here for three years, but in football it’s short term as well. We have to win from the start. So I don’t look that far ahead.
YOU’VE SIGNED TYRELL MALACIA AND MARTINEZ FROM FEYENOORD AND AJAX RESPECTIVELY, AND CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN HAS PLAYED FOR AJAX. IS GOING FOR PLAYERS WHO HAVE PLAYED IN THE NETHERLANDS A DELIBERATE STRATEGY?
I would like to sign English players but they are quite expensive. It’s a fact you cannot deny. In the end it’s about quality.
DO THE PLAYERS KNOW THEY WILL HAVE TO BEHAVE AND NOT STEP OUT OF LINE?
When you want to get results, you need organisation, co-operation and also you need discipline. When there is no discipline around, you will not find it on the pitch as well. With such issues, I’m quite severe. I will tell every player what I expect of them.
I have high standards. If you are playing for Manchester United, you must bring it every day on the pitch. But I think it is up to the players themselves to also be severe to each other, because if they want to achieve success they have to stick together. Sometimes there is a need for correction.
ARE YOU A TEA-CUP THROWER IN THE DRESSING ROOM?
A what? [Laughs.]
DO YOU THROW THINGS OR SHOUT IN THE DRESSING ROOM?
It is a tool that a coach has. Most of the time I will behave in a normal way, but sometimes you have to use all the tools you have.
SIR ALEX FERGUSON HAD THE HAIRDRYER – WHAT IS YOUR EQUIVALENT?
[Laughs and motions to his bald head.] I don’t need the hairdryer.
Originally published as New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag’s plan to keep Cristiano Ronaldo
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