‘Your Job’—Real Cause of Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd Feud Revealed

Manchester, England—The fracture that ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United has been laid bare by two members of Erik ten Hag’s former coaching team, who say the rupture came down to a single, non-negotiable demand: press, or do not play.

Steve McClaren, the Dutchman’s assistant during the 2022-23 campaign, told The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast that Ten Hag’s instructions to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner were explicit. “All I want you to do is this, this, this and this,” McClaren recalled Ten Hag telling Ronaldo. “Ronnie, this is your job.”

According to McClaren, the request was modest on paper—initiate the first press, string together two or three sprints, then retreat into a central lane to be available for a quick counter-attack. Yet the forward’s reluctance to embrace that role triggered a cold war on the training pitches of Carrington. “I used to say to Ronnie, ‘If you can’t do that, you won’t be playing. I’m telling you, he won’t pick you,’” McClaren said. “Erik stuck to his guns. Most managers would accommodate; he didn’t.”

The stand-off escalated after Ronaldo was benched for key fixtures. The Portuguese star responded with an unsanctioned interview criticising the club and Ten Hag, forcing United’s hierarchy to rip up a contract that still had seven months to run. On 22 November 2022, the termination was sealed; weeks later, Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr.

Benni McCarthy, United’s striker coach until 2024, echoed McClaren’s assessment in a separate interview with Zero Zero, claiming United “wasted a great opportunity to use Cristiano in the right way.” McCarthy praised Ronaldo’s professionalism—arriving at training two hours early and maintaining “elite” standards—but conceded the forward never bought into Ten Hag’s collective-pressing blueprint. “Cristiano believed that work should be done by the team as a whole,” McCarthy said. “His view was: give him the ball and let him do his thing.”

The split has parallels in Ronaldo’s current situation at Al Nassr, where he recently refused to play in a league match to signal discontent over the club’s transfer activity. Manager Jorge Jesus admitted the squad’s reinforcements lag behind those of title rivals, underscoring how tactical and personnel disputes continue to shadow the 39-year-old.

Back in Manchester, Ten Hag’s steadfastness has become a defining trait. Four years on from the Ronaldo divorce, United remain committed to a high-press system, while the Portuguese talisman, still prolific in the Gulf, searches for a club fully aligned with his singular approach to the game.