Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo is frustrated that he is not playing but is happy to stay at the club. In Sunday’s crushing 6-3 derby loss to Man City, Ronaldo was not utilized as a substitute. Ten Hag explained after the game that he chose not to use Ronaldo “out of respect.” As Ronaldo appears to be United’s third-choice center forward, the Portuguese forward’s request to depart the club in the summer has increased speculation over his future, but Ten Hag claims he is in good spirits.
“He doesn’t appear to be unhappy to me. He is content, training effectively, and having fun,” Erik ten Hag said about Cristiano Ronaldo. “It has nothing to do with what will happen in January or the following year. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not thrilled that he didn’t play on Sunday, but the question was about how he was doing throughout training and whether or not he was happy. Naturally, he wants to play and becomes angry when he can’t.”
Some have questioned Casemiro’s decision to sit out the match against Man City since Ten Hag has previously preferred Scott McTominay to play defensive midfield. It seemed expected that Casemiro would assume a starting position right away after his £70 million transfer from Real Madrid at the end of the summer, but he has mostly been held out of the side. Ten Hag claims that in rewarding the Scotland international for his strong start to the season, he chose to keep McTominay in order to develop a spirit of competitiveness in his team.
“Casemiro had nothing to do with anything; Scott was the only relevant party,” he added. “I have no doubt that Case will play a crucial part. We are aware of his history and accomplishments. He has demonstrated in practice his potential contributions, and he will be a crucial member of this team. I have no doubt that will occur.”
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