Cristiano Ronaldo remains out, Ten Hag does not comment

by our correspondent Davide Chinellato

October 20
– MANCHESTER

Cristiano Ronaldo is always a coincidence, the thorn in United’s side even when he wins this season. “We will deal with it tomorrow, now we celebrate the victory” said on TV Erik Ten Hag, who kept the Portuguese on the bench throughout the game in the dominant 2-0 of the Red Devils against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham. A role, the reserve one, that CR7 did not like, just as he did not like the substitution before Sunday’s game time with Newcastle, when he started in the starting line. This time the Portuguese got so angry, despite the success of his team, that before the 90th minute he got up from the bench and slipped into the changing room tunnel. The race ended four minutes later. And Ronaldo still managed to be the protagonist, even if for the wrong reasons.

TEN HAG

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Even in the press room Ten Hag confirms the desire to think about it before reacting to CR7’s new rudeness. “Today I don’t care about Ronaldo, we will deal with it tomorrow – says the Dutchman in the belly of Old Trafford -. I want to keep the attention on this team, on who went on the pitch ”. Ten Hag, however, explains the choice not to start the Portuguese from the beginning, preferring Rashford to the center of the attack. “Against a team that presses like Tottenham do we needed players who press and give us dynamism. I had already seen against Newcastle on Sunday, when he came in, that Rashford was able to give us these things. That’s why I chose him ”. The Ronaldo case failed to take away the smile from the coach for what he called his best match, yet another step forward in his attempt to create a winning team. At least for now.

THE PREVIOUS

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Yes, because Ronaldo’s outburst promises to return to haunt the peace of mind that United has achieved with this victory. Also because Cristiano had already done something similar at the end of July, in the middle of his crusade to leave Manchester: he had played the first half of the friendly match with Rayo Vallecano, his first outing of the season and the first for the Red Devils at Old Trafford, but he was gone before the end, imitated by other comrades as well. “Unacceptable, there will be consequences,” Ten Hag thundered. They promise to be there again this time, because the situation remains extremely heady. Ronaldo remains a great catalyst for United fans, even in this situation: Old Trafford loves him, cheers him every time he sees him. But it is increasingly evident that CR7 is a foreign body to this team, despite his talent and his desire to be a protagonist. And that this gesture is yet another message that United is no longer the right place for him. He is the right man for United.