Ahead of Manchester United's clash against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Monday, manager Erik ten Hag has once again spoken about the Portuguese striker's future.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has reiterated that legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo is still in his plans and questioned why the Portuguese talisman had received the most flak following the humiliating 4-0 loss at Brentford last Saturday.
Thomas Frank's side destroyed the Red Devils in the first half, and Ten Hag's team performed horribly due to several individual mistakes. Goalkeeper David de Gea was at fault for the first two goals as United's defence struggled mightily. Still, Ronaldo has continued to draw attention to what many have judged to be a terrible attitude.
The 37-year-old Portuguese icon wants to keep competing in the Champions League, and there has been an ongoing discussion about whether or not he will be given way out of Old Trafford. Reports had earlier stated that Ten Hag is willing to approve an exit, and it is said that Ronaldo's former club Sporting CP is keen on bringing him back to Lisbon. Despite this, reports acknowledge that a deal will be extremely tough to complete.
However, Ten Hag has publicly insisted Ronaldo is part of his ambitions for Manchester United, and he reinforced that position in his most recent press conference, which was conducted in advance of Monday's match with bitter rivals Liverpool. "I don't know why he is in focus after Saturday," Ten Hag said about constant reports about Ronaldo. "It was the team performance and the whole team's attitude, including Ronaldo. He is in our plans. That's what I can see."
In regards to United's performance against Brentford, Ten Hag added, "I think I make myself clear, I was definitely not happy. You can talk about football philosophy, but the basic stuff has to be good. That starts with the right attitude, a fighting attitude on the pitch. I didn't see that from minute one. You have to bring it every game."
Meanwhile, even as the drama around Ronaldo continues, the Red Devils have sealed a deal with Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro on a potential four-year contract in a deal worth up to 70 million euros. It will be interesting to see if the inclusion of Ronaldo's former teammate at Santiago Bernabeu will impact his decision to leave Old Trafford.