Fans applaud Ten Hag after Man United boss states Ronaldo faced 'consequence' for Old Trafford walk-out

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on Friday confirmed legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a late substitute during Wednesday's 2-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur before storming out of Old Trafford ahead of the final whistle. The Dutchman has dropped the Portuguese talisman for Saturday's trip to Chelsea as punishment after the 37-year-old previously left early during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

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In his press conference ahead of Saturday's clash at Stamford Bridge, Ten Hag confirmed reports Ronaldo refused to come on and said, "What (happened in) the talk is between Cristiano and me. The (club) statement is also clear."

"I am the manager, I'm responsible for the top sport culture here and I have to set standards and values, and I have to control them. We are in a team," the United boss added.

"After Rayo Vallecano I said it's unacceptable but he wasn't the only one. That is for everyone, when it's the second time it will have consequence. That is now what we did. We'll miss him tomorrow, it's a miss for the squad but I think it's important for the attitude, mentality for the group," the Dutchman remarked.

Ten Hag reiterated Manchester United's statement that Ronaldo "remains an important part of the squad" although the striker trained on his own on Friday.

"I think it will be a reflection for him and also for everyone else," said the Dutchman on what he hoped Ronaldo's punishment would achieve. 

"I set a warning at the start of the season and the next time it has to be consequence. When you are living together, playing together, football is a team sport and you have to fulfil certain standards and I have to control it," the United boss added.

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Although Man United defeated top-four rival Tottenham on Wednesday, the Ronaldo incident threatened to overshadow their preparations for a second significant match against Graham Potter's men.

Ten Hag insists the team's focus has been firmly on their trip to Stamford Bridge. 

"It's about Chelsea, we have a big game to play. All my focus is on that game, all the focus from the staff and the focus from the players is on that game. We have to win that game and do everything we can, so we need full concentration to prepare for the game and play our best," the United manager stated.

"When you play in top football sometimes there are rumours and noise, you have to focus on the job and that is to perform tomorrow," Ten Hag concluded.

Also read: 'Unacceptable!' 'Does Ronaldo think he's greater than Man United?' Pundits slam walk-off before full time

Meanwhile, several fans took to Twitter to applaud the United boss for taking such a firm action against Ronaldo, despite his legendary status. 

"This bald man has huge balls and I rate him for this," said one user on the micro-blogging site. Another fan said, "As a fan of Ronaldo, I'm disappointed in his actions and agree with the manager. It is the individual commitment to a team effort that makes things work. Discipline."

"Benched the captain, rewards good performances, demands discipline, told the club to suspend player's contract talks, and has dropped Cristiano Ronaldo for being unprofessional — there's only one boss at Manchester United. Erik ten Hag," noted @UtdFaithfuls Twitter account.

Here's a look at some of the other reactions: