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16.05.2022 » Ten Hag keen to work with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United
After what has been a hugely disappointing season for Manchester United, registering their worst campaign of the Premier League era and missing out on Champions League qualification, the English press had been going into overdrive. Numerous articles appeared claiming that Ronaldo would be looking to leave Old Trafford in the summer, although any such thoughts appear to have been rubbished by the man himself. Speaking exclusively to the official manutd.com website, Ronaldo spoke with enthusiasm about the pending arrival of Erik ten Hag as the next manager. "What I know about him is he did a fantastic job for Ajax, that he's an experienced coach," observed the Portuguese superstar. "But we need to give him time. Things need to change the way he wants. I hope we have success, of course, because if you have success, all of Manchester is going to have success as well," observed the veteran 37-year-old.
Cristiano Ronaldo - All his 28 goals in 2021-22:
Ten Hag's first words about Ronaldo
"I wish him the best. We are happy and excited, not only as players but the supporters as well. I wish him the best and let’s believe that next year, we are going to win trophies," enthused Ronaldo with evident ambition and desire to get working with his new manager.
Such comments from Ronaldo brush away all the recent rumours, underlining his commitment to Manchester United and hunger for success, even if his first campaign back at the club has concluded frustratingly. That being said, whilst the team performances have undoubtedly been hugely frustrating, individually speaking, Ronaldo himself has continued to excel to the high standards we expect of such a magnificent player.
These encouraging words from Ronaldo will also be welcomed by Ten Hag, who is looking forward to the challenge he faces at Old Trafford, and the opportunity to work with such a legendary player. Indeed, despite some earlier suggestions the Dutchman would look to offload Ronaldo, those previous reports have been completely debunked by the now former Ajax manager.
Following his final game in charge of the Dutch champions, Ten Hag was inevitably quizzed about his plans and expectations at Manchester United, which included being prompted by several journalists to offer thoughts on the future of Ronaldo. The 52-year-old Dutchman responded with the utmost clarity.
"I look forward to working with Ronaldo," Ten Hag told De Telegraaf journalist Mike Verweij, in comments that were later translated into English by @TheEuropeanLad on Twitter. "Ronaldo is a giant, because of everything he has shown so far and because of how ambitious he is," highlighted the new Manchester United boss.
🗣 @Cristiano says everybody at the club is excited to welcome Erik ten Hag as our new manager.#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 14, 2022
Patience will be key...
"I want to keep him at Manchester United, of course. He has been very important for this club and can produce great stats," underlined Ten Hag in no uncertain terms, effectively squashing any speculation that he would seek to show Ronaldo the exit door at Old Trafford. Quite the contrary it seems, because Ten Hag appears to have reinforced just how important Ronaldo continues to be for his immediate plans.
Having already indicated that Manchester United fans must give Ten Hag time to shape his plans, Ronaldo has also expressed his own desire to win more silverware at the club. What will be important next season is patience, at the start of a new project that will see many changes in the first team squad.
Although many punters will already be looking at odds for next season, it will also make good sense to compare the options and get reliable reviews for online betting sites. Manchester United will head into the 2022-23 season as an outside option, still behind Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League betting stakes, although that could quickly change if Ten Hag is able to bring about swift changes.
But irrespective of any changes to the playing staff during the summer, one constant is that Ronaldo appears to be staying put at Old Trafford, given the comments of Ten Hag. The new manager is patently aware of the brilliant contribution the iconic Portuguese star can make, which means that he will be an important part of any plans for next season.
Thread | Erik ten Hag's interview with @MikeVerweij about his time at Ajax and his new job at Manchester United. pic.twitter.com/gpT3qB4Fie
— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) May 16, 2022
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Manchester United is on May 22, against Crystal Palace. You can watch Crystal Palace vs Manchester United, Eintracht Frankfurt vs Rangers, Paris-Saint Germain vs Metz, Southampton vs Liverpool, Newcastle vs Arsenal, and Juventus vs Lazio, all matches provided from our soccer live game pages.
Manchester United next game:
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United kick-off time (22-05-2022):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 23:00
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 22:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 20:30
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 17:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 17:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 16:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 12:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 11:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 08:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / manutd.com / telegraaf.nl
