Steve McClaren says Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was right to take on Cristiano Ronaldo and says the Dutch boss will succeed at Old Trafford.
McClaren returned to United in 2022 to spend two years as Ten Hag’s assistant before he left to take charge of Jamaica last month.
Ten Hag dropped five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo on several occasions during the early part of his reign, leading to the Portuguese icon to slam his manager in a public interview, accusing the Dutchman of “betraying” him.
Ronaldo’s United contract was mutually terminated just days later, with fans and pundits divided over who was in the right over the public falling out.
But McClaren, who got a first-hand glimpse of the duo’s relationship, says his former boss was right to demand more from the now Al-Nassr forward, insisting it was important to implement standards in the dressing room.
“I couldn’t fault his [Ten Hag’s] approach,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph. “He really handled it very well. I said at the time he was the right man to go in.
“That was shown in the way he handled [the departure of] Cristiano Ronaldo. He came in with set standards. Set rules. Set way of playing. And if you didn’t run, you didn’t play. He was rigid on that. Which the Dutch are. He knew that was what was needed. There could be no flexibility, no way the players could manoeuvre [out of that responsibility].
“This is what you had to do – or you didn’t play. And he took on Ronaldo, and quite rightly. Other managers have tried to adapt. Erik didn’t feel it was necessary to do that. [Ralf] Rangnick had tried and it hadn’t quite worked out and Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] the same. So he [Ten Hag] stuck to his guns and developed other players.”
🛣️ “It’s a road we want to go down.”
Erik sees the #UEL as an important avenue to a successful 2024/25 💪#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 24, 2024
McClaren: ‘United will succeed with Ten Hag’
Ten Hag has faced plenty of criticism after an underwhelming second season at Old Trafford which saw them slump to eighth in the Premier League, albeit they did end the season by winning the FA Cup.
And despite shaky start to the current campaign, McClaren believes they will come good under the former Ajax coach.
The 63-year-old added: “The first season [at United] – to qualify for the Champions League and win the Carabao Cup – I thought from where we started was a huge achievement. In the second year, the only thing you can say was the injuries. We had too many. We never got that consistency.
“Perception is not reality and that is a tough job. Ole has admitted to that. Rangnick similar. Someone had to come in and steady the ship at least. I have got to say with Ineos, I see a great future for Manchester United. I think they are behind him [Ten Hag] and if they continue like that and stick together United will succeed.”
