03 December 2023 , 07:00
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Erik ten Hag's time with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United was seemingly always destined to fail according to former Red Devil Edinson Cavani.
The ex-United striker once claimed that he feared his own time at Old Trafford was in doubt once Ronaldo arrived due to the fact that he thought every manager felt compelled to play the five-time Ballon d'Or winner regardless of form. In contrast, Ten Hag axed the forward mid-way through his debut season in the dugout.
In what was one of the defining periods of Ten Hag's United reign to date, he took on Ronaldo after growing dressing room unrest and an explosive tell-all interview. He won, with the club terminating his deal mid-way through the season.
Cavani's comments make for interesting reading now, with the ex-United ace recalling his response to Ronaldo's arrival back in May of last year: "Knowing a bit about the world of football these days, the first thing I did was call my brother [Walter Fernando Guglielmone, who also acts as his agent] and said: 'Fernando, if this had happened a week ago, I would ask you to find me another club.'
"But not because I didn't want to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. No. Because I had the opportunity to know him, and he is a great professional, with his targets, and that is perfect for a sportsman. But as I know, after years in football, how things work these days. That's why I spoke to my brother.
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"It was more about understanding the situation. Not because I couldn't play in my role at Manchester, but because there are many things in football nowadays that are different from how they were with other people, how it was before, years ago. And since it happened suddenly, I felt nothing. I thought: We'll play, do the best we can."
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag endured a difficult relationship at Man United (PA)Cavani left before he could make a competitive appearance under Ten Hag, but did line up alongside Ronaldo and was even forced to change his shirt number to accommodate the football icon.
As the record now shows, Ten Hag didn't adhere to Cavani's theory and often didn't start Ronaldo for the half-season they spent together. In fact, the former Real Madrid ace completed 90 minutes on just three occasions under the Dutchman's watch.
The fact that Ten Hag didn't subscribe to Cavani's school of thought proves his relationship with Ronaldo was destined to fail from the get-go. The clash with Ronaldo would not be Ten Hag's last fall-out, with the United boss seeing his relationship with Jadon Sancho deteriorate at the start of the current campaign.