Why Ten Hag can’t suffer defeat in this Ronaldo spat

Would Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego permit him to down tools and stop scoring goals for Manchester united?

It is one of the questions Erik ten Hag may be chewing on during his drive to work this week. Ronaldo’s desire to move to a Champions league club is one spat the manager can certainly do without, but it is also one he has to resolve to his satisfaction.

If he wants Ronaldo to stay and the player leaves, the manager appears weak. If he lays down the law and ends up with Ronaldo simply going through the motions that is a disaster for united.

Whatever his flaws, Ronaldo is still the club’s best goalscorer. Even if Ten Hag revitalises Marcus Rashford, he is not going to develop Ronaldo’s instinct overnight. Ten Hag makes Ronaldo work or he starts at a significant disadvantage. It could be argued he already is with Ronaldo missing the first day of training for ‘family reasons’.

Sooner or later this was always going to happen. The name, Manchester united, is not enough. The best modern players think career and glory, not just money or the shirt. The money is everywhere now. They all pay it.

And Manchester united? They are in the Europa league as much as the Champions league these days. Their last five European campaigns, including this one, split 3-2 in the Europa league’s favour.

Ronaldo (right) has never kicked a ball in UEFA’s second best competition. Heaven knows what he would have made of the Europa Conference league had that happened.

For united, this is a reckoning. They cannot continue down this road of mediocrity, getting by on being Manchester united. Sponsors won’t desert them but players will. The interest in darwin nunez did not last because liverpool were in and liverpool are a bigger attraction right now. united can’t compete. liverpool haven’t missed the Champions league in five seasons, including three appearances in the final. Manchester City are on a run of 11 Champions league campaigns straight. Chelsea have participated in seven out of nine seasons and won the Europa league the last time they missed out. no wonder Ronaldo is thinking he joined the wrong club.

So while this may look like any other squabble between a dissatisfied player and employers wishing him to honour his contract, it is bigger. This cuts to the essence of what united were and what they are now.

Ronaldo never imagined that returning to old Trafford would see him participating in the Europa league. united never anticipated that being Manchester united would no longer be enough to satisfy him.

Ten Hag is caught in the middle. We wish him well making this right, but he has to make it right or start with a heavy defeat.