# Ten Hag Opens Up: Ronaldo “Let the Team Down” During Old Trafford Stint

Erik ten Hag hasn’t held back in his latest comments about the messy Cristiano Ronaldo saga that dominated headlines during his time at Old Trafford. The former United boss has gone on record saying the Portuguese superstar “let the team and let me down” during what became an increasingly fractious relationship.

Look, we all remember how that situation unfolded. Ronaldo’s second spell at United, which started with such promise and genuine excitement, ended in a toxic cloud of controversy and that infamous Piers Morgan interview. Ten Hag clearly feels vindicated in how he handled it, and honestly, you can understand why he’s speaking out now.

The Dutchman’s tenure ultimately didn’t work out for us, but credit where it’s due: he made the tough call on Ronaldo when it needed to be made. No player is bigger than Manchester United, not even a living legend. When you’ve got someone undermining the head coach and refusing to come on as a substitute, there’s only one way that ends. Ten Hag showed backbone in that moment, even if other aspects of his reign proved less successful.

What’s fascinating is hearing this now, with Michael Carrick at the helm and the club moving in a completely different direction under INEOS and Omar Berrada’s leadership. We’ve moved on from those dramatic days. Our current squad, featuring the likes of Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo leading the line, represents a new era entirely.

Ten Hag’s comments feel like he’s finally getting things off his chest after keeping quiet for so long. Fair enough. The Ronaldo situation was a mess nobody wanted, but United had to put the collective above the individual. That’s what proper clubs do, and it’s what we’ll continue to do under Carrick’s stewardship.

✍️ This summary was written by the MUFC Fanatics SA team based on reporting from BBC Sport.

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