Manchester United have been on quite a hot streak as of late, reinforcing the notion that Erik ten Hag is the right guy to lead the club moving forward. But just a few months ago, as ten Hag endured a public falling out with star Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo, it seemed like his future was very much up in the air.
Now, Ronaldo is in Saudi Arabia playing for Al-Nassr FC, while ten Hag has regained control of United and led them all the way up to third place in the league. Losing a star like Ronaldo could be potentially catastrophic, but it doesn’t seem like ten Hag has any regrets from how things played out between the two, claiming that he sleeps well despite what happened.
“I had my reasons [for Ronaldo’s exit]. They were obvious, and I also knew the consequences. It could have had a negative outcome. That is always possible in football. But I am not worrying. I sleep well also, even during those nights. I have to take decisions in respect of advancing the club and the team. That is my job and that is the responsibility I have — and I have to stand by those decisions. I have to face the consequences and the impact of my decisions, not only in the short term but also for the longer term. Of course, you don’t always have a lot of time. In that period I remember we had 10 days so I could consider which choice would be the best. You always have to think strategically. But that is my job and that is the responsibility I have to take.” – Erik ten Hag, ESPN
So far, the split seems to be working out well for both sides. As previously mentioned, ten Hag has righted the ship at United, while Ronaldo is unsurprisingly dominating with Al-Nassr. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for both guys, but right now, it doesn’t seem like things could be going better for either of them.
Source: https://clutchpoints.com/