Man United legends react to Erik ten Hag's decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo vs Chelsea

Manchester United legends have reacted to Erik ten Hag's decision to drop legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo from United's squad for their next game against Chelsea. Among those who have shared their opinion on the matter are former Red Devil stars Gary Neville, Peter Schmeichel, Rio Ferdinand, and Patrice Evra. While Neville and Schmeichel criticised Ronaldo for his on-field antic that got him suspended in the first place, Ferdinand urged Ten Hag to release the Portuguese star from his contract if he doesn't see him as a starter in the team. 

"It's the first time I can say that I am disappointed with him. Normally I back him, I understand his situation. But we are in transition. Manchester United are now five managers down the road since Alex Ferguson. We have got Erik ten Hag in now who has very clear ideas about the way he wants to play football. We need understanding and time from everyone. We don’t need distractions like that, and that’s a disappointment I would say," Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live. 

"If he's fit you start him and I hope he stays, I'm a little bit disappointed in him. I'm disappointed, to be fair he's letting the manager go into those press conferences, Cristiano now is a good age, he's been the greatest player in the world alongside [Lionel] Messi for the last 10 years. He's got all the experience in the world, would it be too much to ask him to do an interview to clear things up and what he's thinking?" Neville said. 

"My only thought could be that Cristiano is being saved for the weekend against Chelsea, that's the only that I see it, logically. He didn't play today, Ronaldo would be absolutely fuming with that naturally, I wouldn't expect anything different from him. The big problem that Erik ten Hag has got is, coming up to this next window, he has got to think very carefully about what he does. If he doesn't see Cristiano Ronaldo as a starter in his team more often than not, I think he has to release him from the contract," Ferdinand said. 

"I would have to start Ronaldo. One interview from Ten Hag after the game against Manchester City and why he didn’t bring him on was because he respected his character. If he respected his character, he would surely have to play him and play him every time," Evra said. 

Ronaldo-Ten Hag fallout

The fallout between Ronaldo and Ten Hag happened during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. According to Ten Hag, Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute in the game and was seen leaving the dugout before the final whistle to show his dissent. As a result of his behaviour, Ronaldo was axed from United's squad for their next game against Chelsea on Saturday.  

"I have to set standards and values, and control them. I set a warning at the start of the season, and the next time there has to be consequences. Otherwise when you are living together, when you are playing together — and football is a team sport — you have to fulfill certain standards and I have to control it," Ten Hag said about the incident. 

This was not the first time when Ronaldo left a United match early to show his dissent. Earlier this year, the 37-year-old did the same thing during a friendly match against Rayo Vallecano after being substituted at half-time.

Ronaldo issues statement

After the latest incident on Wednesday night, Ronaldo took to his official Instagram handle to issue a statement, where he described it as something that happened in the heat of the moment, adding that he will continue supporting his teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. 

"As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed. I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process," Ronaldo said. 

"I started very young, the older and most experienced players examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment get’s the best of us. Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again," he added. 

Image: AP