Cristiano Ronaldo who asides from Tottenham, also showed his displeasure at being substituted in the 0-0 home draw with Newcastle, has so far, been dropped for Chelsea’s game.
Following the controversy that ensued in Manchester United’s Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Erik ten Hag has stated that there have to be consequences following Cristiano Ronaldo’s disobedience on Tuesday night.
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The Red Devils manager confirmed that the 37-year-old refused to come on as an 87th-minute substitute in the game, with Ronaldo, taking it a notch further by walking down the tunnel in the 89th minute and by extension, leaving Old Trafford before full-time.
Goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes gave Manchester United a 2-0 win, taking the team up to fifth on the Premier League table.
So far, Ronaldo has been dropped ahead of United’s Saturday game at Chelsea and is training alone.
Speaking about the chain of events, Ten Hag insisted that the latest decision on Ronaldo is show that individual players cannot make decisions for him.
“Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on against Tottenham. “There have to be consequences. It is important for the attitude and mentality of the group.
“I am the manager, I am responsible for the culture here. I have to set standards and values and have to control them. We are a team.”
“The talk is between Cristiano and me. The statement is clear. It is also in the statement that he remains an important part of the squad,” Ten Hag added.
He added that after the Portugal international did the same at half-time of the friendly against Rayo Vallecano in pre-season, he felt he had to act.
“After Rayo Vallecano, I said it was unacceptable, but it wasn’t just him. The second time there have to be consequences. That is what has happened.
“We miss him tomorrow, that is a miss for us and the squad, but I think it is important for the attitude and mentality of the group and now we have to focus on Chelsea – that is the most important.”
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The 37-year-old forward took to his social media accounts to break his silence on the issue, blaming his actions on “the heat of the moment”.
“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 gets the best of us,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored just one goal in eight Premier League appearances this season, and also showed his displeasure at being substituted in Sunday’s 0-0 home draw with Newcastle.