Manchester United produced one of their most dominant performances in recent memory as they outclassed Tottenham Hotspurs 2-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Erik ten Hag was delighted with the result and the way his team played, as they showed a mix of controlled aggression throughout the game.
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The Dutch manager’s team selection was validated as under-fire stars Fred and Bruno Fernandes scored the goals that brought home all three points.
But towards the end of the contest, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was dropped for Marcus Rashford, ended up walking off towards the dressing room before the final whistle.
He was even spotted leaving Old Trafford despite his team winning and celebrating inside the dressing room.
Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived at Carrington for training 📷. pic.twitter.com/IffuRzE5Ca
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) October 20, 2022
The manager was asked about the incident and he chose to downplay it at the time. “I have seen him, but I didn’t speak to him. I will deal with that tomorrow, not today. We are celebrating this victory,’ he told reporters.
“I don’t pay attention today and I will deal with it tomorrow. I want to keep the focus on the team and a magnificent performance from all 11 players and the subs who came on. It was a squad performance.”
Despite players and the manager not willing to lose any sleep over the incident yesterday, multiple outlets reported how the Dutch boss was furious with the whole incident.
Quite a few ex-players and pundits have condemned the Portuguese’s actions on the night and most fans want him gone after last night’s unprofessional antics.
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After all, this was not the first time Ronaldo has pulled such a stunt.
The 37-year-old had left Old Trafford early during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano in July after being substituted at half-time.
He had also shown his frustration at being substituted in the second-half of United’s goalless draw with Newcastle last Sunday.
He was pictured arriving at Manchester United training’s ground early morning. Reporters failed to get a response from the striker as he drove into Carrington.
It will be interesting to see how Ten Hag deals with the situation considering the lack of options at his disposal. Currently, question marks remain over Anthony Martial‘s fitness levels while Rashford remains the only fit option.
United have a congested fixture list coming up but Ronaldo’s antics certainly merit a harsh lesson. Will Ten Hag and United keep persisting with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner or will January be the time to cut their losses?
