Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has said that Cristiano Ronaldo is not happy with the fact that he is not playing regularly. The Portuguese has started as a starter in only 1 match in Premier League and 2 in the Europa League this season. In the 6-3 defeat against Manchester City, CR7 did not play a single minute. Ten Hag said the decision came to respect the striker's outstanding career, while recently commenting on the situation again:
"He (Ronaldo) was not happy that he did not play on Sunday. Of course, he will play and is irritated when he doesn't. This is clear. But as I tell my players, when you're at this club and you feel happy and satisfied, and when you're on the bench, you shouldn't be here, especially when we're talking about Cristiano."
Ten Hag added:
"He is very competitive, as we all know. It is understood that he is not happy when he is not playing. But I've said it and I'll say it again, he's training very well, he's in a good mood, he's motivated and he's giving his best. That's what we expect."
Meanwhile, the Dutch technician underlined once again the fact that leaving CR7 on the bench was a premeditated decision, to not activate the player in an embarrassing situation against City. Ten Haag stated:
"I think if we are honest, there is a difference. No one is the same in the team, I treat everyone with respect, but the players come from different backgrounds. I have to treat them differently from each other, to bring out the best, but of course there are general values and standards that apply to everyone."
At the end of the press release, Ten Hag said that the defeat against City serves as another reminder for United of what level of play the team must reach in order to be competitive among the best.
