Ten Hag Subbed Ronaldo Off After Frustrating Performance – He Wasn’t Happy

Cristiano Ronaldo was visibly unhappy with Erik ten Hag’s decision to hook him off against Newcastle United.

The Portuguese star’s best moment at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon came just before the kick-off, as his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson presented him with a special memento for scoring 700 club goals.

Things only went downhill after that, ending with the 37-year-old getting replaced by Marcus Rashford in the 72nd minute as the hosts searched for a goal. United did look more threatening late in the game with fresh legs but failed to rattle Newcastle’s net to win all three points.

Despite a frustrating performance where Ronaldo struggled to get in behind Newcastle’s last line and bring in his teammates higher up the pitch, the Portugal international wasn’t happy with Ten Hag’s call. He shook his head and muttered to himself as he made his way off the field.

Ronaldo's reaction to being subbed off against Newcastle: pic.twitter.com/7pyIICKNwe

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 16, 2022

https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1581646044269580288

I am tired of the Ronaldo discourse. He played for 70 minutes today and offered little to no goal threat while actively disjointing moves, please stop acting like just because he wasn’t on the pitch for a single chance is why we lost the game

— Casey Evans (@Casey_Evans_) October 16, 2022

 

The manager defended his decision by insisting he wants to keep his strikers fresh for games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in quick succession.

Ronaldo is likely to start mid-week, as Anthony Martial, who has been impressive in limited minutes under Ten Hag, remains unavailable.

Further, if the Dutchman decides to sit deep and hit Spurs on the counter, Rashford could prove to be an ideal option with his blistering pace.