Ronaldo once had a conflict with Ten Hag. Photo: Reuters .

“Erik wants to press from the start,” McCarthy said on February 20. “In his early years at Real Madrid, Ronaldo could do what Erik wanted, like press high and still have the energy to get into position and score goals.”

McCarthy said Ronaldo had adjusted his style of play a lot but still did not fit Ten Hag’s philosophy. The former player shared: “Erik felt that having Ronaldo in the starting line-up would not fit the way United wanted to play, which is why Erik prioritized Martial.”

McCarthy was a striker coach at United under Ten Hag for two years. The former player had the opportunity to coach Ronaldo for a short time before the Portuguese star left the team in November 2022.

Ronaldo was on the bench in his final months at MU. Photo: Reuters.

McCarthy also appreciated Ronaldo’s talent: “It’s a pity that things didn’t go as expected, because I think Ronaldo can still make a big contribution to the club. He did very well and is also an example for other players in terms of fighting spirit, which any player needs when playing for MU. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as we expected because of Ronaldo’s age.”

CR7 left MU after a controversial interview with journalist Piers Morgan. At that time, the Portuguese superstar criticized Ten Hag and said that the Dutch coach had “disrespected” him. Before coming to Al Nassr, Ronaldo played 54 matches and scored 27 goals for MU.

Meanwhile, Martial has made 317 appearances for MU and scored 90 goals. The French striker ended his 9-year journey at MU in May 2024 and joined Greek team AEK Athens 4 months later.

With McCarthy, he left the Old Trafford team last summer.