‘Special Player’ – Rio Ferdinand blames Erik Ten Hag for Ronaldo’s actions as He send warning message to ETH

Cristiano Ronaldo refused to play as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.

Rio Ferdinand has backed his pal Cristiano Ronaldo, who was kicked out of Manchester United’s first-team squad after refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham and then departing Old Trafford early.

On Wednesday, Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup and stormed down the tunnel before the final whistle. Erik Ten Hag has since stated that he intended to bring Ronaldo aboard, but the Portuguese star chose to leave early.

Ten Hag has responded by notifying Ronaldo that he would not be considered for selection for United’s game against Chelsea on Saturday evening. Ronaldo has received widespread criticism for his actions, but Ferdinand believes he has been handled unfairly and blames Ten Hag for his lack of contact with the 37-year-old.

‘I would not have been content as a footballer.’ Ronaldo stated that he would have handled the situation differently. It takes control of any emotions related to it. ‘I would have definitely been in line asking him about it,’ Ferdinand said BT Sport.

‘There’s always another side to everything.’ When it comes to Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s Ronaldo. Everyone else is treated differently than him. Communication. That is most likely the first time in his life that the management does not support him.

‘I’m not saying he was correct, but there are those guys in a group for whom things work differently.’

‘It’s critical for the squad to know that he’s being communicated with.’ He’s 37. He most likely needs it now more than ever.’

Fellow analyst Peter Crouch reacted angrily to Ferdinand’s remarks, arguing Ronaldo was wrong and Ten Hag had every right not to pick him if he felt it gave his team the best chance of winning.

‘It’s up to the manager to decide who plays.’ Ronaldo is one of the best players in history, but he is only a player. You’ve got a management and a board in place.

‘You can’t just decide not to come on and walk away.’ It establishes a precedent. He must be struggling to sit there and be a part of it. He would have looked at it and said, ‘I’m sorry, I was wrong.’

Ferdinand, on the other hand, was desperate to defend Ronaldo, claiming that Ten Hag should have seen the issue building after similarly failing to play the striker against Manchester City earlier this month.

‘I’m getting ready to play games,’ you should tell me. It was insulting to bring me on for a few minutes against Manchester City. Anticipate this happening before it does. ‘With the way it’s played out, you can see how a player may react,’ he added.

‘He’s my pal, you want him to succeed, but I’d call him out and ask, ‘What are you doing?’ Problems develop when communication fails.’