Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed that Erik ten Hag’s mindset is overly pessimistic, encouraging the Manchester United manager to aim for the Premier League title, despite the club’s need for a comprehensive rebuild.
The Portuguese forward, currently with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, had a falling out with Ten Hag before the conclusion of his second tenure at Old Trafford in late 2022.
Ronaldo asserts that significant changes are necessary for his former club, yet he believes Ten Hag should remain optimistic about the possibility of securing major trophies in the interim.
The Dutch manager has stated that he is “quite confident” about winning additional silverware this season, following victories in the League Cup and FA Cup over the last two years.
However, he acknowledged in July that his squad is still “a long way away” from being prepared to compete for the Premier League title, which has eluded them since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season in 2013.
“Manchester, they need to rebuild everything, in my opinion,” Ronaldo said in an episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, due to be released on Thursday.
“The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the league and Champions League. Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you’re not going to fight to win the league or Champions League.
“You have to be, to mentally say, listen, maybe we don’t have that potential, but I cannot say that. We’re going to try. You have to try.”
United upset Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May but they endured their worst Premier League campaign last term, finishing eighth, and the 20-time English champions have lost two of their opening three matches this season.
“This club needs time to rebuild because it’s still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change,” Ronaldo said.
“They understand that. This is the only way. This is why they show, they start to change again, the structure of the club, the president, the infrastructures and everything. The owners of the club.”
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