Erik ten Hag insisted his decision to drop Ronaldo was the right call given the way the opposition, Tottenham Hotspurs play
By Mosope Michaels
Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag has clarified his decision to leave Portuguese striker, Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench during his team’s 2-0 win over Premier League rival, Tottenham on Wednesday night.
Ronaldo, who was an unused substitute in the game at Old Trafford, left the bench and walked down the tunnel with a few minutes to the end of the match to the amazement of the fans of the Manchester club.
Ten Hag picked English striker, Marcus Rashford, over the 37-year-old Portuguese international, even though Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Antonio Conte’s men in the same fixture last season.
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It came as a surprise to see the Portuguese benched but Erik ten Hag insisted it was the right call.
He went on to claim he picked players who will be able to carry out his plan given the way Tottenham play.
“We are building for the future, but the future is tonight,” the United boss told Amazon.
“You pick the line-up that you think has the most chance to win, and you have a game plan. Cristiano [Ronaldo] is an important player and he can make the goal.
“I have to deal with all the players’ expectations and I have to deal with developing this team. You have to make a game plan.
“This is a good Tottenham team, a compact, a transition team with high intensity and I think this is the best way to start like this. You get more runs behind, more dynamic up front.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 20 games against Tottenham Hotspurs in his career.