Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United have moved on from Cristiano Ronaldo’s messy departure from the club last month.
Ten Hag was not willing to discuss the saga in depth when asked by the club’s in-house TV channel, MUTV, in an interview that was aired on Wednesday. Rather, the Dutchman insisted his focus was on the future as he looks to continue the rebuilding job at Old Trafford that he began when he arrived in the summer.
United terminated Ronaldo’s contract after being rocked by an extraordinary series of complaints by him in a TV interview. Ten Hag came in for particular criticism from the 37-year-old forward, who accused the Dutchman of not respecting him. Asked how he had managed the situation, Ten Hag told MUTV: “He’s gone and it’s the past. We are now looking forward and we’re looking to the future.”
United face Burnley in a Carabao Cup last-16 tie on 21 December before hosting Nottingham Forest in the Premier League six days later. Ten Hag is confident his squad will hit the ground running after breaking for the World Cup and said: “We had a plan, we have prepared the players with what the plan is, so there can’t be any confusion about what the programme is.
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“We make the players aware of the fact that, after you are out of the World Cup, you have to return to the club and the league immediately goes on. You have to be ready for that, but I think our players are used to it.”