Erik ten Hag asserts that Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo was not used against them out of
respect.

After the game, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag admitted that respect motivated him to leave
Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench
Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, has acknowledged that “out of respect” he did not bring
Cristiano Ronaldo on during the Manchester derby.

Television cameras frequently cut to the striker to get a shot of him looking extremely irritated as
Manchester City goals flew in.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat tricks, highlighting the disparity in quality between the two
teams, despite Anthony Martial’s late brace, which may have saved some fans embarrassment.

After the game, Ten Hag was questioned regarding the absence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. The
United manager’s admission that he decided to keep Ronaldo on the team in his response was an eye-
opening.