Over the course of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has worked with a slew of different coaches. And, when Ralf Rangnick’s stint at Manchester United comes to an end, Erik ten Hag might be the next in line. The Ajax manager is presently in pole position to replace Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, ahead of Mauricio Pochettino and Julen Lopetegui.
Manchester United is gearing up for the start of yet another new era.
While big things were expected of Rangnick when he came in as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement earlier in the season, his time with the Red Devils has failed to work out.
All indications point to Ten Hag joining the club, especially when it was revealed that the Dutchman had recently conducted an interview with the stricken Premier League heavyweights.
Ronaldo has played for many of Europe’s finest coaches, including Sir Alex Ferguson, Zinedine Zidane, Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Massimiliano Allegri.
And the 37-year-old, when asked who his best-ever manager was, actually said Mourinho when quizzed on the matter back in 2018.
Despite having issues with his fellow Portuguese, Ronaldo’s game was elevated during their time at Real Madrid together.
They masterminded Copa del Rey glory in 2012 before going on to end Barcelona’s dominance of La Liga the following year.
And Ronaldo, in 2018, said Mourinho was the best manager of his career because of the current Roma boss’ attention to detail.
“Work with Mourinho again? Why not?” he said when quizzed on the possibility of the pair reuniting.
“I would put him at the top, I always say that.
“I have played for so many great coaches, but Jose Mourinho was a big thinker analytically, he went into everything in great detail.”
Those comments suggest Ronaldo would want United’s next manager to be similarly scrutinizing on everything that goes on.
Solskjaer wasn’t known for his tactics, with his man-management instead one of his best traits and attributes.
And Rangnick, though tactically astute, has struggled to make his mark on the squad so far.
Ronaldo will have to prove himself to Ten Hag that he’s still cut out to play at the highest level, with the forward showing signs of waning this term.
But, still, his recent hat-trick against Tottenham is evidence of a superstar where the magic still very much remains.
If United looks beyond Ten Hag, Pochettino and Lopetegui are frontrunners for the job.
Yet it certainly seems likely the Ajax boss will be managing Ronaldo and the rest of the A-listers at Old Trafford next term.
Speaking earlier this week, meanwhile, former Liverpool star Danny Murphy expressed a belief United should offload their No 7 this term.
“Something radical needs to change at Manchester United even if it means important players like Cristiano Ronaldo being sold,” he said.
“You have to be careful dealing with superstars on big contracts, it’s better to find other takers before you fall out with them.
“But the bigger picture is that United have gone five years without a trophy and need to back a top manager who is there for the long haul.
“Those guys will want to do things their own way and a clear-out makes sense, headed by Paul Pogba and Ronaldo.
“You can’t question Ronaldo’s quality but he’s 37 and, despite his goals, United doesn’t have balance as a team.
“They rely on Ronaldo’s individual brilliance, which can work in some games, but doesn’t against the best teams in the Premier League and Champions League.”
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