Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has criticized Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag and said the club must "rebuild everything" in order to compete for trophies.
Ten Hague is under pressure since last season United took eighth place in the Premier League table, which is the worst result in the club's history in that competition, but also after two defeats in the first three games of this season.
Ronaldo, who played twice for United, from where he moved to Saudi Al Nasr at the end of December 2022, questioned the mentality of the Dutch coach.
"The coach says they can't compete to win the Premier League and the Champions League. As Manchester United manager, you can't say you won't fight for those titles. Mentally, maybe you can say you don't have the potential, but I can't say that . We'll try, you have to try," Ronaldo told former United teammate Rio Ferdinand's podcast.
"What I want for Manchester United is what I want for myself - to be the best it can be. I love that club... I'm not a person who forgets the past," he added.
In his first six years at Old Trafford, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, the Champions League, two League Cups and the FA Cup, as well as the Club World Cup and the Community Shield, before moving to Real Madrid in 2009.
He returned to United from Juventus in August 2021 and scored a total of 145 goals in 346 games for the club.
In November 2022, a month before leaving United, Ronaldo said on a television show that he thought he had been betrayed and driven away.
Ronaldo said the club had not progressed since legendary coach Alex Ferguson left in 2013.
Manchester United have not won the Premier League since then, but co-owner Jim Ratcliffe wants to return the club to success.
"They have to rebuild everything. The club needs time for that, it is still one of the best clubs in the world, but a change is needed. They understand that this is the only way. They have shown, they have started to change, the structure of the club, infrastructure and everything. The owners are investing and I'm happy because things are changing," Ronaldo said.
"I believe that the future will be bright. But they do not depend only on talent, they will have to build everything from the bottom, and if not, they will not be able to compete. That will be impossible," added the 39-year-old football player.
He praised the club's decision to have his former teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy in Ten Hague's coaching staff and assessed that the former Dutch footballer can improve the club.
"If Ten Hag listens to Rudo, I think it can help a lot because he knows the club, and the club should listen to those who were there. You (Rio) or Roy Keane or Paul Scholes or Gary Neville or Alex Ferguson. You can't do it again build without knowledge, not with people who work in the office. People who understand football are people who have been in the dressing room. They know how to deal with players," said Ronaldo.
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