McClaren: Ten Hag refused to back down in standoff with Cristiano Ronaldo

Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast, ex-England boss McClaren admitted that Ten Hag refused to back down. "There was a lot of battles on that training field. There was a lot of, 'all I want you to do is this, this, this and this'. That was Erik's coaching, 'Ronnie, this is your job'." McClaren said he used to tell Ronaldo: "all he [Ten Hag] wants you to do is, you're the first press, make one run, make two runs, and maybe make a third one, if you feel like it.

And then, recover back into the middle, in case we win the ball, and then we can play to you. That's all he wants you to do." He added: "If you can't do that, you won't be playing. Or if you won't do that, you can't be playing. Okay, or he won't pick you. I'm telling you, he won't pick you." McClaren contrasted Ten Hag with other managers, saying others might compromise, but Erik would not.

"It was a little bit of a fight. Not a fight, but a standoff, and who is going to win? Erik stuck to his guns.

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