Erik ten Hag needs to prove his worth for Man Utd between now and end of season
Manchester United supporters have widely criticised Cristiano Ronaldo for a conveniently timed social media post moments after Thursday's collapse against Chelsea. The Old Trafford icon has been accused of revelling in his former club's misfortune at Stamford Bridge by sharing a cheeky two-word message almost on the full-time whistle.
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United's 3-2 comeback victory against Chelsea turned into a nightmare as Cole Palmer scored a second penalty and winning goal in the 100th and 101st minutes in west London.
Palmer's first spot-kick followed Conor Gallagher's fourth-minute opener before Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes drew the visitors level before half-time.
In the second half, Antony produced his first Premier League assist of the season with a spectacular trivela cross for Garnacho, who headed home his second of the clash to complete the fightback.
United stunned Chelsea and looked comfortable holding onto their lead until the latter stages of eight added minutes when the occasion exploded in Erik ten Hag's face.
Ten Hag's future is increasingly in doubt after the result. The Red Devils are all but out of the race for Champions League qualification and now face a fight to secure a European spot altogether.
Ronaldo raised eyebrows by posting an interesting image on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the nightmare finale.
Happy days ?????? pic.twitter.com/rYKY7AVi8r
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) April 4, 2024
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The 39-year-old - wearing an Al-Nassr tracksuit and cap - was all smiles as he looked at his phone next to a Saudi Arabian flag. He captioned the post "happy days" along with a green love heart.
His social media activity rubbed salt into the wounds of United fans online as the incredible result sunk in. There is substance to the belief that it was a cheeky dig at Ten Hag.
Ronaldo's relationship with the 54-year-old deteriorated in November 2022, just months into his reign as manager, as he pushed for an explosive exit.
Ten Hag had started dropping the No. 7 from his teams as he aggressively moved to shift United's style of play into his vision.
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Ronaldo didn't take kindly to his treatment, refusing to come on as a late substitute in a 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, resulting in his omission from the subsequent 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
He later aimed fire at Ten Hag during his appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, which forced United to terminate his contract, paving the way for a Saudi switch.
"I don't have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn't show respect for me. If you don't have respect for me, I'm never gonna have respect for you," Ronaldo told Piers Morgan during his bombshell interview.
Ten Hag faces a fight to keep his dressing room on his side ahead of Sunday's daunting assignment against Liverpool at Old Trafford.
