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Manchester United have been told why the Erik ten Hag revolution won’t work unless Cristiano Ronaldo is moved out of the club.

Ten Hag was officially confirmed as the next permanent manager of Manchester United on Thursday. The Dutchman, 52, signed a three-year deal that contains an option for a further 12 months.

After four unsuccessful appointments, United fans will have high hopes that the fifth permanent manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era can finally put them back on track.

Ten Hag has been lauded for the progressive style of football he has deployed at current club Ajax. His methodology prioritises the collective rather than individuals, and that’s something journalist Guillem Balague reckons could cause an issue with Ronaldo.

The Portuguese legend, 37, returned to a hero’s welcome last year. He has shone in spells, most notably in the Champions League group stage and when hitting hat-tricks against Norwich and Tottenham in the league.

However, his return has also sparked fervent debate as to whether he was what United needed in their current guise.

At 37, Ronaldo understandably chooses to conserve his energy on the pitch in order to strike in the final third when the opportunity arises.

However, that manifests itself in a complete lack of defensive workrate – something Balague thinks would disrupt Ten Hag’s style.

When speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Balague declared Ronaldo “has to leave” United for Ten Hag’s appointment to be a success.

Ziyech, Van de Beek used to justify Ronaldo call

Furthermore, he namechecked no fewer than five major names whose careers have all stalled since leaving Ten Hag. In Balague’s mind, Ten Hag’s system only works when the players are cogs in a machine and Ronaldo can never be described as a mere spoke in the wheel.

“Ten Hag doesn’t fully fit this Manchester United right now,” said Balague.

“I think Cristiano Ronaldo has to leave Manchester United for the Ten Hag style to work because if you look at what he [Ten Hag] does, he just creates a machine and the players are just cogs in that machine.

“When you get them out – Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Hakim Ziyech, Donny van de Beek, Sergino Dest – they don’t fully work somewhere else. That, of course, has to do with Ten Hag.

“But it also has to do with the profile of players he’s working with.

“People who are willing to do their best, to accept whatever is proposed to them with the idea of punching above their weight and going to another league or to another contract or to a bigger club.

“That’s [been] the case of those players I mentioned. [Ten Hag] doesn’t have hardly anybody like that at Manchester United.”

Ronaldo’s current contract expires in 2023, though the club do have an option to extend it for a further year.

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