Man Utd players felt Cristiano Ronaldo was subjected to 'unnecessary humiliation' by Erik ten Hag as details of harsh dressing room punishment come to light after manager's sacking

Ten Hag was dismissed from his position as head coach at Old Trafford in the wake of the Red Devils' 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday. It was hardly a shock, with United sitting 14th in the Premier League, and it wasn't just on the pitch where the Dutchman struggled. A new report by ESPN details the 54-year-old's struggles connecting with his players as they highlight an incident with Ronaldo that several senior players considered an 'unnecessary humiliation'.

Ronaldo was punished after refusing to come on as a substitute for United against Spurs in October 2022. Initially dropped from the squad for United's next match and instructed to train separately from the first team, Ten Hag took things a step further when Ronaldo was told by staff that he wasn't allowed in the dressing room as he tried to retrieve a pair or trainers. The forward had to get an academy player to enter the dressing room for him - a humbling moment for any first team player, let alone one of Ronaldo's stature, and senior players weren't on board with the blanket ban.

There were concerns over Ten Hag's ability to communicate with his players very early on in his tenure. After beginning with defeats to Brighton and Brentford, some players complained that his instructions were being lost in translation, sparking confusion on the pitch. The 4-0 defeat to Brentford left one player feeling that Ten Hag didn't know how to motivate his squad.

Ruben Amorim is wanted at Old Trafford to succeed Ten Hag, although the Sporting CP boss remained coy when quizzed on his future on Tuesday. In the meantime, interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the Red Devils in their League Cup tie against Leicester on Wednesday evening.