- Ten Hag pleased with Ronaldo's performance
- Praised Garancho for his efforts
- Antony's substitution was a tactical move
WHAT HAPPENED? The Dutch tactician restored Ronaldo to the starting XI after he was excluded from the matchday squad against Chelsea, and the Portuguese responded by getting on the scoresheet in Manchester United's 3-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League. Ten Hag appreciated Ronaldo's efforts and reiterated his belief in the forward. He also showered praise on Alejandro Garancho who shone brightly in his first start in the famed red jersey.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Seeing Ronaldo get his goal was great. He created, the team created for him and we know he has the capability to finish. He needed a goal and now I'm confident there will be more goals," he told BT Sport after the match.
"Garnacho played well, he was good in his action, so that was good to see," he added.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: With the game goalless in the first half, Antony pulled out his signature 'spin' skill move when he was in acres of space, drawing murmurs from the crowd (UK video, US video). But his subsequent pass out of play prompted a shake of the head from manager Ten Hag, who took him off at half-time. But the manager later clarified that it was a tactical move and not something he did to punish the Brazilian. "No. It was more or less planned if we were up. I wanted to see Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo close together and the dynamic on the right side," he commented.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED? The Red Devils will now shift their attention to the Premier League as they are set to take on West Ham on Sunday at Old Trafford.