All Saturday goals from the Premier League (Sport1)
Just before another big game for Manchester United in a season that is developing into an encouraging and successful one, the great influence of the team's coach Eric ten Haag becomes clear.
Today (Sunday) United will meet Liverpool for another prestigious and important battle (18:30, Sport1), and around the Dutch coach they tell how he had to "go through minefields" in his first months in Manchester when he dealt with the situation of Cristiano Ronaldo, according to a close friend of the manager R. Hadumim.
The Dutchman started the season in a nightmare way.
He lost to Brighton and Brentford in the first two weekends.
He then benched Ronaldo following the 4:0 win at Brentford.
It was clear the striker would not take it in stride, and he refused to come on as a substitute in the home win over Tottenham, missing the next game against Chelsea as a result.
Ronaldo later parted ways with United in November following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, with the 38-year-old Portuguese accusing the younger brother of "betraying him".
However, since then United have flourished, recovering from the crisis, winning the League Cup and impressively knocking Barcelona out of Europe.
Hard on the coach?
Ten Haah (Photo: GettyImages, OLI SCARFF)
Now Hans Karai, a close friend of Ten Haah and his former friend from Harafshap, tells what happened to him.
"Eric deserves to be this successful at United. People don't realize how much of a minefield he had to go through at United in his first five months," he said, "There was chaos at the club to begin with - and there were the landmines laid by Cristiano Ronaldo. Eric went to United because he saw The potential and the challenge.
"You know what Louis van Gaal said to Tan Haah, right?
'Eric, it's one big mess at United, don't go there.'
But Eric didn't care to fix it all and he didn't care to go around Cristiano's mines.
What is beautiful about Eric is that he is stable and humble and does not want to be a flashy coach like others.
He is not like Jose Mourinho.
Going into his first day of practice, he insisted on being the one setting up the cones.
This is the man."
Ten Haah himself said that he "slept well at night" after the decisions on Ronaldo, which provoked quite a few echoes.
"I have to see and deal with the consequences of every move, the impact of the decisions not only in the short term but also in the longer term. Of course, you don't always have a lot of time, at that time I remember we had 10 days so that I could consider which choice would be the best ", said.
"You always have to think strategically, what is the longer-term result. I am aware of that, but this is my job and it is the responsibility I have to take. I had reasons (for the decision). They were clear. And I knew both the result and if it was a negative result from this game. It Always possible in football.
"But I'm not worried.
I sleep well these nights too.
I have to make the decisions with respect in advance for the club and the team.
This is my job and this is the responsibility I have to take."
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