Piers Morgan calls Erik ten Hag a 'complete idiot' over Cristiano Ronaldo comments
Cristiano Ronaldo is 'immeasurably better' than any of Manchester United's strikers and Erik ten Hag is a moron for letting him leave.
That is the view of Piers Morgan, who insists any talk of Ronaldo's death is “nonsense”.
The 39-year-old man scored his 901st career goal on Sunday, scoring a late winner in Portugal's 2-1 victory over Scotland in the Nations League.
It is his second goal of the international break after the strike against Croatia that sealed another 2-1 victory for his country.
After failing to score at Euro 2024, Ronaldo was questioned by fans and pundits wondering if his time in elite football was over.
But Morgan insists his performances in the Nations League prove he still has what it takes.
Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast, Morgan said: “The idea that anyone thinks after watching Portugal's last two games that Ronaldo is finished or that he has somehow accepted the easy fate in Saudi Arabia and therefore can't be taken seriously as a player.
“All this nonsense I’ve been hearing about that, come on, look at a guy like Roy Keane, who I think is one of the most discerning eyes for footballers in the world.
“As he said this week, there is no better finisher than Cristiano Ronaldo and he is still there, as he has shown.
“Last night he hit the post and then scored. He had a disappointing Euros, but Portugal certainly did well on a collective level. I don’t think he got the service he should have got.
“But the truth is that Ronaldo remains one of the most lethal finishers in world football.”
And when asked why Manchester United let him go if that was the case, Morgan did not hold back.
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“Because Ten Hag is a complete idiot,” he said. “I’m sorry, he is. He has been ever since he went there, hasn’t he? He talks in complete gibberish.”
“Now he's talking about Harry Potter or something. Ten Hag is everything Ronaldo told me he was in that interview, which led to him leaving United.
“The biggest problem with Ten Hag is that he’s like that bossy school teacher who doesn’t know how to handle supreme academic talent.”
Morgan also believes there is a tendency for the Red Devils' manager to be unable to deal with “top-level” talents.
That includes Jadon Sancho, who has left on loan again and has signed for Chelsea after Fighting with Ten Hag.
He continued: “Then look at the players he hasn’t been able to control at United. Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford. They are all top players.
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“He can handle lower-level players. He can handle players he brings in from Ajax who have never been on the big world stage, but he can't handle top-level players.
“I can't believe I'm saying this because it's a miracle, but they've actually gotten worse compared to last season.
“So Cristiano Ronaldo, if he had stayed at Manchester United, would have been immeasurably better than any of the strikers they have at the moment, as he is showing with Portugal.
“The boys, the best who have ever played this sport, the best who will ever play this sport. That's why he is the top scorer. That's why he will reach 1,000 goals.”
Morgan has formed a strong friendship with Ronaldo, hosting the Portugal legend's explosive interview in which he aired all of his grievances with Manchester United in November 2022.
The striker soon ended his second spell at Old Trafford after that, signing for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
His contract expires next June.
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