LONDON – Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes Cristiano Ronaldo is still capable of scoring over 20 goals a season despite limiting the 37-year-old’s game time this season.
The Portuguese striker was dropped from the United squad for the 1-1 English Premier League draw at Chelsea on Oct 22 after refusing to come on as a substitute three days previously in a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The performance against Spurs was hailed as the best of ten Hag’s reign so far and further evidence that the Red Devils are a better team without the presence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
But Ronaldo made a goalscoring return to the starting line-up for Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League win over Sheriff Tiraspol.
He now has three goals in 13 appearances in all competitions this season. But ten Hag, speaking ahead of United’s Premier League home clash against West Ham United on Sunday, did not rule out the prospect of him matching his 24 goals last season.
“It’s up to him,” said the 52-year-old Dutchman.
“But I think when you collect all the chances he creates, the team creates for him in the last weeks, you see he’s still capable to get in the right positions and I know he’s still capable of finishing them, so it’s possible.”
It remains to be seen if Ronaldo will start against the Hammers as he has made just two Premier League starts under ten Hag, with the vast majority of his minutes coming in the Europa League.
But the former Ajax Amsterdam boss also rejected the suggestion he is using Europe’s second-tier competition as a way of giving Ronaldo the time on the pitch he craves.
“I don’t have a Europe team and I don’t have a Premier League team. I look to the opponent, what we need against such an opponent. Now I have to focus on West Ham United for Sunday,” ten Hag added.
“Then we will pick the team to start but also to have plan B or plan C in the pocket to win that game. That’s what we need finally, to win games, and therefore we not only need 11 players, we need the whole squad.”
United are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games since a 6-3 thrashing by rivals Manchester City earlier in October.
The injured Raphael Varane will not play until after the Nov 20-Dec 18 World Cup in Qatar, while Anthony Martial and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are close to full fitness.
Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Craig Dawson are all doubts for West Ham, who have lost just once in their last five league games.
Hammers boss David Moyes, a former United manager, is not deterred by facing his old side at their home ground. The London club have not won at Old Trafford in the Premier League since 2007.
He said: “Going away to Old Trafford – for anybody – is always a tough game. They have got some excellent players and we will have to play well there.
“But we’ve got good players as well. And I think we are finding a little bit of form. We could do with finishing a little bit better – but overall I am really pleased with how we are doing.” AFP
