Cristiano Ronaldo should apologise to Manchester United Manager Erik ten Hag, says Danny Murphy

Former Liverpool midfielder, Danny Murphy has said that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag would be right to expect an apology from Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s willingness to leave Old Trafford this summer has spoiled what was supposed to be an exciting start to his stint at the club. Ronaldo’s future at United remains uncertain.

The Premier League campaign of the Red Devils will commence against Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford on August 7. Portugal International, meanwhile, wishes to leave the club before the end of the current transfer window.

Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Murphy stated that Ten Hag's decision to either start or bench Ronaldo against the Seagulls will be important. It will be a reflection of what his players can expect if they fall out of line in the future.

He wrote:

"If he starts him (Ronaldo), then he might as well say that Ronaldo can do what he wants, when he wants.That has consequences. It belittles the manager and undermines his leadership and control."

Ronaldo made the situation worse after leaving the stadium before his team's pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano on July 31. Keeping that in mind, Murphy continued,

"Ronaldo leaving the game early is something that Ten Hag could — and should — have dealt with before it happened. He should have had a conversation with Ronaldo before the game to discuss how long he planned to play him and to make sure he was on board."

Murphy went on to state that Ronaldo must apologize to Ten Hag for his actions against the La Liga outfit.

"Now it’s happened, though, what are the consequences? If I was Ten Hag, I would expect an apology. Ten Hag cannot afford more ill-discipline to run through the United camp this term. This has been the problem with United for years. There has been a lack of repercussions, whether it be for a bad performance, bad application or bad attitude. Now, this is about bad behaviour."