Ronaldo has given Ten Hag perfect chance to stamp authority on dressing room
Cristiano Ronaldo storming down the tunnel and even leaving Old Trafford early is a big thing for Erik ten Hag now – in fact, it is huge.
You don't walk down the tunnel during a match, it's just a no-go. I did it once before away at Huddersfield in the cup and I don't think I played again for two months.
Mine was slightly different as the tunnel was right next to the dugout, so it was only an extra five seconds but Ronaldo's was a walk and a half. Surely along the way his brain says to him, 'this isn't right, you've been around far too long to do this.'
Given he also threw a strop after being subbed against Newcastle, this has now become a real statement sequence of events. It's almost like the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo's big sister warns Erik ten Hag 'God doesn't sleep' and 'karma exists'
There were a lot of young kids at the game on Wednesday that look up to one of the greatest players to ever play football and they will be watching it with the mindset of 'if he can get away with that, we can all get away with it.'
I think this now works perfectly for Ten Hag. He's had a right result because it's his chance to stamp his authority on the dressing room. He can throw down the gauntlet to the rest of his young players and make it clear that he is the man in charge.
They would then sit there and say 'wow, I can't believe he's done that' – earning the manager the utmost respect. If he goes the other way and lets it slide again, then you're taking the easy option out. He needs to show them who is in charge.
Ronaldo is not necessarily a player that United absolutely need, either. He's no Eric Cantona to Sir Alex Ferguson. If it was any other player that had done the Kung fu kick, they would have been gone.
Ten Hag knows that if he wants to play a certain way – with a certain tempo – Ronaldo won't be in the team. That is just a fact.
On the flip side, he could maybe argue that United should have let him go at the start of the season. If Ronaldo had been involved this weekend at Chelsea, it would have told the United players that they can just do whatever they want. That would be worrying.
It's a golden ticket for Ten Hag to say 'I'm not getting rid of him, he's got rid of himself'. It's the hardest part of my job to say United are better off without Ronaldo, who is a legend in his own right after scoring 700 goals at club level. I think Ten Hag also knows it – perhaps this is his chance to prove it.
Newcastle for Europe
There's no reason why Newcastle can't go all the way and qualify for Europe this season. I have been so impressed with how they've approached the takeover.
They haven't started splashing loads of money because they have a lorry-load of cash. It's been sensible business and steady progress. As soon as you sign someone for £80million the players that have been there will go 'well, what about us, how much is he on?'
The recruitment has been excellent. You only have to look at Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, who have both been outstanding. Eddie Howe has got something about him. He let me come into one of his team meetings down at Bournemouth a few years ago and I was so impressed with the message he got across to his players.
Miguel Almiron has been brilliant this season and that's where you see good, good managers. When they improve players. Who knows what can happen? It's a season like no other. Arsenal got slaughtered by Leeds in the second half and they can't seem to win a football match.
Zaha should consider Big Six snub
Wilfried Zaha plays every week at Crystal Palace. He can have a bad game and still start the following match and that might not happen at a Big Six club.
I think he should seriously consider his options before running down his contract. He's a legend at Palace and the manager loves him. I see someone like Arsenal coming in for him if they get into the Champions League but do you go there and risk becoming a bit-part player?
You're then going on a free. It's not like you're Darwin Nunez, who cost £85m and therefore has to play. Will he want to play for one week and then drop to the bench? I'm just not sure whether the grass is going to be greener for Zaha.
He's playing the best football of his career and there is a reason for that. He needs to sit down and have a big think about his future.
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