Man Utd Round-Up, Tuesday 20th October: Ten Hag's Bombshell Ronaldo Claims Overshadow Como Injury Crisis
The big story of the day centres on Erik ten Hag, who has broken his silence since leaving Old Trafford with a wide-ranging interview. The former boss claimed Cristiano Ronaldo "let the team and let me down" during his second spell at the club, accusing the Portuguese superstar of putting in minimal effort (talkSPORT) (BBC Sport) (The Guardian). Sky Sports and the Evening Standard both delved into the detail of the fallout, with Ten Hag revealing insight into the tension between the pair, including a claim that Ronaldo did not complete a post-match run (Sky Sports) (Evening Standard) (Sky Sports). Manchester Evening News added that Ten Hag also shed new light on the row and responded to comments from Fred (Manchester Evening News).
Ten Hag didn't stop at Ronaldo, however. He hit out at the club's board, says he felt "embarrassed" by the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli, and suggested he nearly built a superteam featuring two £100m England stars while keeping hold of McTominay (Manchester Evening News) (talkSPORT). He also spoke of broken "promises" made to him by the club and touched on wanting Harry Kane (Sky Sports). Elsewhere, he held back on naming the Manchester United player who reportedly pushed him during his time in charge (Manchester Evening News). Current head coach Michael Carrick was asked to respond and said he disagrees with Ten Hag's characterisation of a toxic culture, while opening up on his own talks with Wilcox and Berrada (Manchester Evening News). A former Manchester United boss has also been cited as believing past mistakes are the root cause of the club's current problems (Manchester Evening News).
On the pitch, attention turns to Wednesday's Champions League trip to face Cesc Fabregas's Como in Italy, with the Manchester Evening News describing the Italian side as an unlikely and picturesque opponent (Manchester Evening News). Fabregas has leapt to Michael Carrick's defence ahead of the game (Manchester Evening News), though he refused to be drawn on speculation about the Manchester United job itself, citing "respect" (Sky Sports).
Carrick, though, faces a growing injury crisis before the trip. Reports vary on the scale of the problem, with six, nine or even ten players potentially missing out, including Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven, Martinez and Marcus Rashford (Evening Standard) (Manchester Evening News) (talkSPORT) (Sky Sports) (Evening Standard) (Manchester Evening News). A 22-man training squad has been confirmed with eight absentees (Manchester Evening News), and Carrick is expected to give a fresh fitness update as the defensive options continue to shrink (Manchester Evening News) (Evening Standard). Youngsters Jaydan Kamason and Dan Armer have been called up to train with the first team squad amid the defensive crunch (Evening Standard), while Carrick may even have to bench a player described as previously "undroppable" (Manchester Evening News). ManUtd.com confirmed the Reds were put through their paces in the gym before travelling to Italy, with the latest training update and team news also published (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com).
Pressure continues to build on Carrick after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Leeds United, with the Evening Standard noting that rivals in the "sack race" are picking up points while United stalled (Evening Standard). The Manchester Evening News suggested two upcoming fixtures will be key in deciding his future, with January transfer plans also said to be taking shape (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). Another piece argued Carrick would be in trouble if United are merely praised again for marginal improvements next week (Manchester Evening News). Michael Carrick himself insists he still feels the backing of the board, but admits that will only last if results improve (ESPN). Steven Gerrard has reportedly agreed with Gary Neville on United's next move regarding four specific players following the Leeds draw (Manchester Evening News), while ESPN noted the struggles of both Manchester clubs this season, pointing to Ayyoub Bouaddi and Carlos Baleba as rare bright spots elsewhere (ESPN). A Manchester United fan also told the BBC that the club's backline "is not able to compete" after a lack of summer strengthening (BBC Sport).
On the transfer front, BBC Sport reports that both Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha (BBC Sport). ManUtd.com also provided the latest update on long-linked striker target Šeško (ManUtd.com). Elsewhere, Trent Alexander-Arnold gave a brief six-word response when asked by Sir Alex Ferguson about a potential move to Manchester United (Manchester Evening News).
Finally, former Red Devil Victor Lindelof has been backed by Gabby Agbonlahor, who called him a "revelation" and claimed he would be United's best defender if he were still at the club (talkSPORT). Elsewhere, Romelu Lukaku has faced criticism following his move to Turkey, with suggestions he is repeating old Manchester United habits (Manchester Evening News).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.