Cristiano Ronaldo and his Manchester United teammates have been warned that Erik ten Hag will have little care for individual reputations.
The Dutchman has been announced as the next Red Devils' boss and will head to Old Trafford when his commitments finish with Ajax this term. Ten Hag has enjoyed huge success in Amsterdam across his five year spell with former United Daley Blind among his players.
Blind moved to Manchester from Ajax in 2014 before returning to the Dutch capital in 2018. He has been feeding information back to his former colleagues and, according to ESPN, has made them fully aware that Ten Hag will put the team first when it comes to selection and tactics.
He recently left leading scorer Sebastian Haller, who cost Ajax £20million, out of the starting XI for the Cup final, which they lost 2-1 to PSV despite bringing on the former West Ham man. A stark warning for every United player before the Dutchman's arrival at Old Trafford in the summer.
The idea of putting the team before individual talent could ring alarm bells for a number of current United stars, who arguably do not suit Ten Hag's footballing philosophy. Pundits and fans alike have speculated over whether Ronaldo is a player the 52-year-old could get the best out of.
The Portuguese superstar has had to contend with a surprising amount of criticism since his highly anticipated return to the club last summer, having faced question marks over whether he is potentially hindering United's entire tactical structure despite his heroics in front of goal.
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Ronaldo was on the scoresheet yet again for United's most recent league outing - a home clash with Chelsea that ended 1-1, mathematically ending the Red Devils slim hopes of finishing above the Blues. Having been tipped as possible outsiders for the title at the start of the season, the Red Devils have drastically underwhelmed this season.
However, the 37-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner is one player that has more often than not stepped up when required most. Deeming him surplus to requirements if he is not an absolute perfect match tactically would be a brave decision from Ten Hag.
The incoming United boss' contract sees him tied to the club until 2025 once he does arrive, but until then he has insisted that all of his attention must remain on the task at hand with Ajax. With that being said, it would be understandable if his mind was beginning to wander in the direction of Manchester as he watches how how a squad, soon to be his, finishes.
