Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has praised Erik ten Hag for how he dealt with the Cristiano Ronaldo incident against Tottenham, insisting that Sir Alex Ferguson would have handed out his infamous 'hairdryer' treatment.
Ronaldo refused to come off the bench against Spurs in midweek, with the 37-year-old storming down the tunnel during the Reds' 2-0 victory over Antonio Conte's side on Wednesday night.
Ten Hag reacted by dropping the Portuguese international from his squad to face Chelsea on Saturday - as well as forcing the striker to train away from the first-team side at Carrington.
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The incident at Old Trafford led to widespread criticism of Ronaldo from former players and pundits, and Stam - who won three Premier League titles during his time with the Reds - insisted that the United manager dealt with the situation very well.
"I think it's a normal reaction that ten Hag's made, and Ronaldo knows that as well because a player of his experience, the quality he has, what he's done," he told Football Daily.
When asked how his former boss Ferguson would have dealt with the Ronaldo incident, Stam replied: "Talk about the hairdryer, it would have been a big hairdryer that one."
Despite this, the ex-defender admitted that he does have some sympathy for the 37-year-old forward, insisting that Ronaldo should not be happy being among the substitutes.
He added: "It's not fair to him to be remembered for this situation. He's been world class, I still think he is world class, and you don't want to go into the history books walking off the pitch because you're not happy not playing.
"He'll probably go in now and make his apologies, but it will still be in people's minds, he has done something that is not good."
The Reds travel to Stamford Bridge to face off against Chelsea on Saturday evening, with Ten Hag's side able to leapfrog Graham Potter's men in the Premier League table with a win in London.
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