Former Manchester United attacking coach Benni McCarthy has revealed why Erik ten Hag preferred Anthony Martial over Cristiano Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner and Ten Hag did not see eye-to-eye during coach's first season with the club in the 2022/23 campaign.
Ronaldo was often used as a substitute in the Premier League, but started games in the UEFA Europa League.
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McCarthy, who spent two years at Old Trafford, claims Martial style of play was better suited to the way Ten Hag wanted.
"Erik wanted pressing from the start. And I think Ronaldo, when he came to United, in his early years at Real Madrid, he was able to do what Erik expected him to do, like high press and then still have enough in the tank to get himself into positions to score," McCarthy said, as per Goal.
"So Ronaldo was varying his game a lot, but it wasn't how Erik wanted to play. So he felt that it just couldn't work.
"Having Cris in the starting XI wouldn't work with the way we wanted to play, and that's why Erik preferred Anthony Martial."
Ronaldo eventually left midway through Ten Hag's first season after criticising the coach and the club during an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
