Erik ten Hag and Manchester United suffered an embarrassing defeat to Liverpool over the weekend at Old Trafford.

The manager was heavily criticised, with some calling for his sacking for another poor start to the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to take a swipe at the Dutchman on international duty.

The Al-Nassr superstar left the club in 2009 and went on to become one of the greats before joining Juventus. He returned to Old Trafford in 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The 39-year-old had a phenomenal first season back at the club, scoring 24 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions.

Ronaldo fell down the pecking order when Erik ten Hag became Man United manager in 2022.

The Portugal legend made four Premier League starts and infamously stormed out of the field during a game against Tottenham Hotspur.

He was banished from the team and later released. He went on to join Al-Nassr and broke records at the Saudi Pro League club.

What Ronaldo said about Erik ten Hag

Ronaldo was asked if he is ready to start on the bench for Portugal. He gave an interesting answer and aimed a dig at the Dutchman.

“In my mind, I’ll always be a starter. That’s what you think. Until the end of my career, I’ll always think that I’ll be a starter,” he said via Football365.

“I’ll always respect the decisions, not just of the coach, but at the clubs I’ve played for, I’ve always respected them… once or twice, they’ve also behaved badly towards me (laughs). But seriously, whenever there’s professional ethics, I’ll always respect the coaches’ decisions."

Ronaldo and Portugal face Croatia and Scotland in the UEFA Nations League during the international break.