Cristiano Ronaldo: Paul Scholes says Erik ten Hag had to show ‘a bit of common sense’ in Spurs game

Paul Scholes says he can “sympathise” with the way Cristiano Ronaldo acted when he refused to come on and walked off the pitch, prior to the final whistle in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham.

Scholes had a similar situation to Ronaldo’s walkout when he wasn’t named in United’s squad that played Liverpool in 2001, with the Red Devils losing 3-1 to their arch-rivals.

United player Arsenal in the League Cup 24 hours later, but Scholes refused to play as he was so angry with his manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

“It’s difficult to explain at the time your emotions,” Scholes told BT Sport.

“It was a low point of my career, something I look back on and really regret – it was so wrong to do.

“I sympathise with Cristiano. He did the wrong thing. But, your head completely goes. That’s what probably happened with Cristiano, he’s had a similar way of thinking where he’s been left out of a game so he will be raging.

“He’s still not come on and he will be thinking: ‘I can come on, score three or four goals against this team easily’.

“The longer the game goes on, the more upset you get, the red mist comes over you. You’re not thinking properly. For him to ask him to come on with two minutes to go, he will think ‘is he taking the mickey out of me?’

“He thinks he should be playing every single game and some players just can’t accept being left out. The longer that game went on the more and more furious he got.”

Erik ten Hag has since talked with Ronaldo, who has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the January transfer window, and has brought him back into the United squad.

However, Scholes believes Ten Hag made a mistake with his decision to bring Ronaldo on with such little time left in the game against Spurs.

“I think the manager has to show a bit of common sense,” said Scholes. “You’re looking back at an experienced manager and you’re asking them to come on in a game that’s won.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say Sir Alex would have gone crazy or mad. But I don’t think he would have done that. With two minutes to go, you bring a young kid on or give someone his debut.

“I think it’s disrespectful towards Cristiano, but it’s difficult to say it’s disrespectful because it’s the manager’s job and he’s got every right to ask him to come on.

“It’s clear Cristiano isn’t in his plans as well, he doesn’t see him as part of his team in the big games in the league, the big European games later in the competition, he sees him more as a substitute.”