“I feel that some choices have been made politically sometimes” – Emmanuel Petit accuses Erik ten Hag of prioritizing Cristiano Ronaldo over Manchester United

Emmanuel Petit has advised Erik ten Hag to put Manchester United first and stop pandering to Cristiano Ronaldo. The Frenchman claims the priority has to be the club's needs and not a player's happiness.

Ronaldo refused to come off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur and walked out of the stadium before the full-time whistle last month. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was eventually left out of the squad to face Chelsea in the next game but was reintroduced the following week.

Speaking to Lord Ping, the former Arsenal and Chelsea player sent a piece of strong advice to the Manchester United manager. He claims the Dutchman needs to sort out his priorities and says:

"Erik ten Hag is putting Ronaldo before Man United - he needs to prioritise the club and not the player I feel that some choices have been made politically sometimes. Erik ten Hag wants to keep Cristiano Ronaldo happy but the priority isn't Ronaldo."

He added:

"The priority should be Manchester United so you have to put your best team out all the time. The fact is that the team isn't the same when Cristiano Ronaldo is on the pitch. I know Ten Hag wants to give Ronaldo a second chance but I'm convinced that the solution is to prioritise the team and not the player."

Will Cristiano Ronaldo stay at Manchester United after the World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo sent a message to Manchester United fans after he was left out of the squad for the match against Chelsea.

He promised to be back and give his best for the club and wrote on Instagram:

"I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment get’s the best of us.

"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."

Ronaldo's future is yet to be decided, with reports suggesting the Portuguese forward could leave in the winter transfer window.