MANCHESTER, England (AP) — So complete was the humiliation of Erik ten Hag’s first Manchester derby that he chose to protect Cristiano Ronaldo from enduring the shame of being associated with such a performance.
A 6-3 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday flattered United, with substitute Anthony Martial firing twice late on to add a modicum of respectability to the score.
But it could not disguise the total dominance of Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions, or Erling Haaland’s status as arguably the most fearsome forward in world football.
What a contrast between the Norwegian — who scored his third hat trick of the season — and Ronaldo, who watched on from the sidelines.
Ten Hag was scathing in his criticism of his team and revealed he opted against bringing on his 37-year-old striker in order to protect the player’s reputation.
Ten Hag made no attempt to protect his other players, who were 4-0 down at halftime and trailing 6-1 before Martial’s late double, with Phil Foden also hitting a hat trick.
“The plan was to show bravery and confidence, but we didn’t from the first minute,” Ten Hag said. “We left Haaland and we were not tight.
“For the first goal we won the ball and could have created a great chance, but instead we gave it easily away and then it was like a pack of cards.
United fans began to leave at halftime to avoid witnessing further indignities after a traumatic first 45 minutes.