Steve McClaren has described a clear split inside the Manchester United dressing room caused by the prolonged dispute between Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag.

McClaren, who worked as Ten Hag’s assistant, said the issue came down to tactical demands and individual willingness to meet them. “Erik tried to impose his style and that’s why he had that fight with Ronaldo all the way through,” he said. “I said to Erik, very early, ‘It’s you or him.’”

He outlined the specific responsibilities Ten Hag expected from attackers when the team was out of possession. “Ronaldo was generally O.K., but he didn’t want to do the job that Erik wanted him to do. Or didn’t feel he was capable of doing it. The instructions out of possession were, ‘Get into the middle, as soon as you’re back, you’re the first press, then double run, even a triple run now and again.’”

McClaren recalled trying to persuade Ronaldo to accept the programme. “I used to say to Ronnie, ‘If you want to play, that’s what you’ve got to do.’ He’d argue, ‘Ah, nobody wants to press.’ I’d say, ‘Well, they’re all young lads, they can press.’” He added that Ten Hag wanted a collective effort: “It’s right that 11 players attack, 11 players defend. Not 11 players attack, 10 players defend. So I said, ‘You have to run, it’s simple, Ronnie. If you don’t, you don’t play.’”

On the wider impact, McClaren suggested the balancing act between accommodating an individual and enforcing a system divided opinion inside the squad. “Maybe other managers have tried to adapt and accommodate to get the best out of him. The balance of that was significant. You’ve probably got half the squad going, ‘We think Ronnie’s right,’ and half going, ‘We think Erik is right.’”

McClaren also reflected on changing attitudes to authority, drawing on his earlier time at Old Trafford. He spent 142 games under Sir Alex Ferguson between 1999 and 2001 and warned that players now ask, “Can that man help us win football matches?” He added, “With Fergie, he was right or you were out. If you weren’t with him and he knew it, you were gone. And that’s the authority, the power that he had developed over years and years.”

Manchester United have reportedly added Atalanta midfielder Éderson to a shortlist of options to replace Casemiro ahead of next season. With Kobbie Mainoo expected to provide a ball-playing No. 6, United would still need an all-action box-to-box engine to cover the pitch in the manner of Declan Rice at Arsenal. Éderson fits that template.

A former manager described the Brazilian’s qualities as “great physical strength, with the ability to play box-to-box, back and forth, sustaining the pace of the game.” Links with Manchester United are not new, and The Guardian writes that sporting director Jason Wilcox is an admirer and “monitoring” him.

The market context helps explain United’s interest. The draft shortlist includes: Éderson (Atalanta, 26, contract expiry 2027); Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest, 23, 2029); Sandro Tonali (Newcastle, 25, 2028); Carlos Baleba (Brighton, 22, 2028 + 1); Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace, 22, 2029); Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart, 25, 2028); and Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid, 26, 2028). Some of those names carry premium valuations.

Elliot Anderson is widely thought to be valued in excess of $135 million (£100 million) by Nottingham Forest. Baleba and Wharton were reportedly in a similar bracket last summer; Baleba could now be in the $67.5–81 million range. Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni is another rumored option and is unlikely to come cheaper than $95 million.

By contrast, Éderson may be obtainable for a much lower fee. Representative André Cury suggested figures of around $35 million on the low end and up to $47 million as a high estimate. Cury added: “[Atalanta were asking for] a lot of money, between €60 million [$70.4 million] and €75 million ($87.9 million). He’s close to the end of his contract, they could reduce his price by half, to between €30 million ($35.2 million) and €40 million ($46.9 million), but he’s a spectacular player with some of the best stats in Europe for his position,” Cury said.

Manchester United have not committed to a permanent successor and Michael Carrick is not guaranteed the job. Reports last month suggested no other candidates were yet being spoken to, but the final decision is being postponed.

The Guardian writes that the decision on who gets the job won’t be made until the end of the season. Jason Wilcox, director of football, is leading the process and is “intent on waiting.” That appetite for patience sits alongside the case Carrick has built since taking charge.

Off the back of three successive wins in his first three matches, Carrick said he is “loving” the job, but also understands the situation and is “not getting too carried away.” He was appointed in mid-January and, since then, United have picked up more points than any other Premier League team.

Carrick’s impact has been framed around simplification for the players. Amorim arrived with complex tactical plans that did not fit and were judged to have failed. Under Carrick there has been a restoration of the club’s established style: high tempo, aggressive play, fast wingers and deadly transitions. Performances have not been flawless, but a side that previously crumbled more easily now shows greater resilience.

The case for an internal candidate is strengthened by Carrick’s long association with the club. He played for United for 12 years (2006–18) and was a coach for three more (2018–2021). That background is contrasted with recent managerial departures. When compared to how Louis van Gaal, Erik ten Hag and Amorim have fallen short, Carrick’s knowledge of the club is presented as a material advantage.

Carrick’s sole permanent managerial spell was three seasons at Middlesbrough, where promotion was not achieved. The article notes precedent for clubs appointing managers with limited top-flight experience: “Pep Guardiola had never held a top-flight managerial position before Barcelona gave him the keys to the first team in 2008. Nor had Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid eight years later.” If United decide against Carrick, it is unclear which alternatives would be chosen.