Manchester United fans back Erik ten Hag after fiery Cristiano Ronaldo interview

In what is being considered a poorly-timed interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo gave a scathing account of his return to Manchester United and bashed everything from the way the team's ownership to the lack of updated gym equipment. He even said the team tried to force him out.

But the Portuguese striker really ruffled feathers when he went after boss Erik ten Hag, saying he does not respect the coach "because he doesn't show me respect."

While fans have long taken issue with the team's ownership group, attacking the manager has clearly crossed the line. Many took to social media after hearing the interview to voice their support for ten Hag.

Talking heads aren't a fan of Ronaldo bashing ten Hag either, as the topic has dominated soccer-centric sports coverage on Monday. 

Ten Hag has been a notable force when it has come to "dealing" with Ronaldo, while also trying to keep any tension out of the public eye. The boss recently suspended Ronaldo when the star refused to be a substitute. 

 As for the club itself, Manchester United is taking issue with multiple claims the 37-year-old football made in the interview, particularly when it comes to him claiming they tried to force him out. According to ESPN, Man Utd was informed during the transfer window that Ronaldo's camp was looking to move to a different team -- which contradicts Ronaldo's claim in the interview that ten Hag was behind trying to force him out.

The team issued a statement on Monday saying their focus needs to be on the second half of their season.

Manchester United sits in fifth place on the Premier League table as teams all over Europe break for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Their next match is a club friendly against Cadiz on Dec. 7. We'll just have to wait until then to really see how this latest beef with Ronaldo shakes out.