Manchester United players are expressing concerns about the strict approach of manager Erik ten Hag, particularly in his handling of Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire.
everal players within Ten Hag’s squad have privately disagreed with his rigid stance regarding the team. Sancho, for instance, was excluded from the first team due to the manager’s criticism of his training performance, causing a public disagreement.
Maguire, who was the club’s captain until this season, also spent an extended period out of the first team after losing the captaincy, only returning due to injuries to other defenders.
Ten Hag has a history of clashing with his players, as seen with Cristiano Ronaldo’s acrimonious departure from the club last season. However, the current season has seen Manchester United struggle, with eight losses in 16 games, leading to fan dissatisfaction and criticism of Ten Hag. In their last 50 matches under Ten Hag’s management, the club has lost 15 times, which is three more losses than in the same number of matches during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure. Additionally, they’ve scored 12 goals fewer and conceded two more compared to the same period.
Despite the discontent, Ten Hag still has some loyal supporters within the squad who believe that his authoritarian approach is necessary to turn United’s fortunes around.
Ten Hag acknowledged that questions about his tenure were “logical” following recent humbling defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle at Old Trafford. He faces potentially pivotal matches in the coming week, including fixtures against Fulham and Luton in the Premier League and FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, with the aim of salvaging their campaign.
Following the 3-0 loss to Newcastle, Ten Hag emphasized the need for the first-team players to stick together, cooperate, and take collective responsibility to overcome their difficulties.
His future will come under close scrutiny during the upcoming trio of matches in the lead-up to the international break. Fulham presents a challenging opponent, and United will seek to build on their recent win against Copenhagen, where a last-minute Andre Onana penalty save secured their first European victory this season. The Luton fixture is one that Ten Hag is expected to win.
Ten Hag can point to the absence of several key defenders due to fitness concerns in recent matches, with Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw sidelined, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka only recently returning from injury.
Erik ten Hag has one full season remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, and he has expressed his determination to fight his way out of the team’s current difficulties. In the summer transfer window, he was backed with new signings like Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, and Andre Onana, although their performances have been inconsistent.
The backdrop to the team’s decline is the potential takeover, with Jim Ratcliffe expected to acquire 25% of the club. This has introduced uncertainty about the future of football operations at the club, although the deal is progressing, and an imminent announcement is not anticipated in the next week.
Sources indicate that the deal is still in sight, and despite ongoing delays, the sale is not believed to be in jeopardy.
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