Former Manchester United supervisor Erik ten Hag has accused the membership’s hierarchy of fueling a ‘poisonous tradition’.
Ten Hag, who was sacked in October 2024, has been forthright in his opinion of his former employers in a brand new interview with The Athletic, accusing the membership of giving an excessive amount of energy to the gamers.
The 56-year-old had a variety of high-profile spats with members of his squad throughout his two years in cost, together with with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
He has now claimed he was not supported by the membership in sanctions on issues of participant self-discipline, with Ten Hag wielding a repute as an authoritarian throughout his time in cost. Rashford, for instance, was disregarded of the Dutchman’s beginning line-up for a Premier League recreation towards Wolves as a result of he overslept and arrived late to a group assembly.
‘And so, they (the membership) are persevering with the poisonous tradition; they gasoline it, they offer the facility to the gamers,’ Ten Hag instructed The Athletic.
‘Rashford is a tremendous participant, if his mindset is true. I at all times confirmed my belief in him, performed him. However once you present these requirements, generally it’s a must to make corrections.’
Erik ten Hag had a variety of high-profile spats with members of his squad throughout his two years in cost, essentially the most high-profile with Cristiano Ronaldo
In a brand new interview with The Athletic, the previous Manchester United boss has claimed that the membership’s hierarchy have allowed participant energy to proliferate
Ten Hag’s most notorious spat got here with Ronaldo, who claimed he had ‘no respect’ for the coach in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022, which resulted within the Portugal ahead’s exit.
When it comes to Ronaldo’s affect on the dressing room, Ten Hag mentioned: ‘Gamers must act, they’ve a giant accountability. Soccer is, for some, not the very best precedence. And United for some wasn’t the very best precedence.’
Ten Hag’s feedback are well timed given it has been lower than every week since Lisandro Martinez accused United’s hierarchy of a scarcity of funding within the squad over the summer time and mentioned that he anticipated extra from ‘upstairs’, singling out technical director Jason Wilcox.
Regardless of refusing to touch upon the Martinez scenario, Ten Hag did accuse the previous Actual Madrid contingent – which included Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Casemiro – of introducing an influence imbalance.
‘I can say I believe that’s what the Madrid connection introduced in, that gamers are highly effective they usually wish to resolve,’ he mentioned. ‘In my view it didn’t go well with the section United was in. The management wished attacking, dynamic soccer and these gamers wished to play what fitted themselves.’
Casemiro got here to United because the midfield strategist with ‘quarterback qualities’, added Ten Hag. ‘Then after all it appeared like he acquired demotivated. I don’t know what they instructed him.’
Participant energy has come below scrutiny on a number of events since Sir Alex Ferguson, an unyielding disciplinarian, departed the membership in 2013.
Ten Hag’s successor Ruben Amorim was pressured to wield the axe on a number of events after his gamers challenged his authority throughout his time on the reins.
Ten Hag’s feedback come every week after Lisandro Martinez accused United’s hierarchy of a scarcity of funding within the squad over the summer time
Amongst them, Amorim claimed he would moderately play his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Important in his group as a substitute of Rashford until the winger began to ‘give the utmost daily in coaching and in life’, a dispute which finally led to the Englishman’s departure away on mortgage to Aston Villa and Barcelona.
Later, one other academy graduate Alejandro Garnacho was instructed he may be part of a brand new membership after he had questioned Amorim’s name to drop him from the beginning line-up of their Europa League last towards Tottenham final 12 months.
Martinez, who publicly apologised for his feedback final week, was handed a spot by Michael Carrick within the beginning XI towards Leeds on the weekend, the place they might solely handle a 1-1 draw.
Regardless of former United captain Wayne Rooney claiming that Martinez’s feedback may rip the dressing room aside, Carrick has insisted that there’s concord.
Forward of the Leeds recreation, Carrick mentioned: ‘The squad right this moment was in a incredible place, higher than I’ve seen it for some time truly.
‘We’re dwelling it daily, we all know what it seems like. We’re emotional, we’re passionate, we care rather a lot. Typically somebody says one thing that perhaps they should not say at a sure time, however that does not distract us from what we’re creating right here and the setting and the spirit inside the group.
‘It is not affected. I am telling you as it’s. We’re in a great place, and I am actually blissful.’
