Erik ten Hag has reportedly ‘lost 50% of the Man United dressing room’ with Manchester United stars questioning his ‘robotic’ management style.
Man United is having a dismal season, with 10 losses in 21 games, placing them seventh in the Premier League. Additionally, their chances in the Champions League are precarious.
Their recent match, a 1-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday, could be considered their poorest performance of the season, drawing harsh criticism for the players’ displays.
Ten Hag is currently facing significant criticism, with his tactics and managerial approach being closely scrutinized. This is partly attributed to the off-field controversies involving Jadon Sancho.
Until now, the majority of Man United squad has supported their manager. However, there are emerging reports of conflicts between the coach and specific players in recent weeks, notably involving Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial.
According to Sky Sports, approximately half of the team has reached a point of frustration with the Dutch manager, expressing dissatisfaction with his training techniques and tactics. However, specific names were not disclosed.
They say: ‘Some of the players are confused about what is happening and he [Ten Hag] has lost elements of the dressing room. About 50% of the dressing room.
‘Quite a few players are unhappy with the style of play. They feel they are training too hard and they are running too much during training. Players don’t know what they’re running for.
‘A few players think he’s too set in his ways, he’s too robotic. And quite a few players are unhappy with the way Jadon Sancho has been treated and feel it’s gone too far.’
Since the public disagreement with Erik ten Hag in September, Sancho has been absent from the game. This rift arose when the manager asserted that the winger’s training performance wasn’t up to par, prompting a response from Sancho.
The English international has declined to issue an apology and, as a consequence, has been excluded from the first-team squad. He is prohibited from dining with senior players and compelled to train with the youth teams.
Senior players have spoken to Ten Hag about where they feel the club is going wrong,’ the report added
‘They’ve spoken to him about their experiences of playing at other big clubs. They maybe feel that he should be a little more touchy, feely. His man management could be a little bit better. However, he is not for turning.’