Erik ten Hag vs Players
In April 2022, Manchester United announced the appointment of Dutch manager Erik ten Hag. The announcement echoed around Old Trafford, and many believed that he was the right person to lead the red half of Manchester back to its former glory. His debut season showed promise, securing the League Cup, guiding United to the FA Cup final and securing a Champions League spot. While there were some heavy losses, some slums, and bumps, from a wider perspective, it was a step in the right direction.
Now, eighteen months into his tenure, and with two months of the current Premier League season in the books, United finds itself sitting eighth in the league table, sandwiched between Brighton and West Ham United. Out of nine games played, they have secured just five wins and suffered four defeats. The source of the turmoil? It seems to be in the dressing room rather than the dugout.
The first sign of trouble emerged with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ten Hag's decision to bench the star in a crucial match caused a rift between the manager and the player. This eventually culminated in Ronaldo's abrupt departure from the club, with emotions reaching a boiling point when the player stormed off the pitch angrily. His parting interview with Piers Morgan presented a grim picture, shedding light on a club in turmoil, from the manager's control to the owner's detachment.
When Erik Ten Hag took charge, he inherited a broken squad—one that lacked belief, a defined style of play, and the desire to win. United has faced criticism that the players who were being fielded did not do justice to the ethos of Manchester and did not show enough passion for the club. Ten Hag needed to exert his authority in order to succeed. However, his public criticisms of players, particularly those frequently blamed for losses, raise questions about his approach to management.
Nevertheless, the loyal fans rallied behind their club. It became evident that when Ronaldo played, the team became overly reliant on him, instead of taking collective responsibility.
The summer brought another tempest, this time swirling around Mason Greenwood, who faced serious allegations of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Ten Hag's efforts to reintegrate Greenwood into the squad ignited a fierce debate, causing discomfort among staff members and players. After a month of intense social media debates, the club decided to loan Greenwood to Getafe.
The situation seemed to have died down until Jadon Sancho's absence in United's match against Arsenal at the Emirates in early September sparked questions. In the post-match interview, Ten Hag criticised Sancho's performance in training—a rare occurrence where the manager publicly throws his player under the bus.
Sancho responded to the criticism on Instagram, worsening the issue. This resulted in a battle of words between the player and the manager, with Ten Hag expelling Sancho from training with the first team, excluding him from the first team photo, and now considering a January sale.
Sancho, who currently earns an astronomical weekly wage of £375,000, was signed by United just two seasons ago in 2021 for a fee of around £73 million. However, he has failed to live up to the expectations and has admitted to struggling mentally with the burden placed upon him. During that period, Ten Hag supported Sancho and even allowed him to take a break to recover. Since then, the relationship between the two has taken a nosedive.
This marks the club's third major player-manager controversy in just eleven months, revealing a recurrent issue of internal disputes leaking to the press. No club is excused from becoming headline news, or conflicts. However, with United, it seems to happen more frequently. There seems to be a yearning within those working in the club to constantly keep the headlines flowing. It is not even far stretched to suggest that there is a mole within the club, be it within friends and families of the players, a staff member or someone else close to the club, who is leaking these stories to the press.
When Erik Ten Hag took charge, he inherited a broken squad—one that lacked belief, a defined style of play, and the desire to win. United has faced criticism that the players who were being fielded did not do justice to the ethos of Manchester and did not show enough passion for the club. Ten Hag needed to exert his authority in order to succeed. However, his public criticisms of players, particularly those frequently blamed for losses, raise questions about his approach to management. He will need to evaluate how to handle these situations more effectively in the future.
As Ten Hag continues his journey with Manchester United, the spotlight is firmly on him, both on and off the pitch. The tabloids and newspapers will always fish for headlines, but it is becoming evident that this club, once spearheaded by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, whose stern control and influence catapulted the club to its greatest heights, is grappling with internal strife like never before.
Amid the turmoil, Erik ten Hag must steer Manchester United through a turbulent period in order to restore the club's glory days, all while striving to keep the headlines focused on the pitch, and not the locker room battles.
Raiyan Binte Rafiq is the sports columnist for The Daily Star. She is currently pursuing an LLM, while freelancing for INDIVISA. She also oversees recruitment at Next Level Sports Management based in Bangladesh.
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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