The pressure is mounting on Erik ten Hag amid more reports of dressing room unrest after Manchester United’s terrible start to the season.
The Reds suffered their 10th loss of the season in all competitions on Saturday. A lacklustre performance led to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle at St James’ Park.
According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhelkol, Erik ten Hag has lost elements of the dressing room, with players questioning his style and treatment of Jadon Sancho.
“My information is that some of the players are confused with what is happening,” Solhelkol said. “He has lost elements of the dressing room. One source tells me that he’s lost about 50 per cent of the dressing room.
“Quite a few players are unhappy with the style of play, they also feel that they’re training too hard and that they’re running too much during training. I was told that the players don’t know what they’re running for.
“Also, some senior players have spoken to Erik ten Hag about where they feel the club is going wrong. They’ve spoken to him about their other experiences of playing for big clubs, and they feel that the manager should be a little bit more touchy-feely.
“They feel his man-management could be a little bit better, but Erik ten Hag is the boss and he’s the one who calls the shots. He is not for turning. He is going to do things his way.
“I’ve also been told that a few of the players believe that he is too set in his ways and he’s too robotic.”
It sounds like the curse of Sancho has dragged on, which means we need to get rid of him when the winter transfer window because he’s having a negative influence on those around him.
Solhekol added: “A few of the players are also unhappy at how Jadon Sancho has been treated. He’s got people in the dressing room who are close to him and he’s been totally frozen out because he’s refused to apologise to Erik ten Hag.
“He’s training with the kids and he’s eating on his own. Quite a few of the players feel like that has gone too far. There’s always unhappy people in a dressing room, but when you’re losing games, there are even more of them.”
Sky Sports News understands Erik ten Hag's management style has seen him lose the support of as much as half of the Manchester United dressing room 🔴👔 pic.twitter.com/FjKOycDRfX
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 4, 2023
Nobody, in the right mind, wants to see the manager sacked. That would be a case of rinse and repeat which gets us nowhere in the end.
United has become a club with a culture where failure is accepted.
Though this time it seems like Sancho’s representatives are running to Sky Sports.
I know who I’d bin first.
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“Running too much”?
Not during the frikkin’ matches, they’re not.
It’s pathetic. Especially when you see players not tracking runners off the ball.