It is the consequence of a long series of results oscillating between mediocre and insufficient. Especially given the resources deployed both on the transfer market and on the economic and prestige power that is Manchester United. After just over two years in office, Erik ten Hag was dismissed as coach. He had miraculously kept his head above water until then. This latest defeat last Sunday on the pitch of West Ham (2-1) was too much for the management. After the audit which followed the takeover of the club last year, it took the decision to keep the Dutchman at the head of the first team for the first time. Last July, she even had his contract extended until 2026.
Like his new bosses, Ten Hag had a deep desire for change but also for control over the club which he ended up hitting in the face. His high standards and work discipline were well received by the locker room after the interim of Ralf Rangnick. His personality, on the other hand, caused a lot of trouble, and the results did not help smooth over a situation that was quickly spiraling out of control. From the first matches in the summer of 2022, some players complained about unclear guidelines. Ten Hag, for his part, deplored problems with translating instructions, leading to confusion on the ground. Other elements have always had difficulty understanding their coach, smiling and cheerful one day, tense and serious the next day, too strict even.
Humiliating punishments against Ronaldo and Sancho
This got him into a lot of trouble, starting with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star was put in the closet after his refusal to come into play against Tottenham in October 2022. His teammates did not appreciate this behavior and considered his punishment justified, only Ten Hag went further. Too far for his group. He banned him from the locker room and even the club facilities. ESPN recounts that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had to ask a youngster from the academy to enter the locker room to collect a pair of shoes for him. Some players saw it as a purely unnecessary humiliation. A situation that was repeated later with Jadon Sancho. After an argument, the England international had to train and eat alone for four months.
Several of his teammates encouraged him to apologize, which he always refused. ESPN understands that Ten Hag wanted a public apology since the player had made this conflict public by broadcasting it on social networks. Once again, Manchester United players saw this as a desire to demean Sancho, especially since this situation lasted a very long time. The technician took his punishment very far. The locker room did not appreciate it, even less as it shone during the double confrontation against PSG in the semi-final of the Champions League last spring. Embarrassed, Manchester United representatives sent requests to some media outlets to downplay Sancho’s performance, fearing it would damage the club’s image.
Injury concerns and total involvement
In addition to personal conflicts, the locker room had to deal with injury problems for which Ten Hag and his staff would not be innocent. Just at the start of this year, there were 45 physical problems recorded. Most players, on condition of anonymity of course, deplore a lack of personalized program. Some more experienced people didn’t understand why they had to train with the same intensity as young people when they needed more time to recover. Sources even report scheduling extra sessions after a bad match, which many players found counterproductive. They felt they needed recovery, not extra fatigue.
Even members of his technical staff ended up dissociating themselves from Erik ten Hag. The latter even appeared isolated in recent weeks. For example, he refused to change organization even though his team conceded an average of 20 shots per match. On the other hand, and while his workload was already substantial, he wanted to control even the slightest media meeting of his players, asking whether it was part of a contractual obligation or not. He was even involved in the allocation of jersey numbers. For example, he preferred to give the legendary number 7 to Mason Mount rather than Alejandro Garnacho. In the end, it was the results that spoke, but it was already too much for a locker room which should not miss its now ex-coach much.
