Ex-Man Utd flop blames Ten Hag verdict for his woes as he ‘ensured others excelled’ – ‘gnawed at me’ | OneFootball

Wout Weghorst on his time at Manchester United.

Former Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst has reflected on his time at Old Trafford and has revealed what “gnawed at him” while he was there.

Weghorst joined Premier League giants Man Utd on loan from Burnley during this year’s January transfer window.

His move to Old Trafford came about after he grabbed eight goals and four assists in 16 league games for Besiktas during his loan with the Super Lig outfit at the start of the 2022/23 season.

The Netherlands international featured heavily for the Red Devils at the start of his spell before slipping down the pecking order as the season drew to a close.

Weghorst started in the Carabao Cup final and got an assist as Man Utd beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Wembley. Overall, he only grabbed five goal involvements in his 31 appearances for United and he failed to score in his 17 Premier League appearances.

The 31-year-old – who is now on loan in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim – has been replaced by £64m signing Rasmus Hojlund, who is statistically one of the worst finishers in the Premier League.

Reflecting on his time at Man Utd, Weghorst blamed Erik ten Hag‘s tactics for his lack of goals as his poor tally “gnawed at” him.

“They were super successful months in which we hardly lost. I was also very important for the team, as both a focal point of play and hard-working link between midfield and attack,” Weghorst told reporters (via The Mirror).

“Only my goals were lagging behind. That gnawed at me and was the reason why I lost my starting place.

“The Premier League is by far the toughest league in the world, with the best defenders. But we were rarely the dominant side creating chances. And the way we played was also different from what I was used to.

“In Germany and Turkey, the teams always played for me. I was the end of the line, while at United I mainly had to ensure that others could excel. I think I managed that very well. But whichever way you look at it, I would have liked to score much more often.”

Weghorst also admitted that the “physical strain” he was under at Man Utd was “greater” than he’d “ever experienced”.

“There was zero adjustment time. The pressure was bizarre and the physical strain greater than I had ever experienced,” Weghorst added.

“Only in the last few months did I feel I was really comfortable in it. Then I became myself and dared to throw off the shyness. In the period before that, maybe I was too humble.

“But I will never forget my goal at Old Trafford against Real Betis. The fans were super crazy about me because they also saw that I was doing everything for it. I’m quite proud that I got this far.”