Manchester United players raise doubts about Erik ten Hag’s “unusual” method | OneFootball

Erik ten Hag was welcomed to Manchester United on the backdrop of an incredible and prolific stint in Amsterdam.

Considering the success he enjoyed at Ajax, including a memorable Champions League run during the 2018/19 campaign that saw the Dutch outfit humble the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus, Ten Hag was an overwhelming fan favourite to take over the helm at Man United in the summer of 2022.

The Dutch coach arrived at Old Trafford with plenty of power and backing — the same was reflected in the way the club’s hierarchy supported him in the transfer window. Fans bought into his vision and players showed willingness to fight for their manager despite a slow start to his journey.

However, as we approach the end of his second campaign at United, the huge cracks are starting to show and Ten Hag is not even guaranteed to remain the side’s manager beyond this summer.

The atmosphere is no better in the dressing room, with a report from Premier League Brasil detailing how his methods and decisions are irking his players.

According to the report, the way the former Bayern Munich youth coach prepares for matches is “the subject of complaints” in the United dressing room, largely due to his tendency to hold tactical meetings in an “unusual” way.

It is claimed his pre-game meetings are long, lasting as much as 40 minutes. To make matters worse, they are held “three or four times” weekly. This has supposedly both bothered and surprised his players, even leading to drowsiness in some instances.

“The players do not assimilate Ten Hag’s instructions. It’s a difficult and tiring method,” the outlet states.

It is a norm for managers these days to control every action on the pitch, as such detailed and long tactical meetings should not be the stick to beat the 54-year-old manager with.

However, the fact that even this is not translating into positive results paints a worrying picture for Ten Hag.

The Red Devils have played a frustrating brand of football all season, boasting a goal difference of minus three. They are likely to miss out on all European competitions for the next term, and there is little hope his side will be able to beat Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

And now, with his players also allegedly losing confidence in his methods, it seems the end is near for Ten Hag at United.

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