Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has launched a blistering assessment of his time under Erik ten Hag, branding the Dutch manager difficult to work with and revealing a culture of constant friction within the Old Trafford dressing room.
The Brazilian midfielder, who spent the 2022-23 season under Ten Hag before departing for Turkish side Fenerbahçe and later returning to South America with Atlético Mineiro, pulled no punches during a candid appearance on the Charla podcast. While acknowledging Ten Hag’s tactical acumen upon arriving from Ajax, Fred claimed that the manager’s man-management skills and player relations left a lot to be desired. ‘He argued with everyone.
He argued with me, with Cristiano, with Casemiro, with Rashford,’ the 33-year-old told Charla podcast. ‘He wouldn’t put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful.’ ‘(He was) a clique-ridden coach,’ he continued. ‘But, tactically, one of the best I’ve ever worked with. ‘He wanted the team to run, but Cristiano (was already) older.
He took Cristiano out (of the starting lineup), and then there was a falling out.’ The scathing remarks add to a growing list of public criticisms leveled against Ten Hag by former players following his turbulent tenure at Manchester United, further highlighting the deep-seated cultural friction that plagued his time in charge.