Erik ten Hag ‘hauls Man United stars in for one-on-one showdown talks in a bid to clear the air and fix dressing room morale’ as the pressure builds after a dismal start to the season

Erik ten Hag has reportedly held one-on-one talks with his underperforming Manchester United players in a bid to turn around their dismal start to the season.

United’s dismal season reached new depths on Wednesday evening after being dumped out of the Carabao Cup following a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle.

The defeat came three days after United were on the receiving end of the same scoreline in the Manchester derby and means Ten Hag has now suffered their worst start to the season in six decades.

And now that Ten Hag’s future at the club is in doubt, the under-pressure Dutchman is trying to solve any problems within his own team.

According to The sunTen Hag is desperate to know if there are any problems with him, his staff or other members of the squad in an attempt to resolve the ongoing crisis at the club.

United players recorded dismal figures after their Carabao Cup exit at Old Trafford on Wednesday

The report claims that these showdown talks will take place on Friday and Saturday, less than 48 hours after their defense of the Carabao Cup went up in smoke.

After the defeat to Newcastle, Ten Hag promised to turn around the poor form and emphasized that he is a ‘fighter’.

Scott McTominay backed his manager on Friday, saying: ‘There’s more to it than that when you’re not playing well. That’s not quite happening yet, but I’m 100 percent sure the manager can put that into practice and it can work.

‘Everyone knows that we are not in our best period at the moment. We have to stick together, that’s the most important thing. There is one more match on the schedule and in a week’s time the picture might look a little different: a win in the Champions League and victories in the league.

‘Obviously the fans will hear the common answer: ‘we have to stick together’, but it’s true. Everyone wants this football club to succeed and we have to work together and try to get along as best we can in the dressing room to get those results to our liking.

“I feel like we have more than enough talent in the locker room to do that. But clearly something isn’t quite right. It is up to the manager and the players to solve that, and I am 100 percent confident that we will succeed.’

The Dutchman is reportedly desperate to improve dressing room morale after their dismal start

Ten Hag wants to know if there are any problems with him, his staff or other team members

Morale in the United dressing room has been low in recent weeks, with Mail Sport reporting earlier this week that United players fear Ten Hag’s abrupt approach is affecting team harmony.

Ten Hag has built a no-nonsense reputation since arriving at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022 – and has had problems with a number of players since his appointment, most recently Jadon Sancho.

The hardline Dutchman has been praised for the way he has ruthlessly dealt with a number of issues involving prominent members of his team over the past 18 months.

However, Mail Sport has learned that figures within the United squad believe Ten Hag’s dealings with certain individuals have had a negative impact on the team’s cohesion.

Ten Hag’s ongoing public dispute with winger Sancho has increased attention on United’s disappointing campaign so far.

Sancho has been banned from United’s squad after publicly disagreeing with his manager’s public statements that he was left out of the squad to face Arsenal in September due to a lack of effort in training.

Sancho’s refusal to apologize to Ten Hag has left Sancho completely cut off from the first-team squad, to the point where he can’t even eat with the senior squad.

Ten Hag wants to boost the team’s morale while the under-pressure Dutchman fights for his job

It is understood that United intended to make any personal apology from Sancho public, which would be seen as a public victory for Ten Hag.

However, despite his banishment, Sancho remains closely linked to a number of players in United’s squad. Defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka was indeed photographed with the attacker in New York in September.

Ten Hag was also candid when explaining why Raphael Varane was left out of the team that lost 3-0 to Manchester City on Sunday. He claimed his decision to play Jonny Evans ahead of the Real Madrid centre-back was ‘tactical’.

Last year, Ten Hag’s opinion of Cristiano Ronaldo divided opinion as the Portuguese legend eventually left the club for Saudi Arabia.