- Erik ten Hag is reportedly being questioned by some Man United players
- They are concerned about his association with Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho
- Is Erik ten Hag crazy at Man United? Listen to this It all starts
Erik ten Hag’s treatment of Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho has led some Manchester United players to question the manager’s methods after a disappointing start to the season for the Red Devils.
Mail Sport revealed earlier this week that United’s stars fear Ten Hag’s no-nonsense approach will have a negative effect on team morale.
According to The Telegraphthe way in which the Dutchman deals with Maguire and Sancho are two good examples of why concerns about Ten Hag are increasing within the team.
Ten Hag’s tough approach was widely praised in his first season in charge as he gave United the green light to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo before the team won the Carabao Cup and finished third in the Premier League to return to the Champions League to come. .
However, there has been a significant drop in results this season, with United losing eight games in all competitions and already eight points behind the top four.
Harry Maguire was ruthlessly stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag last summer
Jadon Sancho was removed from the selection in the past two months after a public row with Ten Hag
Ten Hag’s tough approach with Maguire and Sancho has caused division within the team
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Last week was perhaps the worst of the season so far, with United losing 3-0 at home to Manchester City and Newcastle.
It is reported that resentment is simmering in the United dressing room, with players believing Ten Hag has his favorites in the squad.
The Telegraph’s report now suggests that the squad also feels he has been too harsh on certain individuals, such as Maguire and Sancho, although some players feel his no-nonsense style is needed, which has caused division in the squad .
Maguire was the club captain when Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford last year, but after being dropped from the starting line-up last season he was ruthlessly stripped of the armband and replaced by Bruno Fernandes in the summer.
The centre-back admitted he was ‘extremely disappointed’ by Ten Hag’s decision at the time and continued to compete for playing time in the opening weeks of the season after being linked with a summer move to West Ham.
He returned to the team in recent weeks after injuries to Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw, but that did not lead to an improvement in results.
Meanwhile, Sancho has been dropped from the team after a public row with Ten Hag when he was not included in the matchday squad against Arsenal in early September.
Ten Hag revealed afterwards that Sancho was ineligible for selection because he did not perform well enough in training, which the £73million winger took issue with when he claimed on social media that he had been made a ‘scapegoat’ at Old Trafford.
After refusing to apologize to Ten Hag for his comments, Sancho has been ordered to train alone, is not allowed to eat with his teammates and must lock the door when he changes in the academy facilities.
He hasn’t played for the team in more than two months, but United’s other wingers have failed to impress in his absence.
Marcus Rashford has been unable to reach the heights of last season, scoring just once in 2023/24, while Alejandro Garnacho also has just one goal to his name.
Marcus Rashford has scored just once for United this season after performing well last year
Antony is also struggling to get going, but Sancho is still frozen by Ten Hag
On the other flank, Antony has yet to come off and was criticized by Gary Neville for his ’embarrassing’ swipe at Jeremy Doku in the closing stages of Sunday’s Manchester derby.
Despite United’s wide-ranging problems, Sancho is yet to return to the starting line-up and seems unlikely to be brought back in from the cold any time soon.
Ten Hag has insisted he is the right man to turn things around at Old Trafford, but Paul Merson claimed he ‘lost the players’ after watching the team’s dismal performance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle .
His views were echoed by fellow Sky Sports pundit Shay Give, who believes there is now ‘a real rift between the players and the manager’, while Gary Neville hinted that Ten Hag could be quickly shown the door after his social media had posted ‘we know’. how it ends’ on Wednesday evening.