Fred slams Erik ten Hag over poor player management at Manchester United

Ten Hag's Management Criticized

Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has spoken out about his time under Erik ten Hag, criticizing the manager's handling of the squad. Fred, who spent five years at Old Trafford and won the League Cup, described the Dutchman's player management in harsh terms.

Speaking on the Charla Podcast, Fred praised Ten Hag's tactical skills but slammed his relationship with the players. "Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of c**p," Fred said. He added that the manager argued with several key players, including himself, Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, and Marcus Rashford. Fred noted that he was often left out of the team, which made his time at the club stressful.

Cliques and Ronaldo Fallout

According to Fred, Ten Hag favored his own signings. The Brazilian midfielder, who has 32 caps for his country, claimed that only the manager's Dutch players got to play, calling him a clique ridden coach.

One of the biggest issues was the treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo. Fred explained that Ten Hag wanted the team to run, but Ronaldo was older. Ten Hag dropped the legendary forward from the starting lineup, which caused a major falling out. Ronaldo eventually left Manchester United at the end of the 2022 season.

Ten Hag was sacked in October 2024 after United slipped to 14th place after seven matches. This was the club's worst start to a league season since the 1989/90 campaign.

Thoughts on Solskjaer and Mourinho

Fred had much better things to say about his other managers at Old Trafford. He praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for his ability to bring the players together. He noted that Solskjaer was good with the group and united them, even though he relied on his assistants during training.

The midfielder also praised Jose Mourinho, who originally brought him to United. Fred, who now plays under Mourinho at Turkish side Fenerbahce, called him a great and funny bloke.