Erik ten Hag was known for clashing with his players at Manchester United (Image: Getty)
Seven players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, reportedly fell out with former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during his tenure. The Dutch boss bid farewell to Old Trafford last month as his side struggle in the Premier League and Europa League. Ruben Amorim is set to take the reins as a new era dawns.
However, Ten Hag's departure was far from amicable, with reports suggesting the dressing room and fans had turned against him and some of his key players had lost all confidence.
During his two-year spell in charge of the Red Devils, Ten Hag was known for having occasional arguments, and Express Sport takes a look at seven stars who allegedly clashed with the 54-year-old before he was shown the door. outing in Manchester.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo's return to United in the summer of 2021 was highly anticipated but was ultimately short-lived. Just over a year after arriving in Manchester, the superstar's contract was terminated following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticized the club and Ten Hag.
The latter would later say that the 39-year-old “had to leave” – and he did, joining the Saudi Pro League, where he now plays for Al-Nassr.
The feud between Ten Hag and Ronaldo reignited in September, with the former player criticizing the manager's lack of ambition: 'Man United manager… you can't say you're not going to fight to win the Premier League or the Champions League.”
Ronaldo and Ten Hag continued their war of words this year (Image: Getty)
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho, who arrived at Old Trafford with a hefty price tag of £73million, also clashed publicly with Ten Hag. After being sent off in 2023 for a match against Arsenal for “poor training performances”, the winger clapped back.
Sancho took to social media to refute the claim as “completely false” and called himself a “scapegoat”. which would have infuriated Ten Hag.
The Englishman was then loaned out to his former club Borussia Dortmund, and although he returned in the summer after allegedly resolving issues with Ten Hag, he was loaned out again – with the possibility of making the move permanent – at Chelsea, suggesting lingering tension.
Sancho now plays for Chelsea (Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Zidane Iqbal
Young Zidane Iqbal also had an altercation with Ten Hag. Despite showing promise two years ago in pre-season, Iqbal was subjected to a harsh tirade from the Dutchman in July 2022.
A training video has surfaced showing Erik ten Hag launching a verbal barrage at the teenager, exclaiming: “Keep the ball on the ground… Zidane! Hey! Keep the ball! Fucking bullshit!”
Young talent Iqbal would notably miss any first-team matches during the 2022/23 season. Despite wanting a loan move in January, he was forced to stay until the summer, when Utrecht acquired him for £850,000.
Iqbal was sold during the reign of Ten Hag (Image: Getty Images)
Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire's situation at Manchester United has taken a dramatic turn under Ten Hag. Initially a key player, the central defender quickly lost his status, with Ten Hag pushing for his departure, resulting in the loss of his captaincy and a place on the transfer list.
Due to his eagerness to fight for his job, a hesitant Maguire saw his potential move to West Ham in 2023 fall through, much to Ten Hag's supposed dismay.
Additionally, Maguire openly expressed his frustration with the continued uncertainty surrounding Ten Hag's leadership, blaming it for negatively affecting the team's performance: “It was difficult. It probably hurt our performance and to our results throughout the season.”
Maguire continues to be an exception at United (Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Antoine Martial
As for Anthony Martial, the French striker found himself left out of the main group last year. Martial, sidelined not by injury but illness, has been left out of first-team training in 2023 as part of Ten Hag's elimination strategy.
After missing four matches due to illness, Martial was deemed unfit by the Dutchman and forced to train alone. This decision clearly indicated Martial's place in Ten Hag's plans.
Heading into 2024, Martial suffered a groin problem that required surgery, effectively ending his tenure at Old Trafford. After an interest-free loan spell at Sevilla two years previously, Martial's contract was allowed to expire this summer. He now practices his trade at AEK Athens.
Martial became a free agent this summer (Image: PETER POWELL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Marcus Rashford
Although he was the best player in Ten Hag's inaugural season, scoring 30 goals in all competitions, Rashford also experienced the Dutchman's tough approach.
On December 31, 2022, United traveled to Molineux to face Wolves. However, star player Rashford overslept and arrived just 45 seconds late to a pre-match meeting. Therefore, Ten Hag removed him from the starting lineup.
Rashford then disagreed with The Overlap, presented by Sky Bet, with Gary Neville, saying he “wasn't even that late”. Nevertheless, Rashford had the last laugh, coming off the bench at half-time and scoring the decisive goal in the 76th minute to secure all three points.
Rashford continues to suffer poor form (Image: PA)
David of Gea
David de Gea, United's long-standing figure between the posts, saw his position threatened when Ten Hag began looking for a new goalkeeper shortly after arriving in Manchester.
Contract negotiations between Manchester United and De Gea therefore broke down in 2023, leading to the Spanish goalkeeper's departure on a free transfer to Fiorentina this year. Andre Onana, who was Erik ten Hag's first choice goalkeeper at Ajax, was quickly recruited.
Following Ten Hag's dismissal last month, De Gea posted a cryptic message on social media with a pinched finger emoji, leading some fans to believe the 34-year-old was celebrating the manager's dismissal.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1974964/erik-ten-hag-man-utd-ronaldo-amorim