Erik ten Hag has taken a swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho following disputes with the trio during his tenure at Manchester United.
Ten Hag was dismissed by United in October after a poor start to the season, with a loss to West Ham being his final match in charge of the Red Devils.
The Dutchman managed 128 games for United, achieving 70 wins, 23 draws, and 35 losses, resulting in a 55% win rate. ..Continue Reading
During his tenure, he won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, but poor league performance and a criticized playing style led to his dismissal.
Ten Hag was known for his confrontations at Old Trafford, having publicized fall-outs with Ronaldo, Rashford, and Sancho – the latter being excluded from the first-team environment after disputing the former Ajax boss’ claims about his training effort in a post-Arsenal press conference.
In his first major interview since his sacking, Ten Hag discussed how players have changed over time and how they are more sensitive to direct criticism.
“The generation that I grew up in had much thicker skin,” he said on SEG Stories, as per the BBC.
“You could be much more direct. I was approached much more directly.
“If I would do that with my current group of players I would demotivate them. If you do that to the current generation they find it offensive.”
Since his dismissal from Manchester United, Ten Hag has been associated with several managerial vacancies, while his former club continues to struggle under the leadership of Ruben Amorim, currently positioned 15th in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, the 55-year-old has expressed his intention to take a hiatus from management until July, as he is not keen on returning to a managerial role during the ongoing season.
Ten Hag said: “I’ve already decided not to take any job until the 1st of July, so until the start of the new season.”
Ten Hag also issued a warning of sorts to Amorim, pointing out that high standards expected at a club which has won 13 Premier League titles.
“We’ve had many highs at Man United, but as I always say: there is always room for improvement,” Ten Hag explained.
“Good is not good enough.”
