Fred calls Erik ten Hag tactically brilliant but trash at managing team

Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has launched a remarkably candid assessment of Erik ten Hag, describing the Dutch manager as tactically brilliant yet “trash” at managing a football team and its dressing room dynamics. The scathing remarks emerged as the Brazilian midfielder detailed a fractured environment at Old Trafford during a turbulent era that ultimately led to the manager’s dismissal after two years and five months in charge.

Tactical Acumen Undermined by Squad Management Failures

According to reports from Goal.com, Erik ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022 with a glittering reputation forged during four successful seasons at Ajax, which included a memorable run to the Champions League semi-finals. While he secured both the League Cup and the FA Cup during his tenure, his Premier League campaigns saw Manchester United drift backward. After finishing third in his debut season, the club slumped to an eighth-place finish before dropping to 14th place by the time club executives decided to terminate his contract.

Speaking on the Charla Podcast, as highlighted by Bola.com, Fred acknowledged that the Dutchman possessed elite strategic qualities while simultaneously criticizing his interpersonal failings. Ten Hag is very good tactically, but in managing the group he is trash. He argues with everyone, Fred stated. The midfielder revealed that internal conflicts were a constant fixture of the squad’s daily routine under the former manager.

High-Profile Clashes and Allegations of Favoritism

The dressing room friction extended far beyond squad rotation issues, drawing in several of the club’s most experienced and influential figures. Fred stated that the manager engaged in direct disputes with multiple senior players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, and the Brazilian midfielder himself. He argued with me, with Cristiano, with Casemiro, with Rashford. He didn’t want to play me, sometimes it was stressful, Fred noted.

Beyond individual fallouts, Fred accused the coaching staff of operating through an insular clique system that alienated non-Dutch members of the squad. Only his Dutch players played. A coach who loves cliques, Fred remarked, while reiterating that the manager’s tactical blueprints remained among the finest he encountered during his professional career.

The Catalyst Behind the Cristiano Ronaldo Fallout

The friction surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo served as a primary flashpoint for the unraveling of squad harmony during the early stages of Ten Hag’s tenure. Source coverage indicates that the manager demanded high-intensity running and relentless pressing from his forwards, a tactical mandate that clashed with the veteran status of the Portuguese star. He actually wanted the team to run a lot, but Cristiano was older. He pulled Cristiano from the starting lineup and then the split happened, Fred explained regarding the deterioration of the relationship between the bench and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.