Fred criticises Erik ten Hag man-management but praises tactics

Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has accused his former manager Erik ten Hag of arguing with senior players and favouring his own group, delivering a starkly negative assessment of the coach’s man-management three years after praising his impact behind the scenes. Fred made the comments during an appearance on the Charla Podcast following his return to Brazilian football with Atletico Mineiro, separating Ten Hag’s tactical strengths from what he described as an awful approach to handling the dressing room. Fred spent one season working under Ten Hag during the 2022-23 campaign, making 56 appearances before leaving Old Trafford for Fenerbahce in the summer of 2023. At the time of his departure, the Brazilian midfielder spoke enthusiastically in an interview with FourFourTwo about the tactical intelligence of the Dutch manager and his ability to operate behind the scenes to help individual players. More than three years later, however, Fred offered a contrasting verdict, claiming that Ten Hag argued with everyone during his tenure at Manchester United. The midfielder stated that Ten Hag favoured certain individuals within the squad, claiming that only his Dutch players played regularly. At the same time, Fred maintained that the manager remained one of the best coaches he had worked with from a tactical perspective. According to the Brazilian, the clashes involved multiple high-profile members of the squad, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, and Marcus Rashford. Ronaldo’s high-profile dispute with Ten Hag emerged as the most intense conflict during Fred’s final season at the club. The Portugal international lost his regular starting position as the manager introduced a more rigorous pressing system, culminating in Ronaldo refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur in October 2022. Following this, Ronaldo departed Old Trafford prior to the final whistle and was left out of the squad for the subsequent fixture against Chelsea. Fred noted that Ronaldo’s age and Ten Hag’s physical demands contributed directly to the fallout, explaining that the manager wanted the team to run while Ronaldo was older. Ronaldo’s contract was terminated by mutual consent the following month after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which the forward stated he did not respect the manager. Fred’s criticism mirrors similar friction reported during later stages of Ten Hag’s reign at Manchester United. In 2023, winger Jadon Sancho was banished from senior training after a public feud with the boss, and Marcus Rashford was also subjected to disciplinary measures. Former United defender Raphael Varane subsequently described his own relationship with the coach as very tense and claimed that Ten Hag was frequently in conflict with important dressing room figures. Fred contrasted Ten Hag’s confrontational leadership style with that of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who managed the Brazilian for the majority of his time at Old Trafford. Fred suggested that Solskjaer relied more heavily on his assistants for training ground tactical work but praised the Norwegian manager’s ability to keep the squad united. The current assessment stands in stark contrast to Fred’s remarks in June 2023, when he praised Ten Hag specifically for knowing how to manage matters behind the scenes and assist players individually.