5 former Man Utd players who have hit out at Erik ten Hag’s management

It’s been almost four months since Erik ten Hag was sacked at Manchester United and the dust is still settling on his reign at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag’s successor Ruben Amorim is struggling to steer the ship in the right direction, while a number of players and pundits have given their two cents about where the club has gone wrong in recent seasons.

Here are five former Manchester United players who have publically criticised Ten Hag’s management.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The club icon burned all his bridges at Old Trafford during an explosive appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored in November 2022:

“I don’t have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn’t show respect for me.

“If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”

Ronaldo was still a Manchester United player at the time, but he wouldn’t be for much longer. His contract was terminated, allowing him to make a lucrative move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr shortly after the 2022 World Cup:

“I followed my heart,” he added. “He [Ferguson] said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City,’ and I said, ‘OK, Boss.’

“The progress was zero. Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed. He [Ferguson] knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be.

“He knows. Everyone knows. The people who don’t see that. It’s because they don’t want to see; they are blind.”

The veteran forward has continued to snipe at Ten Hag and been forthright with his opinions about the goings-on at Old Trafford since his departure:

“Manchester, they need to rebuild everything, in my opinion,” Ronaldo said in an episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.

“The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the league and Champions League. Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you’re not going to fight to win the league or Champions League.

“You have to be, to mentally say: ‘Listen, maybe we don’t have that potential, but I cannot say that. We’re going to try.’ You have to try.”

Raphael Varane

The World Cup winner was remarkably candid in his recent interview with The Athletic, stating he believed that Ten Hag “wanted to gain respect through fear, perhaps.”

Varane went on to explicitly mention Sancho and Ronaldo as players he believed were scapegoated by the Dutchman.

“He always needed an example of a player who was alone the entire time he was at Manchester,” he added.

“He did that with at least one important player on the team. He was always in conflict with certain leaders of the group. That is his way of managing.”

There was a diplomatic tone struck, though, with Varane saying Ten Hag wasn’t all bad:

“I also have to recognise what was good [about Ten Hag’s management]. He gave me the peace of mind to come back from my injury to play in the FA Cup final. He was counting on me.

“That was very positive, because it allowed me to play my role in the team,” says Varane. “We had ups and downs. I can’t say everything was bad. There were complicated moments.”

But in the end Varane was surprised that the Manchester United hierarchy kept Ten Hag:

“I was surprised he stayed. The connection with the group no longer existed.”

Jadon Sancho

“Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week,” Sancho memorably posted on social media after he was publically criticised by Ten Hag.

“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!

“All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team. I respect all decision that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”

The winger was then ousted from first-team training and didn’t play again for the remainder of the season. He was briefly welcomed back into the fold last summer before his move to Chelsea.

Sancho hasn’t spoken explicitly about how his relationship broke down with the former Manchester United manager, but he sounds happier at his new club.

“From the very first day, [Chelsea] made me feel welcome,” he told Ian Wright after making the switch to Stamford Bridge.

“I know I have a lot of people to prove wrong, and I’m just working hard every day in training.”

READ: 5 times Jadon Sancho has aimed savage digs at Manchester United

Facundo Pellistri

In fairness, the Uruguay international has remained tight-lipped about how he found working under Ten Hag.

But his agent Edgardo Lasalvia did not sound too impressed midway through last season.

“Whether he returns to Manchester in the middle of the year will depend on the performance he shows (at Granada). If Ten Hag continues, it’s going to be difficult,” Lasalvia told Sport 890.

“Ten Hag hasn’t used him, valued him, or treated him like a professional.”

READ NEXT: The surprising Premier League table over the course of Ten Hag’s Man Utd reign

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player Erik ten Hag has used at Man Utd?

David de Gea

Can a single emoji count as “hitting out”?

Bound by the rules of tabloid football parlance, we’re obliged to describe De Gea’s X post back in October as ‘cryptic’.

But it doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines of the former Manchester United No.1’s message, given the timing.

Almost immediately after the news of Ten Hag’s sacking was confirmed, De Gea posted the classic pinched fingers emoji. Evidently he’s taken to life in Italy pretty well.

Given the ignominious nature of his departure, leaving on a free after a contract renewal offer was reportedly rescinded, it doesn’t seem like he has a great deal of warmth for the higher-ups at his old employers.