90min

Erik ten Hag's management criticised by two star Man Utd players - report

  • Man Utd to keep Erik ten Hag as manager despite poor 2023/24 Premier League campaign
  • Dutchman has fallen out with several players during time at Old Trafford
  • Ex-Real Madrid duo Raphael Varane and Casemiro were left frustrated by his methods

By Sean Walsh

Ten Hag has not been universally popular within Man Utd
Ten Hag has not been universally popular within Man Utd / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
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Raphael Varane and Casemiro 'became dissenting voices' in the Manchester United dressing room due to Erik ten Hag's style of management, according to a report.

Ten Hag is set to stay at United and sign a new contract despite having been tipped to be sacked at the end of the club's extensive post-season review.

The Dutchman oversaw the Red Devils' worst campaign in the Premier League era, sinking to a final eighth-place finish despite high hopes heading into the 2023/24 season. However, he led United to a second trophy in two years, overcoming the odds and defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Off the pitch, Ten Hag also had to contend with issues within his first-team setup. The Athletic claim several players feel their manager dealt them with an 'overload of information' and his 'micromanagement' has had a negative impact on individual performances.

Among those to become disillusioned with Ten Hag's methods were Varane and Casemiro, who joined from Real Madrid in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Both players were coached by noted man-managers Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane while at Madrid and told their United teammates about how they were given more 'freedom' and their workload was not as overbearing in Spain. Ten Hag, in contrast, had a more intense focus on tactics, which was to Varane and Casemiro's disliking.

Casemiro, Raphael Varane
Casemiro and Varane were not pleased with Ten Hag / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages

Having won several major honours at Madrid, the duo did not back down in their stance, despite United staff arguing that playing in the Premier League required harder work as opposed to training for La Liga games.

They were not the only alumni who didn't see eye to eye with Ten Hag in regards to his methods, though. Cristiano Ronaldo's contract was terminated by mutual consent midway through the 2022/23 season after falling out with the manager, and this ultimately led to other United players having the confidence to go against Ten Hag.

Varane will leave United this summer following the expiration of his contract, while the club are likely to try and sell Casemiro, who has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

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