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Fred Reassesses Erik ten Hag After Dressing Room Clashes
Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has accused Erik ten Hag of arguing with senior players and favouring his own group during their time together at Old Trafford. Speaking to the Charla Podcast following his move to Atletico Mineiro, the Brazilian delivered a stark contrast to his praise for the Dutchman three years prior.
Tactical Acumen Versus Man-Management Deficits
Fred spent a single season under Erik ten Hag before completing a transfer to Fenerbahce in the summer of 2023, making 56 total appearances during the manager’s debut campaign in charge. Back in June 2023, the Brazilian midfielder spoke enthusiastically to FourFourTwo about the tactical structures introduced at Carrington, describing the coach as tactically intelligent and capable of running operations smoothly behind the scenes.
More than three years later, however, that endorsement has shifted into a stark division between tactical competency and interpersonal failure. Fred told the Charla Podcast that while Ten Hag was tactically very good, his handling of the wider group was awful. The 33-year-old midfielder claimed that friction was a constant under the Dutch manager, alleging that only his preferred Dutch players consistently featured in the starting lineup.
High-Profile Disputes at Old Trafford
The dressing room discord highlighted by Fred mirrors several high-profile incidents that punctuated Erik ten Hag’s tenure in Manchester. During that same 2022-23 season, Cristiano Ronaldo lost his regular starting berth as the manager looked to implement an aggressive high-pressing system. The growing divide culminated in Ronaldo refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur in October 2022, prompting his omission from the squad to face Chelsea.
Fred pointed directly to physical demands and age profiles as the catalyst for those disputes. He noted that the manager wanted the team to run relentlessly, but Cristiano was already older, leading to a breakdown in communication and a subsequent row. Ronaldo’s contract was ultimately terminated by mutual consent the following month after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
| Manager | Tactical Assessment | Dressing Room Management |
|---|---|---|
| Erik ten Hag | Tactically very good; elite tactical coach | Awful with the group; argued with everyone |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Helped by assistants on the training ground | Good with the group; united the squad |
Broader Departures and Disciplinary Fallout
The pattern of confrontation extended far beyond the initial season. Jadon Sancho was banished from first-team training after a public disagreement with the manager in 2023, while Marcus Rashford faced internal disciplinary action during subsequent months. Former United defender Raphael Varane later described his own working relationship with the Dutch boss as very tense, noting that conflict with important squad members was frequent.
Contrasting this environment with his earlier years at the club, Fred praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for maintaining group cohesion. While noting that Solskjaer relied heavily on his coaching staff on the training pitch, the Brazilian emphasized that the Norwegian excelled at keeping the squad united—a quality he believes fractured under subsequent leadership.
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