Erik ten Hag clashed with Anthony Martial in Manchester United’s defeat at Newcastle and the manager is now dealing with a dressing room that are increasingly questioning him
Erik ten Hag is facing a dressing-room revolt at Manchester United with several members of his squad said to be disillusioned.
United have lost 10 of their 21 games this season and produced arguably their worst performance in Saturday’s abject 1-0 defeat at Newcastle. Anthony Martial clashed with Ten Hag during the defeat, over his poor work rate, while fellow striker Marcus Rashford was heavily criticised for his lack of desire.
United sources have indicated several players are unhappy with their current plight, with Ten Hag now facing a major battle to keep the majority of his squad onside. Ten Hag faces a crucial run of games in the coming weeks, starting with Chelsea at home tomorrow and a must-win Champions League tie against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Tuesday, with a visit to arch rivals Liverpool on December 17.
There is concern that the disenchantment within certain sections of the dressing-room could spread if results do not pick up, with United already down in seventh spot in the Premier League.
World Cup winner Raphael Varane has found himself out of favour and dropped, while winger Jadon Sancho remains exiled after publicly contradicting Ten Hag on social media.
Sancho continues to train alone, as he has done for the past three months, since disputing Ten Hag’s reasons for omitting him from the squad that lost 3-1 at Arsenal on September 3.
Despite being banished to train in the Academy facility, Sancho is said to have maintained his fitness and is “training like a beast” according to one source, with several of his team-mates wanting to see him reintegrated back into Ten Hag’s squad.
Ten Hag has insisted Sancho can rejoin the squad once he has apologised, something the England star has refused to do, believing he was entitled to defend himself after his manager’s comments.
But with Rashford, Martial and Antony all struggling for form, some of United’s players are said to feel Ten Hag’s stubborn stance is misplaced and proving to the detriment of the team.
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
