Erik ten Hag is a Dutch Professional manager who is currently the manager of the Premier League club Manchester United. He rose to the prominent stage in the managerial world of Soccer with his stellar management at Ajax FC. The most significant moment of his time at Ajax was reaching the semi-final of the Champions League by beating Juventus in 2019.
ten Hag is quite famous for his stern approach to management. He doesn’t shy away from dropping harsh comments about his players publicly in interviews. And so his way of handling things has already led to some big controversies since he joined Manchester United.
🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo tells @PiersMorgan: “Manchester United have betrayed me. I’ve been made black sheep. I don’t respect Erik ten Hag”. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/hlQcbYyfTE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 13, 2022
One of the big examples is the controversy between Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag that arose in the 2022-23 season. The Dutch manager said, “Of course, I have a certain philosophy, and one thing is I want to play attacking”. And clearly, Ronaldo did not fit into his plans due to which he left him on the bench for the first half of the season.
Due to this reason, Ronaldo, who is one of the biggest names in soccer, did not take it well and gave an interview with Piers Morgan wherein he said, “Manchester United have betrayed me. I’ve been made black sheep. I don’t respect Erik ten Hag”. This was a major blow to Erik’s reputation, and he has been on the receiving end of some hate from the soccer world.
What did the Premier League Legend say about Erik ten Hag?
Former Premier League legend Tim Sherwood has had his say on the current situation of Manchester United. He has come out and blamed Erik ten Hag for the situation that Manchester United are in. He even went as far as to say, “I’m not sure he [Ten Hag] has improved anyone at that football club”.
“I’m not sure he [Ten Hag] has improved anyone at that football club” 😳
Tim Sherwood has his say on Manchester United’s current situation 🔴 pic.twitter.com/9lLuUwyYX2
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 16, 2023
Tim Sherwood has made a very bold statement about Erik ten Hag. But it’s not something that ten Hag wouldn’t have expected. Manchester United currently sits in 12 positions on the Premier League table. Furthermore, the way that the Red Devils have started their season looks depressing for their fans. They’ve struggled in every part of the pitch, from defense to attack.
They suffered a thrashing from Brighton, losing 3-1 at home, which only adds insult to injury for Erik ten Hag and his team. Considering this, it would be fair to say that ten Hag has not been able to bring the improvement he would’ve liked at Manchester United.
Defeat at Old Trafford.#MUFC || #MUNBHA
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 16, 2023
The Red Devils prepare for the upcoming Champions League group stage match against Bayern Munich on Thursday, September 21. And so it will be crucial to see if ten Hag can manage to change the fortunes of Manchester United and prove the pundits wrong.