Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has offered a scorching critique of his old manager Erik ten Hag, seasons on from their work together at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian star – who now features for Atletico Mineiro – crossed paths with the Dutch manager for the 2022-23 season, after Ten Hag arrived in Manchester from Ajax.
Ten Hag had been tempted to the club following the departure of Treble-winning icon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the dugout, and was hailed as a great tactician upon his arrival.
This was true, Fred contended this week, but ‘with the group, he was a piece of c***’, tangling particularly strongly with boldfaced names in the squad such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro.
‘He argued with everyone. He argued with me, with Cristiano, with Casemiro, with Rashford,’ the 33-year-old told Charla podcast. ‘He wouldn’t put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful.’
Fred added that with Ten Hag, ‘only his Dutch players played.’
Fred did not hold back in his assessment of Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United
‘(He was) a clique-ridden coach,’ he continued. ‘But, tactically, one of the best I’ve ever worked with.
‘He wanted the team to run, but Cristiano (was already) older. He took Cristiano out (of the starting lineup), and then there was a falling out.’
That falling out sent shockwaves through the sport as Ronaldo made clear his desire to leave the club following the 2022 World Cup.
The Real Madrid and Juventus superstar went on to ink an unfathomably lucrative deal to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, sparking a wave of big-money transfers to the Gulf state.
Fred remained at Man United to see out the season and win the Carabao Cup with Ten Hag before a move to Fenerbahce.
His former manager endured a second season at Man United as the club finally welcomed new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, and despite uneven fortunes in the Premier League, ended the 2023-24 season as FA Cup winners.
Success at Wembley against noisy neighbours Manchester City was enough to secure Ten Hag’s future over the summer, but after a challenging start to the following season, Ratcliffe’s Ineos leadership group swung the axe in late October.
His replacement Ruben Amorim failed to inspire Man United out of their increasingly disjointed form during his tenure, which stretched to just over a year, with the club moving to install former captain Michael Carrick as interim manager.
An impressive third-place Premier League finish secured him the role on a permanent basis, but has failed to spill into the 2026-27 season, with the Red Devils mired in 12th place ahead of the international break.
