Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has criticised former boss Erik ten Hag, labelling the Dutchman a 'piece of crap' when it came to squad management. Fred, who played under Ten Hag for one season before leaving in 2023, made the comments on the Charla Podcast.
Fred's criticism of Ten Hag's man-management
Fred joined United in 2018 from Shakhtar Donetsk and spent five seasons at Old Trafford, working under managers including Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He spent the 2022/23 campaign under Ten Hag before moving to Fenerbahce.
While Fred praised Ten Hag's tactical knowledge, he was scathing about his treatment of players. 'Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of crap,' he said. 'He argued with everyone. He argued with me, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Casemiro, with Rashford … He wouldn't put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful.'
Claims of favouritism and fallout with Ronaldo
Fred also alleged that Ten Hag favoured his compatriots, saying: '[With Ten Hag] Only his Dutch players played. A clique-ridden coach. But, tactically, one of the best I've ever worked with.'
He added: '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.'
Praise for Solskjaer and Mourinho
Fred contrasted Ten Hag with his other United managers. 'Solskjaer was good with the group, but he was helped [in training] by the assistants. He united the group,' he said.
He also spoke warmly of Mourinho: 'Mourinho's a great bloke, he is funny. I've just been with him at Fenerbahçe; he brought me to United. Before [Carlo] Ancelotti came along, his name was being mentioned for the national team [Brazil]. So I'd show him the rumours and he'd say: 'F*** off, mate. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to manage my club here.' A really decent bloke.'
Ten Hag was sacked by United after a poor start to the 2024/25 season, having won the FA Cup at the end of the previous campaign. He later spent 62 days as Bayer Leverkusen boss and is now technical director of Eredivisie club Twente.
