British newspaper: 'Man Utd players dissatisfied because Ten Hag is biased'

According to Manchester Evening News, many Man Utd players are tired of Erik ten Hag's criticism and believe that the Dutch coach is biased towards certain people.

Since the beginning of the season, Ten Hag has repeatedly criticized Man Utd's habit of conceding goals carelessly and criticized his players for not following tactics.

Most recently, after the 3-4 loss at Bayern in the opening match of Group A of the Champions League on September 20, the Dutch coach blamed the defenders and midfielders for allowing Leroy Sane to comfortably finish the first goal. But he defended Andre Onana - the goalkeeper who made the main mistake when he missed the ball.

According to the Manchester Evening News , Ten Hag's anger has caused a potential rift in the Man Utd dressing room. Some players believe that the Dutch coach often criticizes certain players. In contrast, Ten Hag is biased and never criticizes some names, even though they make similar mistakes.

Ten Hag talks with Bruno Fernandes during Man Utd's 1-0 win over Wolves on August 14. Photo: Reuters — Ten Hag talks with Bruno Fernandes during Man Utd's 1-0 win over Wolves on August 14. Photo: *Reuters*

In it, Ten Hag publicly criticized Jadon Sancho for his ineffective training, which led to his removal from the squad for the match against Arsenal in the fourth round of the Premier League. The English midfielder immediately posted a message implying that Ten Hag was lying, claiming that he had been a "scapegoat" for a long time and that his removal from the Arsenal match was due to many other reasons that could not be made public. Sancho later deleted the post on social media but refused to apologize to Ten Hag and was expelled from the first team.

The Manchester Evening News further reported that some Man Utd players were asked to play in positions they were not comfortable with and tactical training was affected since Antony was dropped from the squad following allegations of assaulting three women, including his ex-girlfriend - female DJ Gabriela Cavallin.

The absence of Antony - a left-footed attacker - affects the balance in Ten Hag's squad. According to Manchester Evening News , the 53-year-old coach also wanted to bring Mason Greenwood - another left-footed striker - back to the first team. But under pressure from public opinion, Man Utd agreed to part ways with Greenwood and send the English striker to Getafe on loan.

Meanwhile, SunSport revealed that many Man Utd players were unhappy when the club let David de Gea leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2023. In early June, the Spanish goalkeeper accepted a deep pay cut and reached an agreement to extend his contract with Man Utd. But then the Old Trafford club unexpectedly replaced it with a lower salary offer, causing negotiations to collapse.

De Gea's failure to renew his contract and his departure has left many Man Utd players unhappy. Photo: Reuters — De Gea's failure to renew his contract and his departure has left many Man Utd players unhappy. Photo: *Reuters*

De Gea joined Man Utd from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011 and was the last player left from the time former manager Alex Ferguson left the club. He made 545 appearances and kept 190 clean sheets - both club records for a goalkeeper. De Gea also won the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League and two League Cups. The Spanish goalkeeper is currently without a new club.

After parting ways with De Gea, Man Utd recruited Andre Onana - a goalkeeper who excels at passing the ball with his feet - for $62 million, at the request of Ten Hag. The Cameroonian goalkeeper has shown his strength with his feet, helping Man Utd control the ball better, but has received much criticism for his ability to block with his hands. The "Red Devils" have conceded 14 goals in all competitions this season, the most of any Premier League club.

In the opening match of Group A of the Champions League, Onana made a mistake in the first goal, causing Man Utd to lose 3-4 at Bayern. After the match, the 27-year-old goalkeeper requested an interview to apologize and take responsibility.

The defeat to Bayern was also the first time Man Utd had conceded at least two goals in five consecutive matches since 2001, and at least three goals in three consecutive matches since December 1978 under Dave Sexton. Before meeting Bayern, Erik ten Hag's team lost 1-3 to Brighton, 1-3 to Arsenal, beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 and lost 0-2 to Tottenham in the Premier League.

Hong Duy

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