Fred slams Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd management and claims he ‘fought with everyone’

Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has launched a remarkable criticism of Erik ten Hag’s man-management, claiming the Dutch coach “fought with everyone” during his time at Old Trafford.

Fred spent his final United season working under Ten Hag before leaving for Fenerbahce in 2023. More than three years later, the Brazilian has now offered a revealing assessment of his former manager.

While Fred rates Ten Hag extremely highly from a tactical perspective, his verdict on the way he handled United’s dressing room was far less complimentary.

Speaking on the Charla Podcast, Fred described Ten Hag as one of the best tactical coaches he worked with but claimed his relationship with players regularly caused problems.

“Ten Hag was very good tactically, but with the group he was rubbish,” Fred said.

“He fought with everyone. He fought with me, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Casemiro, with Rashford.”

Fred also claimed Ten Hag favoured Dutch players when selecting his team.

“With Ten Hag, only his Dutch players played,” he added. “He had his little clique. But tactically, he was one of the best I’ve worked with.”

The comments provide a striking insight into how Fred viewed the atmosphere inside United’s dressing room.

Fred also discussed Ten Hag’s high-profile breakdown in relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo’s second United spell ended in November 2022 following months of tension, and Fred believes Ten Hag’s tactical demands contributed to the disagreement.

“He wanted the team to run, but Cristiano was older,” Fred explained. “He took Cristiano out [of the starting team], and then there was a row.”

Fred himself departed the following summer after five years at Old Trafford.

Fred offered an almost opposite assessment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

While suggesting Solskjaer relied heavily on his assistants for coaching sessions, the Brazilian praised his ability to maintain harmony within the squad.

“Solskjaer was good with the group,” Fred said. “He united the group.”

It leaves a fascinating contrast between two former United managers.

Fred believes Solskjaer excelled at managing personalities, while Ten Hag impressed tactically but struggled badly with the human side of managing the dressing room.

Fred’s comments add another former player’s perspective to the debate surrounding Ten Hag’s time at Manchester United.

His assessment is particularly notable because it is not a blanket criticism. Fred clearly admired Ten Hag’s tactical ability while questioning whether his approach to managing personalities undermined his work.

Naming Ronaldo, Casemiro and Rashford alongside himself also suggests Fred viewed the problems as broader than one isolated disagreement.