Man Utd players 'would be happy if Ten Hag was sacked' claims ex-Liverpool star

Suraj Radia

25 Nov 2023 11:55 GMT
3 min read

Erik ten Hag smiling, Man Utd — © ProShots

Erik ten Hag will not finish the season at Manchester United and his players would be happy if he was sacked, according to a former Liverpool star who claims the Dutchman has lost the dressing room.

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Ten Hag has endured pressure this season after United’s poor start to the campaign, which sees them sit five points outside the top four and on the verge of a Champions League group stage exit.

Stars such as Casemiro and Marcus Rashford have seen their form fall off a cliff since last season and ex-Liverpool defender Jose Enrique believes the reason for the decline in performances is that United’s players ‘don’t think he is the right man’ for the job.

“I do not think Ten Hag will finish this season at Manchester United. If they do keep him it will be because they are wanting to stick with a long-term project and they believe that he can change things,” Enrique told Grosvenor Sport.

“I think he has lost the dressing room. I'm not sure how long Manchester United will keep him for but I don't think they have any chance of making the top four this season.

“The players should still go out and perform regardless, but it's true that when you like the manager you play better for them. You want to win for them as well as for yourself and the fans.

“I don't believe that this is the case at United. I actually think that the players would be happy if Ten Hag was sacked. They want someone else and they don't believe that he is the right man. I don't think he has the backing of many players in the dressing room anymore – he's lost it.”

Many players at United ‘against’ Ten Hag – Enrique

Enrique spent five years at Liverpool, making 76 Premier League appearances, but the Spaniard has remained active and opinionated on social media since his retirement in 2017.

© ProShots - Erik ten Hag has come under immense pressure this season.

And the 37-year-old didn’t hold back with his opinion on Ten Hag, with Enrique pointing out the United boss’ fallouts with Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo and, now reportedly, Raphael Varane.

“Many players within the club are already against him,” Enrique said. “Varane is against him and Ten Hag has done a couple of things which haven't gone down well with Sancho, Antony and Ronaldo in the past.

“All these situations have arisen in a short period of time because he still hasn't been at the club for that long.”