Ex-Ten Hag assistant reveals bitter TRUTH about Man Utd boss

Tom Weber

Updated: 2 Oct 2024 19:01 BST
4 min read

Benni McCarthy believes that Erik ten Hag lacks the 'passion' to succeed at Manchester United.

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The Dutchman is once again under intense pressure and there are suggestions that he could lose his job as early as next week should results and performances not improve against Porto and Aston Villa.

While Man Utd's new INEOS hierarchy would prefer not having to make a change, their hands may be forced by on-pitch matters, with the club at risk of missing out on a vitally important revenue stream should they fail to qualify for the Champions League for the second season running.

Prior to this season, Ten Hag revamped his staff and brought Ruud van Nistelrooy, his heir apparent, and Rene Hake on board as assistants. His previous No.2 Mitchell van der Gaag and first-team coach Benni McCarthy departed the club.

The latter, speaking to Portuguese media ahead of Man Utd's clash against his ex-club Porto, has hypothesised why Ten Hag is failing at Old Trafford.

McCarthy on Ten Hag

Asked about his time at Man Utd by ZEROZERO, McCarthy said: "The best thing I got out of it was my individual relationship with each of the players. I created a fantastic bond with all of them. They understood me and I understood them. But I wasn’t the head coach and so my ideas couldn’t be passed directly to the team.

"Before I joined the team, I always had to communicate my thoughts to the head coach, which is normal. For someone like me, with strong convictions, it’s not easy. Erik always had the final say.

"Sometimes I didn’t see in him that passion I speak of. He has a different personality, a different profile. I think that was one of the difficulties that the team and the players encountered."

"In modern football, I believe that players want to see a bit more passion in their coach. They need to feel that the coach is with them and willing to fight alongside them. Tactically, I feel that Erik is at the top. He lacks a bit of that fire, that passion. That's where we differ, him and I. I want to be at his level in terms of tactical mastery.

"I think my greatest strength is the empathy I create with the players and that allows them to play at a level that combines passion, determination and desire. That's how you win games, especially the most demanding ones. That's the difference, that fire I feel inside me, that hunger I have. Erik is more conservative. He gives all the information to the players and then expects them to comply on the pitch."