'Players don't know what to do' - Man Utd boss Ten Hag 'not good enough'

Tom Weber

18 Nov 2023 06:55 CST
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, Man Utd, pressure — © ProShots

Former Premier League player Jermaine Jenas launched a scathing tirade at under-pressure Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.

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The Dutchman has been under fire all season. After a promising start to life at Old Trafford that saw them win the Carabao Cup and get back into the Champions League, this season was supposed to be the next step for the Red Devils. While few would have expected them to beat Man City to the Premier League title, many thought they were good enough to at least challenge.

Instead of a step forward, however, it has been a step back and nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for much of the campaign so far. United languish in 6th in the Premier League and find themselves bottom of their Champions League group after an embarrassing 4-3 loss to Copenhagen.

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€85 million man Jadon Sancho is in exile, €95m man Antony has made no offensive contributions whatsoever and indeed the entire Man Utd frontline has misfired with only Marcus Rashford scoring in the Premier League this term.

Unsurprisingly, then, questions are being asked of Ten Hag and Jermaine Jenas has now joined the chorus of doubters with a withering critique of the Dutchman.

What did Jenas say?

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jenas fired: "From a player's perspective, these players are trying. I don't think I've ever looked at Manchester United and thought, 'oh, they have chucked the towel in'...I just see players who don't know what to do. There's no cohesion in what they do."

"I don't think he [Ten Hag] is good enough. I've not seen anything in his style of management that makes me think he's the right man to take them in the right direction."

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"I can't see what his plan is based on the players he is buying – that's a big one for me. His net seems really small in terms of who he goes at and gets. All he's buying is what he knows rather than what is good for Manchester United as a football club."