Seven Manchester United Players Who Reportedly Fell Out with Erik Ten Hag During His Tenure
Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United came to an end in October 2024, but it was far from a peaceful departure. Despite an initial sense of optimism when the Dutch manager took over in 2022, his time at Old Trafford was plagued by internal conflicts with key players. Tensions within the dressing room, combined with disappointing results, ultimately led to the club parting ways with Ten Hag after a string of unsatisfactory performances in both the Premier League and the Europa League.
Reports suggest that the rift between Ten Hag and some of United’s most prominent stars ran deep, with multiple high-profile players allegedly clashing with the manager. Here’s a look at seven players who reportedly fell out with Ten Hag during his time at the helm.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United in 2021 was met with great excitement, but his second stint at Old Trafford was filled with drama. The most significant fallout came in late 2022, when Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan led to his contract being terminated. In the interview, Ronaldo criticized both the club’s management and Ten Hag, and it was clear the relationship between the two had soured.
Ten Hag’s response was firm, stating that Ronaldo “had to go.” Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia shortly after, but their clash marked a bitter end to his second spell at United. The fallout reignited in September 2023, with Ronaldo criticizing Ten Hag’s ambition, further cementing the tensions between the two.
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho’s high-profile move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United came with lofty expectations. However, his relationship with Ten Hag quickly soured in 2023 after being dropped from the squad for a match against Arsenal due to what Ten Hag described as “poor training performance.” Sancho was not pleased with this explanation and took to social media to claim it was “completely untrue,” labelling himself a “scapegoat.”
This public clash led to Sancho being loaned out to Borussia Dortmund in 2024, and despite his return in the summer, tensions remained unresolved. Sancho was soon loaned again, this time to Chelsea, signalling an ongoing rift between the player and manager.
Zidane Iqbal
Young midfielder Zidane Iqbal, who impressed in pre-season under Ten Hag’s first year, found himself at odds with the manager shortly after. A training session video surfaced in July 2022, showing Ten Hag angrily berating Iqbal. The Dutch boss was seen shouting at Iqbal, criticizing his ball control and labelling his performance as “f***ing rubbish.”
Iqbal’s first-team opportunities were minimal in the 2022/23 season, and despite interest in a loan move, he stayed at United until he was eventually sold to Utrecht in 2023. His relationship with Ten Hag was undoubtedly strained, with the young talent not in the manager’s plans.
Harry Maguire
Once regarded as Manchester United’s captain, Harry Maguire’s relationship with Erik ten Hag deteriorated during the manager’s second season. Ten Hag’s decision to drop Maguire from the starting lineup in favour of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez led to Maguire losing the captaincy, and he was placed on the transfer list.
Despite interest from West Ham in 2023, Maguire’s potential move fell through, much to Ten Hag’s frustration. Maguire publicly expressed his discontent, admitting that the uncertainty over his future under Ten Hag had affected his and the team’s performances. His situation remained tense throughout the season, contributing to the broader unrest in the squad.
Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial’s time under Ten Hag was plagued with injuries and a strained relationship. Martial, who had been sidelined for an extended period in 2023 due to illness, found himself isolated from the first-team squad and was forced to train alone. This clear snubbing indicated that Ten Hag had no plans for Martial, despite his previous form at United.
After a lacklustre loan spell at Sevilla and ongoing fitness issues, Martial was ultimately allowed to leave the club in the summer of 2024, ending his turbulent time under Ten Hag.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford’s relationship with Ten Hag was not without its challenges. Despite being one of the standout performers in Ten Hag’s first season, Rashford found himself at odds with the manager on multiple occasions. The most notable incident occurred in December 2022, when Rashford was dropped from the starting lineup for arriving late to a pre-match meeting before United clashes with Wolves.
Rashford voiced his displeasure about the incident on Sky Sports, stating that he wasn’t “even that late.” However, he made a statement on the pitch by coming off the bench to score the winning goal. This incident highlighted the tension between the star forward and Ten Hag, although Rashford’s form largely remained unaffected.
David de Gea
David de Gea’s long-standing status as Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper was put under threat when Ten Hag arrived and immediately sought a new shot-stopper. The subsequent contract negotiations between De Gea and United collapsed in 2023, and the Spanish goalkeeper was allowed to leave the club on a free transfer.
De Gea’s departure came after Ten Hag brought in Andre Onana, his former goalkeeper at Ajax. The fallout between the two was more professional than personal, but De Gea’s cryptic social media post celebrating Ten Hag’s dismissal in October 2024 suggested that there was no love lost between the two.
Conclusion
Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United was marked by both success and significant internal strife. While he initially brought order and a tactical edge to the team, the manager’s rigid methods and occasional public clashes with high-profile players led to a fractious end to his tenure. The fallout with stars like Ronaldo, Sancho, and Maguire, among others, contributed to a sense of division within the squad.
As Ruben Amorim takes the reins at Old Trafford, the hope is that a new era will bring unity to a squad that has been marked by turbulence under Ten Hag. Whether he can avoid similar rifts and build a harmonious dressing room remains to be seen, but for now, United fans will be hoping for a fresh start after a tumultuous few years.
