Fred slams Erik ten Hag over Manchester United dressing room rows
Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has delivered a scathing assessment of Erik ten Hag, claiming the manager struggled immensely with player relations during his time at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian midfielder, who played under the Dutchman before Ten Hag was eventually replaced by Ruben Amorim, suggested that the coach’s rigid approach alienated key members of the squad.
Speaking to the Charla Podcast, Fred said:
“Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of crap.”
Friction in the Old Trafford dressing room
According to the midfielder, he was far from the only player to clash with the former Ajax manager during his turbulent reign in Manchester.
Fred revealed that multiple high-profile stars found themselves at loggerheads with the manager as tension built behind the scenes.
The Brazilian midfielder added:
“He argued with everyone. He argued with me, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Casemiro, with [Marcus] Rashford. He wouldn’t put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful.”
The midfielder did offer some balance, acknowledging that Ten Hag remains one of the finest tactical minds he has ever encountered in his career.
The truth behind the Ronaldo fallout
However, those tactical strengths were overshadowed by a high-profile breakdown in relationships, most notably with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fred explained that the core of the issue lay in the manager’s physical demands, with Ten Hag insisting that every player on the pitch commit to intense running.
The veteran forward was unable or unwilling to meet these physical expectations due to his age, prompting the manager to drop him from the starting line-up.
While the rest of the squad was happy to cover the extra distance to accommodate Ronaldo, the tactical disagreement ultimately led to an explosive parting of ways.
Lammens silences his United doubters
Internal friction is not the only drama surrounding Old Trafford, as current Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens has also been forced to defend himself.
The 24-year-old shot-stopper, who arrived from Royal Antwerp last year for an initial £18.2million, recently faced heavy criticism from club icon Paul Scholes.
Scholes publicly questioned whether the Belgian international is truly a world-class talent, stating that the jury remains out on his abilities.
Speaking before the international fixture, Lammens said:
“You have to be mentally strong and self-confident in the face of all those people who express their opinions.”
Proving the critics wrong on the pitch
Lammens has endured a difficult start to the current campaign, failing to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League and conceding eight goals, including a costly error in a 1-1 draw against Fulham.
He also faced scrutiny after a mistake in the World Cup quarter-finals almost cost Belgium their place in the tournament.
However, his debut season in England was highly successful, keeping eight clean sheets and making 79 saves across 32 matches to help United finish third and earn the Transfer of the Season award.
The goalkeeper delivered the perfect response to his critics on Friday, producing an exceptional performance for Belgium in their 3-0 Nations League victory over Turkey.
Lammens registered seven saves during the match, notably denying Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler to secure his second clean sheet in three international outings.
Belgian media praised his composure on the ball, with publications like Het Nieuwsblad and Het Laatste Nieuws awarding him high ratings for his exploits.
The victory keeps Belgium on track in Nations League Group A1, though they must face France on Monday without the suspended duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans.
