Erik ten Hag Cites 'Toxic Culture' at Manchester United, Blames Player Power

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has asserted that the club's hierarchy fostered a 'toxic culture' by ceding too much power to players. Ten Hag, who was dismissed in October 2024, shared his critical views on his former employers in a recent interview with The Athletic, detailing instances of player indiscipline that he felt were not adequately addressed by the club's leadership.

During his two-year tenure, Ten Hag engaged in several high-profile disputes with squad members, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford. He stated that the club did not support his disciplinary actions, which he believed were necessary to maintain standards. As an example, Rashford was excluded from a Premier League match against Wolves for oversleeping and arriving late to a team meeting.

"And so, they (the club) are continuing the toxic culture; they fuel it, they give the power to the players," Ten Hag told The Athletic. "Rashford is an amazing player, if his mindset is right. I always showed my trust in him, played him. But when you show these standards, sometimes you have to make corrections."

Ten Hag's most significant conflict was with Cristiano Ronaldo, who, in a November 2022 interview, stated he had "no respect" for the coach, leading to the Portuguese forward's departure. Regarding Ronaldo's influence, Ten Hag commented, "Players have to act, they have a big responsibility. Football is, for some, not the highest priority. And United for some wasn’t the highest priority."

These remarks follow recent criticism from Lisandro Martinez, who accused United's hierarchy of insufficient squad investment over the summer. Although Ten Hag declined to comment directly on Martinez's situation, he suggested that the contingent of players arriving from Real Madrid—Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Casemiro—introduced a power imbalance.

"I can say I think that’s what the Madrid connection brought in, that players are powerful and they want to decide," Ten Hag said. "In my opinion it didn’t suit the phase United was in. The leadership wanted attacking, dynamic football and these players wanted to play what fitted themselves." He added that Casemiro, who joined as a midfield strategist, appeared demotivated, speculating about what might have been communicated to him.

Player power has been a recurring issue at Manchester United since the departure of manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Ten Hag's successor, Ruben Amorim, also faced challenges with player authority, once stating he would prefer to field his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach over Rashford if the winger did not commit fully to training and his overall approach. This situation eventually led to Rashford's loan move.

Alejandro Garnacho also reportedly questioned Amorim's decision to drop him from a Europa League final starting lineup, after which he was reportedly told he could seek a new club. Martinez, who issued a public apology for his recent comments, was included in the starting eleven against Leeds, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Despite former United captain Wayne Rooney suggesting Martinez's comments could fracture the dressing room, interim coach Michael Carrick insisted that team harmony remains intact. "The squad today was in a fantastic place, better than I've seen it for a while actually," Carrick stated. "We're living it every day, we know what it feels like. We're emotional, we're passionate, we care a lot. Sometimes someone says something that maybe they shouldn't say at a certain time, but that doesn't distract us from what we're creating here and the environment and the spirit within the group."