Erik ten Hag aims subtle dig at Man Utd players in first interview since brutal axe

Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has claimed modern stars cannot deal with criticism in an apparent dig at his ex-players.

The Dutchman spent just over two seasons at Old Trafford after replacing interim boss Ralf Rangnick. In that time, he won the FA Cup and the League Cup.

But there were also negatives to Ten Hag’s time with the Red Devils. He publicly fell out with a host of players, most notably Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho - with both eventually leaving the club under his tutelage.

And Ten Hag has now appeared to fire a subtle dig at his former stars by claiming modern players do not like being told that they are not performing. Speaking with SEG in his first candid interview since leaving Old Trafford, he said: “A player’s well-being. How they handle media, fan reactions, social media—it affects their game.

“For some it’s positive, for others negative. This generation struggles with criticism — it hits them hard.”

He added: “My generation had thicker skin; you could be much more direct with us. If I used that approach now, I’d demotivate them. They’d be at HR the next day.”

Asked further whether he struggled to be direct with players, Ten Hag replied: “You can, but it’s the challenge—same message, different delivery. They’d feel humiliated otherwise.

“We saw it as a gift—unwrap it, get better. The old way was more effective; you knew where you stood and what to fix. Now, you’ve got to be more tactful for the same result.”

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And Ten Hag then claimed that responses from players forced him to alter his approach to management. He said: “Over 22 years as a coach, you learn. Early on, I tried the hard approach — my first year, it didn’t work. You adjust, communicate softer—not less firm, just with more care. Our generation found that harder; this one needs it.”

Ten Hag also suggested he could potentially quit football for good. Before that, he had been linked with a host of jobs including at Borussia Dortmund and former club Ajax.

On his future, Ten Hag said: "There are so many other things I could do. Maybe in football, in a new position as a manager. That’s an option. And maybe something completely different.

"I’ve been working with my brothers lately. We have our own company. Or rather: they have their own company. But we also run a company together with our father. That’s also something I love to do I can now give that more attention and it’s also a lot of fun."

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