With Erik ten Hag under increasing scrutiny, Manchester United have once again been the center of attention this week.
Preparing for Wednesday’s match against Chelsea, United suffered their tenth loss of the season against Newcastle due to a lackluster performance. There were rumors that some United players had lost trust in the Dutchman due to the frustrating season.
Meanwhile, after rumors circulated on Tuesday that certain Manchester United players are becoming disillusioned with the manager, Erik ten Hag emphasized that he is fully supported by his players.
He told the press: “I always listen to my players, and I always give them opportunities to tell, if the players have a different opinion of course I will listen. But they haven’t told me – or maybe one or two. But it is about in general: the majority, they want to play like this – proactive, dynamic, brave, that is what they want.
“You can see the players are behind it because of the performances against Everton and Galatasaray. Do you think we can make the goals we did against Everton if the players don’t embrace it? I am sure [the players are behind me].”
How did Nemanja Matic fare at United?
United said they didn’t want to allow responding to bad headlines, therefore the club decided to exclude four media outlets from Tuesday’s news conference. However, it might be upended by yet another narrative that emerges from one of their former players.
After reflecting on his time at United, Nemanja Matic has spoken out about the tardiness problem, naming Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho as specific individuals. Under Jose Mourinho’s leadership in 2017, United signed Matic for $50 million from Chelsea.
Currently playing for Rennes, the midfielder spent five years in Manchester. In total, he made 128 appearances in the Premier League for the Red Devils. Matic sat down for an interview with YU Planet. There, he reflected on the key changes between Chelsea and Manchester United.
In an attempt to improve conduct both on and off the field, Matic said that he was coerced into joining an “internal disciplinary committee” and instituted a punishment system. As examples of famous players who lacked composure, he singled out Pogba and Sancho.
What did he say about Sancho and Pogba during his time at United?
This confession from the 35-year-old comes as Sancho is out of United’s senior team. Manager Erik ten Hag refuses to include Sancho in any first-team squad. The Dutch manager wants an apology for what he believes was Sancho’s false accusation on social media. Matic and Pogba both departed United. The Frenchman rejoined Juventus. He has not been fortunate with injuries, and now he faces a lengthy ban for doping.
“At Chelsea, players acted professionally. They were punctual and were never late for training. But at United it happened almost every day,” the Serbian revealed.
“Among the players who would always be late were Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho, and a couple of other players. The rest of us who were always on time were angry, so we decided to form a kind of an internal disciplinary committee with me serving as its president.
“I put a sheet of paper up on the wall where I documented the names of individuals arriving late. During one particular season, we collected around £75,000 [$94,000] in fines. We had planned to use the money to throw a party in London, but we didn’t due to the Covid outbreak.”
