Ex-Man Utd Star Fred Erik says Hag was a difficult boss

Former Manchester United star Fred, who made 213 appearances for the Red Devils, told the Charla Podcast that Erik ten Hag was “tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of cr**”. The Brazilian reflected on his strained relationship with the Dutch manager during the 2023‑24 season.

Hal’s academic and media credentials

Hal picked up his MA in Sports Journalism and an NCTJ qualification from St Mary’s University Twickenham. Since late 2021 he has been part of the Valnet network, contributing to a range of football stories across its platforms.

He began as a freelance football writer for This Is Futbol, then moved his byline to FootballFanCast where he later became the social media editor.

GiveMeSport role and coverage focus

Hal now works as an editor for GiveMeSport, where he predominantly covers the Premier League, the Champions League and English football. He also gives GiveMeSport’s audience insight into other major sports such as MMA, boxing, darts, tennis and golf, and highlights key events like the summer and winter Olympics when they appear on the calendar.

Beyond football, Hal is an Arsenal and Three Lions fan, and he keeps an eye on the All Blacks, his favourite rugby side, having grown up in New Zealand.

Manchester United managerial timeline

In the post‑Sir Alex Ferguson era, United have seen a succession of managers, but only three have lifted trophies. Louis van Gaal won the 2016 FA Cup, Jose Mourinho added a League Cup and a Europa League in 2017, and Erik ten Hag secured the 2023 League Cup and FA Cup in his first season.

Ten Hag, however, struggled to win over the Old Trafford faithful and did not get on with many of the players. Fred never truly convinced the fans either, despite playing 213 games for United.

During the Dutchman’s tenure Fred made 56 appearances, but was sold after United won the League Cup in 2023.

On the Charla Podcast Fred explained: “Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of cr**. He argued with everyone – me, Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford … Only his Dutch players played. A clique‑ridden coach. But tactically, one of the best I’ve ever worked with.”

Fred also recalled the fallout with Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the forward was older, was taken out of the starting lineup and eventually left after a controversial interview with Piers Morgan. “He didn’t respect me, so I never respected him,” Fred added.

Ten Hag’s exit and brief Leverkusen stint

Ten Hag remained at United until October 2024, when a run of poor form saw him dismissed with the club 14th in the Premier League, having collected 11 points from nine games and three points from three Europa League matches.

He then took charge of Bayer Leverkusen but lasted only two Bundesliga games before being sacked.