Benni McCarthy says Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag “lacks a bit of that fire, that passion”
McCarthy joined Ten Hag’s coaching staff two years ago but parted ways with the club this summer
Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy has expressed his opinion that United manager Erik ten Hag “lacks a bit of that fire, that passion” in his approach.
McCarthy joined Ten Hag’s coaching staff two years ago but parted ways with the club this summer to pursue a managerial role of his own.
In an interview with Portuguese outlet ZEROZERO, when asked about United’s struggles to be more competitive, McCarthy said: “In modern football, I believe that players want to see a bit more passion in their coach.
“They need to feel that the coach is with them and willing to fight alongside them.
“Tactically, I feel that Erik is at the top.
“He lacks a bit of that fire, that passion.
“That’s where we differ, him and I.”
“If some of the Manchester United players had what Bruno (Fernandes) and Diogo (Dalot) have, it would have been easier to achieve good results,” added Benni McCarthy.
“They both trained with incredible concentration, giving everything they had.
“Some of the others didn’t do the same. This ended up limiting United’s progress, because some players weren’t training to the best of their ability.
“Even in games, the data showed us that some players were at their peak performance and others a little below.”
Erik ten Hag’s position at Manchester United is under intense scrutiny following their 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.
The result leaves United 12th in the Premier League, just four points above the relegation zone.
This loss to Spurs marks United’s second consecutive home defeat, following a 3-0 loss to Liverpool a month earlier.
Despite the pressure, the United manager remained defiant, stating after the match that his team “need some time” to come together.
“No, I am not thinking about this,” Ten Hag said
“We all made in togetherness this decision to stay together, as ownership group, leadership group in the summer, also we made the decision, after a clear review, what we have to improve as an organisation and how to construct a squad.
“We are all there on one page, one boat, the ownership, the leadership group, the staff, players too.”
Ten Hag’s side opened their Europa League campaign with a 1-1 draw against FC Twente last week.
They now face a crucial test in Porto on Thursday, where a strong performance and positive result will be vital to get their European journey back on track
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