Man United stars are "growing weary of Erik ten Hag's criticism - and think he has "favorites" in the squad
Things are getting bad at Manchester United. Some might say, the bad times continue to role.
New reporting claims several Manchester United players are growing weary of Erik ten Hag's criticism and believe the manager has favorites who he refuses to single out.
With pressure building, a frustrated Ten Hag has openly taken aim at his squad's habit of conceding sloppy goals this season and also rounded on them for failing to follow his tactics.
However, his ire is now said to have caused a potential rift inside United's dressing room, with some players claiming the boss routinely picks on the same names.
On the other hand, Ten Hag has also been accused of being unprepared to criticize others despite them making similar errors, the Manchester Evening News has said.
Though Ten Hag has been reluctant to name the players he believes are falling short in matches, Jadon Sancho has been frozen out due to poor displays in training.
The same report adds that certain players believe they have been placed in a difficult position as they look to execute their technical demands, with a feeling that the approach has been stunted due the absence of forward Antony creeping in.
Antony was recruited to fill the gap on the right wing but has been granted indefinite leave away from the side as he fights multiple domestic abuse allegations.
He denies any wrongdoing.
Having lost a senior left-footed attacker, the balance of Ten Hag's team has suffered.
It has also been claimed that Ten Hag expected to be able to select Mason Greenwood, another left-footer, before United U-turned on their plans to reintroduce him into the first team set-up and loaned him out to LaLiga club Getafe.
Mason Mount was recruited from Chelsea in a deal worth around £60million this summer and could well be thrust into the right side of the frontline when fit.
After the defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Ten Hag hit out at his defenders for 'easy giveaways' and demanded his stuttering players 'sacrifice and suffer'.
'[I'm] disappointed and when you score three goals in Munich, at the least you have to take a point and we didn't,' he told the media post-match. 'And you have to look in the mirror because the goals were easy giveaways.
'We were, in the first 25 minutes, better in the game and then that goal, it was so easy and it was not only Andre [Onana]. If you see how easy [Leroy] Sane is going through and that has to do with determination, you don't let players through so easy.'
Ten Hag then added: 'That is the point - we have to cross the line as an individual and as a team to win games because it started there.
'That's what I mean, you have to suffer, sacrifice in situations, to give everything and to stop that and only when we get that in are we going to win games.