"Don't belong there" - Noel Whelan slams Manchester United players for casting judgement over Erik ten Hag

Some Manchester United players have reportedly turned their noses up at the prospect of Erik ten Hag taking over as head coach next season.

The Ajax boss is reportedly close to being officially announced as the new permanent boss at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag is known to be a football purist, who is likely to give the players a disciplined approach to the game. However, having not worked at a club big enough like United, some players in the Old Trafford dressing room are reportedly skeptical of the appointment.

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Reacting to the report, Noel Whelan told Football Insider's Ewan Kingsbury:

"These players need to look at themselves before asking questions of a potential new manager. I think there are fair few players in that Man United dressing room who don't belong there at the moment. Look, they've got loads of work to do. Players shouldn't be turning their nose up or casting judgement unless they're sitting pretty at the top of the table."

He added:

"Ten Hag is going to get them working hard on the training ground, and he'll expect returns. These players are better off keeping their mouths shut, really. Once Ten Hag comes in, it will be them leaving Old Trafford next time – not the manager."

Manchester United in complete disarray this season

Manchester United began the new season on a bright note after finishing second in the league last term. They signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane to strengthen their squad.

However, the season has not gone according to plan for the Red Devils. They are already out of all cup competitions - the Carabao Cup, Champions League and the FA Cup. Manchester United are also struggling to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who was appointed in November 2021, has not been able to redeem their season. He is likely to take over the consultant role at the club with the arrival of a new permanent manager.

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Several players are out of form at the moment and could end up leaving the club next season. Some stars like Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba are in the final few months of their contracts and might become free agents this summer.

About the author

Diptanil is a European football journalist and sports editor at Sportskeeda. He completed his Master’s in Sports Management from Coventry University and has a total work experience of 7 years. A true expert of the beautiful game, Diptanil also studies the sport from the data analytics perspective.

Diptanil focuses on in-depth research, objective writing, and cultural sensitivity when creating content, and always strives to give his readers something new to take away from each of his articles. His ability to streamline information and let it reach a natural conclusion as opposed to telling a story with a pre-fixed narrative sets him apart from other journalists.

He became a fan of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea after their record-breaking 2004-05 season and their 2008-09 Champions League semifinal defeat was a bittersweet learning experience for him. Diptanil’s favorite player is Frank Lampard who is known for his hard work and dedication as a football professional. He loves how his favorite manager Carlo Ancelotti strikes a fine balance in keeping the game both player-oriented and data-driven.

Outside of Europe's top five leagues, Diptanil follows Liga Portugal, the Indian Super League, and Saudi Pro League. His other interests include doing charity work, watching period dramas, and world politics.

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Edited by Arjun Panchadar