Man Utd aces criticised for their behaviour with Erik ten Hag 'let down' by senior players
Erik ten Hag has faced some serious criticism for his tenure at Manchester United - but one former Premier League icon has claimed it is not all down to the Dutchman
by Abbie Meehan · The MirrorErik ten Hag has been 'let down' by some senior Manchester United players for their lack of responsibility, according to Emmanuel Petit.
Ten Hag has been in charge of the Red Devils since 2022, winning an FA Cup and a League Cup - but not without some downfalls and criticism along the way. The Dutchman's transfer windows and team set-up have long been debated by pundits, fans and ex-players alike - especially after some thrashings from rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
However, former Arsenal midfielder Petit has claimed that not every single mistake at Old Trafford is down to the 54-year-old, with the former Arsenal and Chelsea star calling out some of the older heads in the dressing room.
Speaking to Top Offshore Sports Books, the Frenchman praised Ten Hag for bringing some of the youth players through to the first team - with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo becoming key players - and noting that he's always tried to "do his best" and instil some "discipline" at the club.
The 53-year-old said: "Erik ten Hag absolutely deserves credit for giving younger players an opportunity. You cannot say that everything Erik ten Hag has done so far has been bad. Definitely not.
"Ten Hag is not the only one responsible for the situation at Manchester United. He has tried to do his best in a difficult environment at Manchester United."
Petit also called out some of the senior players at United, claiming they should be doing more to show the younger players how to respect the manager, club and its supporters. He said: "I think he should be very upset about the behaviour of some of his senior players, and I think he has tried to add some discipline to the club. We’ve seen that in his management.
"It's a pity that the youngest players have to set the right example on the pitch. I want to see senior players taking some responsibility. We're talking about some players that have won absolutely everything in the game; huge, huge medals, and they’re giving him nothing.
"Ten Hag has made mistakes, of course he has, but he’s been let down by some very experienced players far too often." Ten Hag has had to put up with constant speculation around his future despite winning two trophies in his first two years at the helm.
A woeful campaign last time around, which saw United finish in eighth, was somewhat saved when Ten Hag delivered the FA Cup, prompting Sir Jim Ratcliffe to stick with the Dutchman and hand him a new deal.
However, things have got off to a rocky start again this term with two wins from their opening four Premier League matches, which included a 3-0 hammering by rivals Liverpool.
United got their Carabao Cup run off to a stellar start on Tuesday night in positive news for Ten Hag, with his side putting League One side Barnsley to the sword with a 7-0 scoreline. Longtime servant to the club Marcus Rashford chipped in with a brace, as well as winger Antony scoring a penalty and other doubles from Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen.
The United boss will hope his side can build on their successive wins over Southampton and Barnsley when they take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League this Saturday evening.
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