'Criticism gets to them' - Erik ten Hag reveals he had to be soft with Man Utd squad due to influence of social media making players less 'thick-skinned'

Ten Hag, who spent 13 years as a professional footballer before shifting to management in 2012, shared his thoughts on how the modern era has altered the mental toughness of players. Reflecting on his own experience, he suggested that the constant exposure to social media has made contemporary footballers more sensitive to external opinions, especially criticism.

Speaking on SEG Stories, Ten Hag said: "[You have to consider] the player's well-being. How does he deal with the media? How does he deal with fan reactions? How does he deal with social media in this world? All of that influences a player. Sometimes positively, sometimes negatively.

"This generation for example, they usually find it difficult to deal with criticism. Criticism really gets to them. The generation that I grew up in had much thicker skin. You could be much more direct with that generation. I was approached much more directly. If I was to do that with a current group of players I would demotivate them."

Further delving into the challenges of modern-day management, Ten Hag spoke about the difficulty of getting tactical points across to players in today’s fast-paced world. He highlighted how players' short attention spans, influenced by social media and quick-bite platforms like TikTok, have made traditional coaching methods more complicated.

"What did [Donald] Trump use in his election campaign? Mainly TikTok. That is how the current generation take in information," he argued.

"They have a very short attention span, and in that short attention span you need to deliver your message. But football is complex, and that is the biggest challenge for all of us. You can't tell in one or two minutes how you must play football tomorrow."

Ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United was marked by inconsistency, and ultimately, that led to his dismissal in October. When he was let go, United sat in a disappointing 14th place in the Premier League, having secured just three wins in their first nine league matches of the season. While he brought some success to Old Trafford, winning two cup titles, his league performances fell short of expectations.

Ten Hag's successor Ruben Amorim has found himself in a similar situation. Despite taking over the reins at United, Amorim has struggled to improve the team’s fortunes. With only five wins from 16 league games, the club remains in 14th place, having lost eight times and drawn three. On Sunday, United will face Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup, a competition that provides the team with an opportunity to salvage something from a challenging season.