'He was a piece of crap!' - Ex-Man Utd star Fred launches brutal attack on Erik ten Hag over squad management and Cristiano Ronaldo feud

The Brazilian midfielder spent five years at Old Trafford before departing for Turkish giants Fenerbahce ahead of the 2023-24 season during Ten Hag's tenure, having won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup final during his time in Manchester.

'Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of crap,' Fred revealed during an appearance on the Charla Podcast, as quoted by ESPN. The midfielder's comments highlight a significant divide between the manager's technical instructions and his interpersonal skills, which Fred believes ultimately hindered the harmony within the squad during a turbulent period for the Premier League giants.

According to Fred, the manager - who arrived at Old Trafford with a glittering reputation after four successful seasons at Ajax, including a run to the Champions League semi-finals - failed to replicate that seamless success in the Premier League, despite lifting both the FA Cup and League Cup during his two-and-a-half-year spell in Manchester. Instead, he was prone to confrontation, frequently clashing with the biggest names in the dressing room.

'He argued with everyone. He argued with me, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Casemiro, with [Marcus] Rashford. He wouldn't put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful,' Fred explained. He further alleged that the manager showed favoritism, stating: '[With Ten Hag] Only his Dutch players played. A clique-ridden coach. But, tactically, one of the best I've ever worked with. He wanted the team to run, but Cristiano [was already] older. He took Cristiano out [of the starting lineup], and then there was a falling out.'

The midfielder's experience under Ten Hag stands in stark contrast to his time under previous Manchester United managers. Fred spoke much more fondly of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho, the latter of whom originally brought the Brazilian to the Premier League in 2018.

'Solskjaer was good with the group, but he was helped [in training] by the assistants. He united the group,' Fred noted, highlighting the Norwegian's man-management strengths. Regarding the 'Special One,' he added: 'Mourinho's a great bloke, he is funny. I've just been with him at Fenerbahce; he brought me to United. Before [Carlo] Ancelotti came along, his name was being mentioned for the national team [Brazil]. So I'd show him the rumours and he'd say: 'F--- off, mate. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to manage my club here.' A really decent bloke.'

Ten Hag's time at Old Trafford eventually came to an end in October 2024, following a disastrous start to the campaign that left United languishing in 14th place after seven matches. It represented the club's worst opening to a league season since 1989-90, leading the board to finally terminate his contract despite the trophy successes he had achieved in the domestic cup competitions.