’Think they’re dealing with peak Lionel Messi’ - Erik Ten Hag facing constant struggles with Man Utd players’ agents as problems during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era still exist

Mitten reports in The Athletic that Ten Hag is struggling to plug the leaks that appeared during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign, with agents briefing from their clients' perspectives. Solskjaer felt frustrated, having backed certain players publicly despite holding private doubts. Ten Hag is now in a similar position, although reports that he has "lost the dressing room" are not accurate, with some senior players at the club maintaining their backing of the Dutchman.

He wrote: "Some of the PRs are really not in tune with the mood on the street. They think that because they have a United player as a client they’re dealing with peakLionel Messi, not someone linked to a side struggling to string consecutive wins together."

United have been in dire form and have only won one of their last four Premier League games, leaving them eighth in the table, nine points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and 14 behind leaders Liverpool. They ended the year with a dismal 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

They are next in action on Monday in the FA Cup in a potential banana skin against Wigan Athletic. A defeat would be a dismal result and would see them eliminated from their only remaining cup competition.