Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has given a brutal verdict of United players and the state of the team when he first stepped foot into Old Trafford.
Ten Hag arrived at United after the 20-time English endured their worst Premier League season ever in terms of point tally.
United finished in sixth place, just enough for a Europa League spot, in a disastrous campaign that saw three managers in the dugout across the season.
After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s dismissal, Michael Carrick took over before Ralf Rangnick came on board in an interim role until the end of the season.
Since Ten Hag took over the reins, United and the players have shown gradual improvement and the team looks to have turned a corner.
Ten Hag told Voetbal International via The Daily Mail that he had a lot of work to do the moment he arrived.
He said, “There was no spirit in it (the dressing room), I didn’t see any team dynamics in the team. The mental toughness was very low.”
“The fighting spirit, for each other, prioritising the team, that wasn’t really in this squad. Changing the culture was the most important thing for me.”
Ten Hag heaped praise on Casemiro and pinpointed the Brazilian as someone who is helping significantly to change the culture at the club and bring back a winning mentality.
The Dutch coach remarked, “To get that (change of culture) in the dressing room, you need personalities. That’s why the purchase of Casemiro was so important. He can speed up the process because he knows what you have to do to win titles.”
Evidence suggests that United fans have a lot to look forward to with regard to Ten Hag changing the fortunes of the club. It’s no mean feat but he’s done well so far.
The delicate and masterful handling of the Cristiano Ronaldo saga is a good example of Ten Hag spearheading change at the club.
