Fred changes his mind about former Man United boss Erik ten Hag in honest and shocking ‘piece of c***’ comment
Fred has shared some strong opinions about what it was like playing under former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
The Brazilian midfielder spent five years at Old Trafford after joining from Shakhtar Donetsk for £61.2 million in 2018. He made 213 appearances for the club during that time.
Fred won just one trophy with United—the Carabao Cup in 2023—before moving to Fenerbahce in August 2023 for £12.9 million.
During the 2022/23 season under Ten Hag, Fred played more Premier League games than ever before, appearing in all but three league matches and playing 56 times across all competitions. He was clearly an important player for the team.
But when looking back on his time with Ten Hag, Fred didn’t hold back and gave a harsh assessment of the manager, explaining why things didn’t work out for him at United.
On the Charla Podcast, the former Brazil international criticized Ten Hag’s way of handling the squad. “Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group, he was a pain,” Fred said. “He argued with everyone—me, Cristiano [Ronaldo], Casemiro, Rashford… Sometimes I wasn’t even picked to play, and it got stressful.”
Fred added, “Only his Dutch players seemed to get a chance. It was like a clique. But tactically, he’s one of the best managers I’ve worked with.”
He also mentioned how Ten Hag wanted the team to run a lot, which was tough for older players like Ronaldo. “He took Cristiano out of the starting lineup, and then they had a falling out.” Ronaldo left the club after the 2021/22 season, while Fred stayed until a year later. He now plays for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil after a brief time at Fenerbahce.
Interestingly, Fred’s harsh comments now contrast with what he said in April 2023 before a Europa League semi-final, when he praised Ten Hag’s positive impact on the team. Back then, he said, “He has had a tremendous impact on the dressing room. It takes time to adjust to a new manager, but he’s a great coach, and we’re happy to have him.”
Fred explained that the team worked hard to adapt to Ten Hag’s style and that it helped improve their play.
It seems Fred’s feelings changed sometime after that semi-final against Sevilla, which United lost 5-2 on aggregate. Fred only played 22 minutes over the two legs and didn’t even come off the bench in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford before the 3-0 defeat in the second leg.