Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is optimistic about his team's performance in the Premier League this season after their narrow win over Burnley. However, off the pitch, Ten Hag is still battling what he perceives as a decline in professionalism at Old Trafford.
Following a public disagreement with Jadon Sancho, which marked yet another clash between the Dutchman and a player, Ten Hag explained that he inherited a squad with a "poor culture" when he took charge of the club in 2022. By exiling Sancho from the first-team squad and implementing disciplinary measures against Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho, Ten Hag aims to assert his authority and will only allow Sancho back once he apologizes.
The message to the rest of the team is clear: "Do not challenge the manager."
Ten Hag believes that without the right attitude in the dressing room, the team cannot succeed. Therefore, he sees establishing the correct culture within the team as the first step towards winning trophies. Ten Hag stated that banning Sancho was not for his personal benefit but for the sake of the team. Despite the short-term disadvantage of having fewer options, the long-term benefits outweigh the temporary setback.
Controlling the dressing room is a challenge every football manager faces, including Ten Hag's predecessors at United. In 2015, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney held a discussion with their manager, Louis van Gaal, following a disappointing start to the season because they all wanted to improve.
During José Mourinho's tenure, he frequently clashed with midfielder Paul Pogba. Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vice captaincy in 2018 after the Frenchman expressed his frustration publicly with the team's defensive style of play. The two were involved in a training ground altercation witnessed by the media, and tension between them persisted for three months. When Mourinho was eventually sacked, partly due to losing support from the majority of players, Pogba posted a cryptic message on social media, including a picture of himself with a smirk, captioned "captain this," before swiftly deleting it.
Mourinho's dismissal from United in 2018 wasn't the first time he had been let go by a club due to players exerting their influence. He had previously been sacked by Chelsea in 2015 following reports of a strained relationship with the players. Captain John Terry defended his teammates against accusations of player power, emphasizing that decisions were made by owner Roman Abramovich and the board, while the players' responsibility was to focus on achieving results on the pitch.
"Player power," a phrase used to describe a dressing room where players seemingly hold more authority than the manager, has been associated with Chelsea, especially during Abramovich's ownership, which saw 13 managers in 19 years. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel once argued that players have the right to voice their concerns if things are not going well with the manager. However, Mourinho, after leaving Manchester United in 2019, regarded such an attitude within a squad as a significant problem.
Ten Hag finds himself in a similar situation. He was brought in by United to establish standards and regain control. So far, he has received support from Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough. Ten Hags took the lead in terminating Ronaldo's contract, feeling undermined by the Portuguese striker. Sources suggest that if there is no way back for Sancho, the club is willing to bear a substantial financial cost for a player who still has two and a half years left on his £350,000-a-week contract, having been signed for £73 million in 2021.
This approach to squad discipline is reminiscent of former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. In 2003, Ferguson facilitated David Beckham's move to Real Madrid because he believed Beckham was becoming bigger than the club. Ferguson wrote in his autobiography that if any player thought they were more important than the manager, they had to leave. He emphasized the importance of not allowing a player to take control of the dressing room, as it signaled the end for him.
In 2010, Ferguson went a step further and secured a contract with United that ensured he would always be paid more than any player, cementing his position as the top authority. However, by that time, Ferguson had already won 11 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies. In contrast, Ten Hag, despite a relatively successful start with a Carabao Cup victory, has not reached the same level of power and influence.
According to sources, Ten Hag remains concerned about the attitude of a few players. Sancho's punishment serves as a warning that there is no place for individuals who do not align with the team's goals. Meanwhile, Sancho remains sidelined, and Ten Hag's battle with the dressing room shows no signs of relenting.