Fred has criticized former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, calling him “a piece of crap” for his management style.
Ten Hag took over at Manchester United in June 2022 and led the team to victories in the FA Cup and EFL Cup before being dismissed in October 2024.
During his tenure, the 56-year-old secured 70 wins out of 128 matches (with 23 draws and 35 losses), but also lost the FA Cup final in the 2022-23 season.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, only Jose Mourinho and Michael Carrick have achieved a higher win percentage (58.3%) than Ten Hag’s 54.7% among permanent managers of the club.
While acknowledging Ten Hag’s tactical acumen, Fred was critical of his ability to manage relationships within the team.
“Tactically, Ten Hag was very strong, but with the players, he was difficult to deal with,” Fred revealed on the Charla Podcast.
“He clashed with many players, including me, Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, and Rashford. At times, it became quite tense as he often left me out of games.”
“He favored his Dutch players, creating a sense of favoritism. Nevertheless, he was one of the best tacticians I have worked with.”
“He pushed the team to focus on physicality, but Cristiano was already past his peak. After he sidelined Cristiano, tensions rose between them.”
New drop
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 1, 2026
Fred was signed by Mourinho in 2018 and later reunited with him at Fenerbahce, expressing a much better relationship with the current Real Madrid manager.
“Mourinho is a great guy, very humorous. I just spent time with him at Fenerbahce; he was the one who brought me to United,” said Fred.
“Before Carlo Ancelotti took over, there was talk of Mourinho for the Brazil national team. I would joke about the rumors, and he’d tell me, ‘F— off, mate. I’m here to manage my club.’ A genuinely good person.”
Fan Take: This revelation from Fred underscores the complex dynamics within high-pressure soccer environments, where tactical proficiency does not necessarily translate to effective team management. For fans, it raises important questions about how managerial styles impact team chemistry and performance, a critical factor for any club’s success on the pitch.
Source: www.soccernews.com
