Fred Criticizes Ex-Man Utd Manager Over Conflict with Cristiano Ronaldo
The 33-year-old midfielder came to United in 2018 from Shakhtar Donetsk and played at Old Trafford for five years under various managers including Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, and Ten Hag.
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<figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><span>Fred criticized his former manager Erik ten Hag</span> <span class="credit">Credit: Getty Images – Getty</span></figcaption>
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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-modal-image="40568888" src="https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?w=960" alt="Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag speaks to midfielder Fred during a match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park." class="alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-40568888" width="960" height="625" srcset="https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=300,195&quality=90&strip=all 300w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=1024,667&quality=90&strip=all 1024w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=600,391&quality=90&strip=all 600w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=878,572&quality=90&strip=all 878w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=744,485&quality=90&strip=all 744w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=576,375&quality=90&strip=all 576w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=440,287&quality=90&strip=all 440w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=424,276&quality=90&strip=all 424w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=180,117&quality=90&strip=all 180w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=107,70&quality=90&strip=all 107w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=93,62&quality=90&strip=all 93w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=84,56&quality=90&strip=all 84w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=61,40&quality=90&strip=all 61w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=83,54&quality=90&strip=all 83w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=200,130&quality=90&strip=all 200w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=231,150&quality=90&strip=all 231w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=322,210&quality=90&strip=all 322w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=664,432&quality=90&strip=all 664w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=92,60&quality=90&strip=all 92w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=123,80&quality=90&strip=all 123w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=960,625&quality=90&strip=all 960w, https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/52a5def5-6311-40f7-9ebd-2825223b9990.jpg?resize=50,33&quality=90&strip=all 50w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px"/>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><span>Fred referred to Ten Hag as a ‘piece of c***’ in relation to squad management</span> <span class="credit">Credit: Rex Features</span></figcaption>
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<p>Now playing for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil, Fred collaborated with Ten Hag for a year before the Dutch manager departed for Fenerbahce in 2023.</p>
<p>While Fred recognized Ten Hag's tactical acumen, he expressed dissatisfaction with his handling of the squad.</p>
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<p>He mentioned that Ten Hag “argued with everyone,” including prominent players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, and Marcus Rashford.</p>
<p>Fred also suggested that Ten Hag’s favoritism led to the development of a “clique” within the squad, particularly favoring Dutch players.</p>
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<p>Fred stated on the Charla Podcast: “Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the players, he was a piece of c***.</p>
<p>“He argued with everyone. He had disputes with me, Cristiano, Casemiro, Rashford… being excluded from the lineup created a lot of tension.”</p>
<p>“He only favored his Dutch players. A coach with obvious bias. But tactically, he's among the best I've encountered.”</p>
<p>“He wanted the team to maintain fitness, but Cristiano was getting older. His decision to bench Cristiano led to significant conflict.”</p>
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<p>Looking back at his time under Solskjaer, whom he played for three years until the Norwegian's exit in 2021, Fred compared him with Ten Hag.</p>
<p>He characterized Solskjaer as possessing excellent interpersonal skills but needing support from his coaching team for tactical issues.</p>
<p>Fred concluded, “Solskjaer was great at bringing the team together and worked well with his assistants during training.”</p>