Manchester United's campaign under manager Erik ten Hag in his second season has hit a turbulent patch, with a string of setbacks both on and off the field. The Premier League giants find themselves facing early-season woes, including three league defeats and an unsettling loss in their return to the Champions League, where they succumbed 4-3 to Bayern Munich.
As they prepare for an important clash against Burnley on Saturday, Ten Hag has been forced to grapple with reports of discontent among certain players. Moreover, he has recently faced inquiries regarding the influence of agent Kees Vos in the club's transfer dealings.
Kees Vos serves as both Erik ten Hag's agent and operates through the Sports Entertainment Group, representing players like Rasmus Hojlund, an $82 million signing from Atalanta during the offseason, and Sofyan Amrabat, who was secured on a deadline day loan move from Fiorentina. Concerns had surfaced within the United staff this week regarding Vos' involvement in these deals.
However, Ten Hag swiftly dismissed the notion of a conflict of interest, stating, "For player decisions, transfers, it's always 50-50, we both have a veto — the club, represented by (football director) John Murtough and me. So there can never be a distraction."
These reports of unrest and off-field complications have become somewhat customary when a team faces struggles on the pitch. Manchester United's season commenced with a turbulent note, with three losses in their initial five games, a first-time occurrence in the Premier League era.
Off the field, issues have also arisen involving players such as Mason Greenwood, Antony, and Jadon Sancho. Ten Hag, however, emphasized the importance of unity during trying times, stating, "It's my second year. I know it's not always only going up, you will have your gaps and you get stronger from it as long as you stay together, and that's what we're doing. The dressing room, staff, all the staff, coaches, medical, everyone is united and at United you fight."
Regarding reports of player unrest, Ten Hag remained composed, stating, "I don't know if it's a leak, but I know opinion, I know my players. Everyone can make suggestions, we are OK with it."
"It's my second year, I know it's not always going only up, you will have gaps and you can get stronger from it as long as you stay together. That's what we are doing in the dressing room... Everyone is united and at United, you fight."
Ten Hag also confirmed that Jadon Sancho would not be part of the squad for the upcoming game against Burnley at Turf Moor. The winger has been training separately from the first team after expressing on social media that he was being made a "scapegoat."
Ten Hag's response to Sancho's situation was, "It depends on him. For the rest, we are preparing for Burnley, and that's our focus. He will not be in the squad."
