McTominay insists Man Utd squad remain fully behind Ten Hag
Scott McTominay insists the Manchester United dressing room is behind under-pressure manager Erik ten Hag in a staunch public defence. The Red Devils midfielder has backed Ten Hag to turn the club’s fortunes around after fighting his way back into his plans this season.
United host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night, knowing defeat at Old Trafford would confirm elimination from Europe.
A fourth-place finish in Group A would intensify the scrutiny Ten Hag has fallen under this season, already rife after an early Carabao Cup exit and seven defeats in 16 Premier League games.
But McTominay has leapt to the defence of his manager after somewhat surprisingly becoming a crucial part of his plans this term.
The 27-year-old has stressed the current dressing room atmosphere isn’t “toxic” like under his predecessors, pointing at Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
“The players feel that responsibility [to support the manager]. I feel we have big characters in the dressing room,” McTominay explained.
“Maybe with some of the other managers in the past [the atmosphere in the dressing room] has been toxic at times, but that is not the case now.
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“The boys are fully behind the manager. That’s the be-all and end-all. We just want to do well for the football club, and it is as simple as that.”
Reports after the 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United earlier this month stated that Ten Hag was facing a battle to keep his dressing room on his side.
Sky Sports even claimed that the 53-year-old had already lost around 50 per cent of his squad, which McTominay helped squash by scoring a brace in an impressive team performance to beat Chelsea last week.
But Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth opened the door for doubts to creep in again, with daunting tests against Bayern and Liverpool to come.
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McTominay urged that the United players weren’t naive to their inconsistency this season, hinting that the “relentless” schedule had taken its toll.
And Ten Hag added that regular enforced changes due to injuries have been to blame for his side’s decline from last season.
He said: “We had a regular team [last season], not so many changes, especially in our back line. That helps you. You get the routines in. We have to wait for that.
“I think it is personnel. We are not the only team. I see inconsistency from other teams in the Premier League.”
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