FOUR MAN UTD STARS QUIT CLUB AFTER ERIK TEN HAG 'BRUTALLY AXED THEM FROM DRESSING ROOM'
Four of the five players Erik ten Hag banished from Manchester United's first team dressing room have now left the club.
Since arriving at Old Trafford in 2022, Ten Hag has done his utmost to mould the squad in his image and hasn't been afraid to make some bold, and often brutal, decisions. He dropped Cristiano Ronaldo, ostracised Jadon Sancho and let David de Gea disappear into the void, all in the name of improving the side, as well as the harmony within the squad.
But it isn't just the big names who have fallen foul of the Dutchman's ruthlessness. Just a few weeks after taking over, he reportedly axed five stars from the senior dressing room to free up space for the players he'd brought in that summer.
Phil Jones, Brandon Williams, Axel Tuanzebe, Tegen Mengi and Shola Shoretire were allegedly all ordered to train, eat and change with the academy squad, a move which, unsurprisingly, pushed most of them towards the door. Jones was the first to leave in May 2023 and decided to hang up his boots on his way at just 31.
Mengi, now 22, followed suit a few months later, joining newly-promoted Luton Town, and a week after that Tuanzebe, 26 was gone too, with the defender signing for Ipswich Town.
It left just Williams, 23, and Shoretire, 20, as the only two axed first-teamers left. But last month, two became one, with Williams departing following the expiration of his contract.
Shoretire, 20, won't be far behind, having grown frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities at the club. He reportedly has a contract offer from United on the table but isn't expected to sign it.
Any hopes he might have had that Ten Hag would be replaced this summer have now been extinguished following Thursday's news that the former Ajax has signed a new deal at the club. The 54-year-old was expected to quit or be sacked after a dismal season in which United lost 19 times in all competitions, but beating Manchester City in the FA Cup provided something of a silver lining for the campaign.
It marked the second trophy win for the Red Devils in as many seasons, a feat they hadn't achieved since winning the FA Cup in 2015/16, followed by the Europa League and League Cup in 2016/17.
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2024-07-04T10:46:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd