Erik ten Hag's time as Manchester United manager goes down as one of the most underwhelming stints in the club's recent history. The Dutchman showed initial promise before losing the fans - and some of his own players - very quickly through his stubborn nature.
His two-year spell at Old Trafford isn't looked back on fondly by many, as off-field issues and on-field struggles quickly seeped in after qualifying for the Champions League in Ten Hag's first term.
The former Ajax boss had public fallouts with Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. But it appears other players were less than happy behind the scenes.
Ten Hag Made Life 'Difficult' For Man Utd Star
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag applauding supporters
One man who had an extremely tough time at the Manchester-based club was right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. In an interview with Mail Sport, the DR Congo international revealed he was homesick after swapping Crystal Palace for Man Utd in 2019.
"When I moved to United, I really missed home, my family and friends especially," he admitted. "After training, I used to take the train back to London almost every day. It’s only about two hours, but it’s still a big commitment, and eventually it became exhausting, so I knew I had to stop."
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The now 28-year-old went as far as calling his time with the biggest club in England the 'lowest' he'd ever felt. He added: "It was something I wasn’t used to at all. I’d always been comfortable at home in London, surrounded by familiar people and places, so for everything to change overnight was difficult to adapt to. Most days I’d just be at home alone, playing PlayStation until it was time to sleep. I struggled. It was probably the lowest I’d felt."
Wan-Bissaka played under several managers during his five-year stay in Manchester. His time under both Ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick was a hard spell for the full-back. He claimed:
"Obviously, it’s football, every manager has their preferences. They might like you or they might not, and that’s just part of the game. When he (Rangnick) came in, it wasn’t the best period for me and there was a lot of criticism around…
"It was difficult when Erik ten Hag arrived - as soon as he did, he told me I wasn’t in his plans. But when I tried to leave, he said he didn’t want me to go. I couldn't understand it. That was tough mentally, because it left me wondering what I was supposed to do next."
Despite receiving mixed signals from Ten Hag on whether he was needed at the club, the now West Ham defender was full of praise for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
"My relationship with Ole was good from the start. He’s a great person, and we got along really well, and I think the rest of the players felt the same about him. He’s the kind of manager who backs you straight away," Wan-Bissaka said.
Wan-Bissaka's 'Hard' Time at Man United
Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson and Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka battling for possession
While Wan-Bissaka did manage to get his hands on two pieces of silverware under Ten Hag's watch, the EFL Cup and FA Cup, his mind was always focused on making his way back to London eventually.
He added: "I just kept my head down and told myself to keep training, keep improving, and play my game. Staying motivated was hard though, especially when you’re training without the clear goal of playing."
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Despite his woes, Erik ten Hag remains surprisingly high up on the list, but it's not such a pretty picture for Ruben Amorim.
After two goals and 13 assists in 190 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, he secured a move to West Ham in 2024. Just months later, Ten Hag was sacked by Man Utd. Things could've gone differently for 'The Spider' if he'd stayed just a little bit longer.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 27-02-26.