PASSION GAP: Red Devils’ Ten Hag has no fire, says Benni
Former Manchester United assistant coach Benni McCarthy says there is a passion gap at the club and it’s down to coach Erik ten Hag.
South African legend McCarthy, who spent two years as a member of Ten Hag’s backroom staff, tells ZeroZero: “In modern football, I believe that players want to see a bit more passion in their coach.
“They need to feel that the coach is with them and willing to fight alongside them.Tactically, I feel that Erik is at the top. He lacks a bit of that fire, that passion. That’s where we differ, him and I.”
Ten Hag, who replaced McCarthy as strikers coach with fellow Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy at the start of the season, is under pressure following last weekend’s 3-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford that left them in 12th place on the log after six games.
United would want to turn things around in the Europa League tonight when they face the team McCarthy won the Champions League with as a player, Porto, at Estádio do Dragão at 9pm.
And McCarthy indirectly warns the Red Devils that they will face that missing fire in their camp tonight against Porto, highlighting the passion of the Portuguese players at United.
He explains ahead of United’s trip to Portugal: “If some of the Manchester United players had what Bruno [Fernandes] and Diogo [Dalot] have, it would have been easier to achieve good results.
“They both trained with incredible concentration, giving everything they had. Some of the others didn’t do the same.
“This ended up limiting United’s progress, because some players weren’t training to the best of their ability...”
United played to a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in their Europa League opener, while Porto lost 3-2 to FK Bodo/Glimt.
So can United bounce back and beat Porto tonight, or will Ten Hag slip even further into the moeilikheid?
TONIGHT’S EUROPA FIXTURES
It's that time again 🤩#UEL pic.twitter.com/RTaUNMqfoX
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) October 3, 2024
Ferencvaros v Tottenham, Lazio v Nice, Maccabi Tel-Aviv v Midtjylland, Olympiacos FC v Sporting Braga, FK Qarabag v Malmo, Real Sociedad v Anderlecht, Rigas Futbola Skola v Galatasaray, Slavia Prague v AFC Ajax, Hoffenheim v Dynamo Kiev (all 6.45pm), Athletic Club v AZ Alkmaar, Besiktas v Eintracht Frankfurt, IF Elfsborg v AS Roma, FC Twente v Fenerbahce, PAOK v Steaua Bucuresti, Rangers v Lyon, Union Saint-Gilloise v Bodo Glimt, Viktoria Plzen v Ludogorets (all 9pm).