Ibrahimovic questions Ten Hag’s credentials on live TV show

The Dutch coach has tried to implement a more disciplined culture at Old Trafford since taking over the reins, releasing Cristiano Ronaldo after he criticised the club publicly and ostracising Jadon Sancho after the winger claimed he was being made a scapegoat by his manager – and then refused to apologise.

Ten Hag’s hardline stance has divided fans and pundits and now Ibrahimovic has weighed in, saying the former Ajax boss lacks the experience to manage big stars and questioning his approach.

In an interview with Piers Morgan for his TalkTV show, relayed by The Sun, Ibrahimovic said: ‘Coming from Ajax to United as he did is a big difference — I have been in both clubs.

‘You have a different kind of discipline. Ajax is a talented club. They have the best talents in the club. They don’t have big stars.

‘What is the experience of this coach? Young talents, he comes to United, it is a different mentality.

 

‘The players there are supposed to be big stars. I don’t think you give the same treatment.

 

‘How much time do you give a coach? It depends on the owners, what they want, but if you listen to the fans, you don’t have a lot of time because they want to win, and I understand them because they are used to winning and they want to still win.’

 

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag have already suffered four league defeats this season. Reflecting more generally on the current state of United, Ibrahimovic continued: ‘United has to win, they have to win every title they play for.

‘Now they are being dominated by neighbours Manchester City and it’s a totally different situation there.

‘Everybody has a responsibility to fulfil the demands. You need to find the right path again and to push for that.

‘You need a plan, you need a project to follow. It feels like you follow a project plan and then it goes wild in a moment because of the results.

‘Either you believe in it or you don’t believe in it. But with the situation of the coach, I think he is living two different situations now.

‘Then obviously what happened with Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo, I don’t know.

‘When things are good, there are still errors and problems, but you don’t see it because we are winning.’

 

Additional news

 

Zaha to face former United team mats in UCL

Zaha had an unsuccessful two-year stint at the Red Devils who signed him from Crystal Palace in January 2013 but let him stay at Selhurst Park until the end of the season.

The winger moved to Manchester six months later but never managed to win over then manager David Moyes, who shipped him out on loan to Cardiff in January 2014.

The Ivory Coast international returned to Palace on August and made his comeback permanent a year later to spend a whopping eight seasons with the Eagles until his move to Galatasaray last summer.

The 30-year-old’s last ever match with United took place on December 15, 2013 in a Premier League clash against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Zaha came off the bench and helped the Manchester giants win 3-0 thanks to a goal by Tom Cleverley and a Danny Welbeck double.

All of his team-mates from that day have either joined other clubs or called time on their careers.

That is except one of them – whom the forward will meet in the Champions League in a reunion no one would ever expect before the start of the season.

That is Jonny Evans, who returned to United in the summer at the age of 35 eight years after his departure. Evans started that match at7.