FRUSTRATED Man United stars held their own private summits into the club’s disastrous start to this season.
The players concluded former boss Erik ten Hag was responsible for a loss of eight points.
AlamyMan Utd stars have claimed Erik ten Hag’s tactics cost the club valuable points[/caption]
AlamyThe Dutchman was sacked on Monday and swiftly replaced[/caption]
GettyUnited are currently 14th in the Premier League after a dismal start to the season[/caption]
Some of the dressing room went through the failures this season in private and tried to identify what was going wrong.
They took culpability for a woeful performance against Spurs and losing against West Ham after missing numerous chances to score.
But they also believed Ten Hag’s tactics and substitutions during games had seen them drop eight points.
If they had bagged those points, United would now have 19 points – one more than Arsenal in third and Aston Villa in fourth.
Instead, they sit in 14th place ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea.
A source said: “The players definitely know they have underperformed in some games this season and have been honest about that.
“But they were also left puzzled by some of Ten Hag’s decisions which didn’t make sense to them.
“Either leaving players out, subbing off players who were playing well at crucial parts in games, or instructing the team tactically in ways that they believe cost them games.
“They reckon his decisions were directly responsible for the equivalent of losing two games and picking up a point instead of a win.”
Ten Hag was sacked on Monday after United dominated the game against West Ham, but still lost 2-1.
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The Red Devils have scored just eight goals in nine Premier League fixtures this season and have conceded 11.
Overall, they have recorded just three wins, drawing two and losing four.
Ruben Amorim was announced as Ten Hag’s successor on Friday.
The 39-year-old arrives with a strong reputation after leading Sporting Lisbon to two titles in Portugal.
In a statement, the club wrote: “Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruben Amorim as Head Coach of the men’s first team, subject to work visa requirements.
“He will join until June 2027 with a club option of an additional year, once he has fulfilled his obligations to his current club. He will join Manchester United on Monday 11 November.
“Ruben is one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football.
“Highly decorated as both a player and coach, his titles include winning the Primeira Liga twice in Portugal with Sporting CP; the first of which was the club’s first title in 19 years.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue to take charge of the team until Ruben joins.”
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