Erik ten Hag hauling Man Utd flops into one-on-one showdown talks to clear the air in desperate bid to fix dressing room
ERIK TEN HAG has ordered his players to have one-to-one sessions with him to mend Manchester United’s broken dressing room.
The under-pressure boss is desperate to save his own job by leading the club out of their latest crisis.
ReutersErik ten Hag wants to improve squad morale in a bid to end the bad run of results[/caption]
Ten Hag wants to know from each player what issues they have with him, his staff, team-mates and training in a series of clear-the-air meetings today and tomorrow.
Midfielder Scott McTominay has backed the Dutchman to fix the mess, insisting the players will “fight like dogs” to save their season.
Wednesday’s shocking 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat at home to Newcastle — an eighth loss in 15 games — condemned the Red Devils to their worst start in 61 years.
McTominay, 26, declared: “My thoughts are with the fans because we’re not playing well and it’s difficult for them.
“They pay their hard-earned money every week to watch us and the least we can do is play well and win matches.
“We have to stay tight and keep a clear head. We can’t get too emotional. We have to block it all out. Everyone has to come together and we have to fight like dogs.
“The fans want to see results and performances and to see the players smiling and happy.
“It’s not happening at the moment, but I’m 100 per cent sure the manager can put that into practice and it can come off.”
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Time is running out for Ten Hag, with the next three games vital to his future, as bookies made the Dutchman 6-5 second favourite to be the first Prem manager sacked this season.
United’s Newcastle KO came after Sunday’s humiliating 3-0 Old Trafford derby defeat to Manchester City.
And former Old Trafford star Gary Neville hinted at the axe for Ten Hag, posting: “We’ve seen it before, we know how it ends and we’ve had enough.”
But fellow United legend Wayne Rooney insists the players “can do a lot more than what they are doing for him.”
Rooney, now Birmingham boss, declared: “There’s a lot of pressure, Ten Hag knows that.
“But the players need to take some responsibility.
“I know some of the players there and they’re not performing to the levels they can.
“Ultimately, it starts and ends with the manager. He will get the critics but the players can do a lot more.”
United visit Fulham on Saturday before travelling to Copenhagen in the Champions League and then host Luton.
A 15-day international break follows before a trip to Everton.
United are eighth in the Prem, out of the Carabao Cup and facing a Champions League exit.
And McTominay told MUTV: “Whenever we go back inside the dressing room, the anger is towards ourselves for not pleasing the fans.
“I can assure fans that’s the most important thing in our heads, we want to do it for the people who travel home and away to support us.
“We’re not in our best period. We have to stick together. Everyone wants this club to succeed and we have to pull together.
“We’ve got more than enough talent to do that, but something isn’t clicking. That’s up to the manager and the players to fix and I’m 100 per cent confident we will.”
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