Erik ten Hag’s relentless pursuit of success at Manchester United has taken a toll on his personal life, according to his former assistant Benni McCarthy.
Ten Hag’s former assistant, Benni McCarthy, has revealed that the Dutch boss regularly stays up until 4 am, analyzing every detail to fix the team’s problems.
This work ethic has raised concerns about the impact on his marriage to wife Bianca with McCarthy suggesting that Bianca might divorce the United workaholic boss.
What Benni McCarthy said concerning Ten Hag’s coaching tactics and marriage
McCarthy said: “His attention to detail is incredible, but he’s probably one of the hardest-working managers I’ve come across.”
“I’m sure his wife must be on the verge of divorcing him because that’s his life – it’s non-stop.”
Despite the FA Cup final win over Manchester City, Ten Hag remains under pressure after five winless matches, including defeats to Brighton and Liverpool.
Speaking on Ten Hag’s poor outputs, McCarthy acknowledged the unsolved issue, saying, “There’s nothing wrong with the team, it’s just missing a piece… Is it mentality shift? Mindset? Working on specifics?”
McCarthy shared insights into Ten Hag’s rigorous training sessions, arriving at Carrington at 7:15 am for training.
After lunch, there was a training debrief among the coaches, and then from 2 pm, they would use the video analysis to give personal feedback to the players.
In addition, players like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, and Casemiro often stay for extra training.
However, it is a devastating surprise to witness their poor performance and defeat after all the intense training they have undergone.
He added: “When you’re there, you see the work that goes into training and how the players are. I was like, ‘My God, we would ruin any team,’ with the way we trained.”
“When you are there, you see this is high-level stuff.”
“We were not fearful of anyone, the team is incredible with quality. Then come matchday, it’s like we get a massive shock in the back.”
“I can imagine how frustrating it is for Erik because he’s probably one of the hardest-working managers I’ve come across.”
Benni McCarthy mentioned Pep Guardiola as the only competent manager to replace Ten Hag
McCarthy worked under Ten Hag during his first two seasons at Old Trafford with the objective of contending for titles.
The former Ajax, Porto, Blackburn, and West Ham striker McCarthy departed in the summer but remains supportive of Ten Hag, suggesting only Pep Guardiola would be a better option.
McCarthy said: “Who are you replacing him with? Unless Pep decides to change from City to United, then maybe you might have a change in fortunes.”
Despite mentioning Pep as the only tactician who can replace Ten Hag, McCarthy still believes he’s the right man to lead Manchester United to success.
McCarthy concluded: “Other than that, I can’t really see anyone better than Ten Hag.”
Ten Hag and his family
Ten Hag met his wife, Bianca, in the Netherlands, and the couple has been inseparable ever since.
Bianca has been a constant source of support, often accompanying the Manchester United manager Ten Hag, to football events.
The couple has two daughters, Lisa and Sharon, and a son Ryan.
What’s next for Ten Hag?
Following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ten Hag is the only manager to have a disappointing start to the season. So far, the Dutch boss has only acquired 8 points from 7 matches, placing his job in jeopardy.
Manchester United fans are hopeful that Ten Hag will turn things around when they face Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday, October 19.
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