For Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United, it appears the honeymoon period is firmly over.
The Dutchman won over the fanbase at Old Trafford by steadying the ship early last season, after a tumultuous 2021-22 campaign ended disastrously under Ralf Rangnick.
United's 2022-23 season was defined by a stellar run of form just after the Qatar World Cup, which saw them solidify their place in the Champions League places, knock Barcelona out of the Europa League, and claim a first trophy in six years with victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.
However, that run was brought to an abrupt end by a shock 7-0 defeat at Anfield, and an acrimonious Europa League exit at the hands of Sevilla was followed by defeat in the FA Cup final to bitter rivals Manchester City.
A tough start to the 2023-24 season continued with defeat to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, with goalkeeper and new signing Andre Onana making another error in a 4-3 loss in Munich.
Though the squad is, on paper, improved from that which Ten Hag took control of, and there have been narrow margins thus far this season, there are nonetheless a few question marks creeping in about the former Ajax boss' management at Old Trafford - and reports from Manchester this week suggest those questions are even starting to creep in among the playing squad.
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Report: Manchester United players unhappy with manager Erik Ten Hag
6 August 2023; Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News reported on Friday that a handful of Manchester United players are growing frustrated with what they see as a tendency from Erik Ten Hag to have "favourites" among the squad.
Ten Hag's tendency to criticise players for their role in defeats is beginning to irk some players, who feel that the Dutchman has certain players who he exempts from criticism.
Some players are also reported to be growing weary of Ten Hag's tactical approach, which has somewhat floundered in recent weeks with a huge amount of first-team players ruled out of contention for various reasons.
Jadon Sancho is one player who has been ostracised for an off-field clash with Ten Hag, with the pair publicly falling out due to a dispute over alleged issues with Sancho's application in training.
United sit on just six points from their first five Premier League games, with a nadir being hit on Saturday afternoon's 3-1 home defeat to Brighton. They face Burnley at 8pm on Saturday, and no doubt Erik Ten Hag will be desperate for a result to steady the ship, as the season verges on falling apart before it has even properly gotten going.
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