Why the Toxic Culture in Manchester Uniteds Dressing Room Truly Exists, Says Ten Hag—But Carrick Denies Ever Seeing It

"Toxic culture" inside Manchester United's dressing room! Ten Hag insists it exists—Carrick denies ever seeing it.

Reports say Michael Carrick, Manchester United's manager, has rejected former boss Erik Ten Hag's claims of a "toxic culture" within the club, following Ten Hag's in-depth interview with The Athletic.

When asked about those comments, Carrick replied, "I haven't" (seen it), adding that "there's nothing more satisfying" than the team's unity before their UEFA Champions League match against Como.

- What did Ten Hag say? -

Erik Ten Hag was dismissed in 2024 after winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. In this interview, he harshly criticized the club, blaming Cristiano Ronaldo for disappointing the team and accusing the board of failing to honor transfer promises.

Ten Hag described the toxic culture, saying, "They are continuing the toxic culture, they fuel it," viewing the club as giving players too much power.

He also said Ronaldo failed to meet the team's physical training standards and undermined the training culture Ten Hag wanted to build. He accused Ronaldo of encouraging teammates to conserve energy during training, which conflicted with Ten Hag’s attacking and pressing style.

Ten Hag cited the example of the 0-4 loss to Brentford in August 2022, when he ordered players to run recovery laps as punishment, but Ronaldo ran only two of three laps. This claim is one-sided from Ten Hag, with no response yet from Ronaldo.

Why do the two see things differently?

1. They represent different eras and roles. Ten Hag spoke about his time managing until 2024, while Carrick spoke from his own experience. Carrick does not deny Ten Hag’s experiences but says he himself "has never seen" such issues.
   
   
2. Their interests differ: Ten Hag is a former manager who was sacked. Blaming the culture and player power helps explain his failure. Carrick is the current manager; admitting dressing room problems would mean admitting he is losing control.
   
   
3. Their views on discipline differ: Ten Hag is known for strictness and took tough measures with players, saying the club asked him to be "strict" due to a previously poor culture. Carrick is known as a calm coach who emphasizes team atmosphere.

- Manchester United’s current worrying state -

United have won only one of seven Premier League matches this season (four draws, two losses), their worst record in 40 years. The team has gone five matches without a win after losing to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, amidst internal turmoil.

After that game, Lisandro Martinez criticized club football director Jason Wilcox and said the team was not good enough for the Champions League, later apologizing. Wayne Rooney said those comments might "tear the dressing room apart."

Michael Carrick insists there is no division, saying, "It's over, we've moved on," adding that players are motivated and training well. However, foreign media have suggested factions are forming, and Carrick may not be the right person to resolve these issues.

Manchester United faces an away match against Como tonight—stay tuned to see what happens.