Erik ten Hag has revealed he has to be more “gentle” in his dealings with the Manchester United squad, blaming social media for today’s players lacking “mental toughness”.
Ten Hag, who spent 13 years as a professional player before turning to coaching in 2012, has shared his views on how the modern era has changed the mental toughness of players.
Reflecting on his own experiences, he suggested that constant exposure to social media has made today’s footballers more sensitive to outside opinions, especially criticism.
In an interview with SEG Stories, Ten Hag said: “You have to consider the welfare of the player. How does he deal with the media? How does he deal with the reaction of the fans?
“How does he deal with social media in this world? All of that affects the player. Sometimes positively, sometimes negatively.”
“This generation, for example, usually struggles with criticism. It really affects them. The generation I grew up with is much more mentally tough.”
“You can be more direct with that generation. I used to be treated in a more direct way.”
“If I did the same thing with the current group of players, I would have demotivated them,” he added.
Ten Hag also discussed the challenges of coaching in the modern era, particularly the difficulty of communicating tactical points to players in a fast-paced world.
He stressed that players’ short attention spans, fuelled by social media and platforms such as TikTok, have made traditional coaching methods more complicated.
Ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United was marred by inconsistency, which ultimately led to his dismissal in October.
At the time of his dismissal, United were 14th in the Premier League, having won just three of their first nine league games of the season. While he brought some success to Old Trafford, including two cup titles, his side’s league form has not lived up to expectations.
Ten Hag stressed that coaching the current generation of players requires a more deliberate and considered approach, especially in the face of pressure from social media and high expectations from fans.
