South Africa legend Benni McCarthy believes Manchester United players are finding it hard to connect with their manager Erik Ten Hag because ‘he lacks passion.'
The former Orlando Pirates attacker worked at the Old Trafford as the Red Devils strikers' coach for two seasons. However, his contract with the English giants was not renewed as Ten Hag opted to bring Ruud Van Nisteelroy to help him shape the team.
McCarthy was reportedly one of the most loved figures by the players owing to the way he related with them.
‘Ten Hag lacks that passion'
McCarthy doesn't doubt Tan Hag's coaching tactics, but insists the modern game demands more than that.
“In modern football, I believe that players want to see a bit more passion in their coach,” the former AmaZulu coach told Portuguese publication Zero Zero.
“They need to feel that the coach is with them and willing to fight alongside them. Tactically, I feel that Erik is at the top. He lacks a bit of that fire, that passion. That’s where we differ, him and I.”
What does the future hold for Benni
South Africa’s leading scorer has been without a job since leaving the English side at the end of last season and was reported to have held talks with Mamelodi Sundowns in the UK early last month when the Brazilians had a stuttering start to the season.
McCarthy’s future has been a subject of debate; he has been linked to MLS clubs besides clubs in South Africa and his arrival back home coincided with the sacking of AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco Martin and his assistant Aitor Van Den Brule.
The former Orlando Pirates, Ajax Amsterdam, FC Porto, and Blackburn Rovers striker coached AmaZulu from December 2020 to March 2022 and led them to a record second-place finish in the PSL to qualify for the CAF Champions League.
