Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has claimed the dressing room has been "toxic at times" under former managers, but the players are "firmly behind" Erik ten Hag.
On Sunday, Manchester United suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford in the Premier League. It marked their 11th defeat in 23 matches across competitions in the 2023-24 campaign.
Man Utd are very inconsistent, admits Scott McTominay
"It is the players' responsibility, first and foremost. We have had many amazing players and right now we are at the stage where we have big characters in the dressing room," McTominay said.
"It is not just a case of like [with] some of the other managers where it has been a little bit toxic at times - the boys are firmly behind the manager. We've got an amazing coaching staff. We just want to do well for the football club and it's as simple as that," McTominay added.
The Old Trafford side have lost three, drawn one and won one in the Champions League this season and are at the bottom of Group A. Manchester United must defeat Bayern Munich at home on Tuesday to have a chance of progressing to the next round in the UEFA Champions League. Even a victory wouldn't be enough if the game between Copenhagen and Galatasaray does not end in a draw.
Scott McTominay: "It is not just a case of like [with] some of the other managers where it has been a little bit toxic at times."
— ⚽⚽⚽ (@ElijahKyama_) December 12, 2023
Toxic is the key word. Scott played under Mourinho, Ole & now Erik ten Hag.. We need to move on from LVG, Ole & Mou players. pic.twitter.com/MJODP2wuBd
McTominay, who made his Manchester United debut in 2017 under Jose Mourinho, admitted that the current Red Devils side is "inconsistent".
"We are inconsistent as a team, we have not been naive to that. We have spoken with the coaching staff about it. The schedule has been relentless, but we can't use that as an excuse. As a group we have to come together and find out the answers to that," added the Scottish midfielder.
McTominay added further that in tournaments such as the Premier League and the Champions League, every team is "super athletic" and Manchester United need to match that. He also said that the solution needs to come from the players as the manager "can't do too much from the sidelines".
Ten Hag: Once we get back our regular side, we'll play better
In a recent interview, Ten Hag stated that the injury issues that Manchester United have been facing this season are a major reason behind their downfall. The Dutch boss said that he could field his regular team for the majority of last season, especially in his defence which remained constant, and that helped them perform better.
"When we get back to a regular base, we will play better and there is a better chance you are consistent. I know this team can perform at really high levels. It is not like we did it three months ago - no, we did it last week. It starts with the right attitude," added Ten Hag.
Earlier, Ten Hag also revealed that his friends tried to convince him not to take charge of the Old Trafford club. The Dutchman said his friends tried to talk him out of becoming the next Manchester United boss as they believed he faced an "impossible job".
Ten Hag left Ajax to take over the Red Devils ahead of the 2022-23 season. But he has been under immense pressure in the ongoing campaign, his second season.
He had started his stint as Manchester United's manager on a high as he ended the club's six-year wait for a trophy. The Old Trafford side defeated Newcastle United in the final of the League Cup. Ten Hag also led Manchester United to a third-place finish in the Premier League, securing the UEFA Champions League for the following season.
However, everything has not gone as per his plan in the underway campaign. Manchester United are currently in sixth place in the Premier League table with 27 points, 10 behind leaders Liverpool. These two sides are set to come face to face at Anfield on Sunday.
