Erik ten Hag was hit with a swarm of criticism from Frank de Boer(Image: (Image: Getty))

‘Worst Premier League manager ever’ rips into Man Utd’s countless ‘stupid mistakes’

Frank de Boer has been heavily critical of his fellow Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who is treading on thin ice after Man Utd's 3-0 drubbing at home by Tottenham followed by a draw to Porto on Thursday

by · Wales Online

Frank de Boer - once dubbed the “worst Premier League manager ever” - has slammed Manchester United’s “stupid mistakes” under Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag’s Red Devils have begun the 2024/25 season in disastrous fashion, despite the Dutchman being given over £200million to spend on new signings in the summer. Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham showcased a typically weak defensive performance and fragile mentality, accentuated by captain Bruno Fernandes being sent off in a decision now rescinded.

Having secured just seven points from the first six Premier League fixtures, Ten Hag has failed to produce the desired results this season despite being backed by new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Thursday night’s 3-3 Europa League draw against Porto saw Fernandes sent off yet again, while Ten Hag’s increasingly tenuous position was only saved by Harry Maguire’s last gasp equaliser.

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De Boer - who lost each of his four league games in charge of Crystal Palace in 2017 before being sacked - has piled in on the criticism of his compatriot Ten Hag. De Boer’s terrible run in the English top flight famously led him to be called the “worst” manager by at-the-time United boss Jose Mourinho.

He was in Manchester working as a pundit for Viaplay TV when he commented on the humbling by Spurs: "Having watched them and having now analysed Manchester United, I can only say that they are in a bad state.

"United look like a team that are wobbling everywhere. They have been totally outclassed (by Tottenham) and I am talking about being outclassed tactically, in quality, in effort and energy. Where weren't they outclassed?

"I was looking at the players and one after the other they made such stupid mistakes. So many players are making poor passes. I was trying to count the amount of big things that went wrong in the first 45 minutes and it was impossible to count those big mistakes on the fingers of two hands.

Captain Bruno Fernandes' red capped off a dismal Sunday for Man Utd(Image: (Image: Getty))

"I am stunned by what I saw in Manchester. It became even more clear how bad United are when I looked at the way Tottenham played from the back, how they built things up, always finding a free player, showing guts on the ball and having the right power in a fight for the ball. I found it remarkable how an opponent of United's could play like that."

De Boer's fellow countryman Ten Hag was reportedly given the club's next two fixtures - the 3-3 Europa League clash with Porto and a trip to Aston Villa - to save his job, having been backed in the summer with not only new players but a contract extension.

One of those new signings, Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee, also received criticism from De Boer for his performance against Spurs. Zirkzee has been in the firing line already this season for some other poor displays in his debut season against the likes of Liverpool and Brighton.

"Look at Joshua Zirkzee," pointed out De Boer. "He was having a nightmare. He was absolutely shocking. How many times does he make the wrong choices on the pitch? Okay, he did have one shot at goal, and the keeper saved it. But all in all, he was champion in losing the ball.

De Boer also slated Zirkzee(Image: (Image: Getty))

"During the warm-up before the game, I was watching him, and he was shooting on goal but he was blasting it anywhere but on target!

"Honestly, he did not hit the target once in the warm-up. That was terrible. When you are a good striker, you don't have to blast every ball, you have to make sure your shots are in the corner. During the game, Marcus Rashford tried to shoot like that. Zirkzee never did."

De Boer's comments about Rashford were what led to him being branded as the “worst manager in league history” in 2018. After a brilliant performance by Rashford, who had scored a brace against Liverpool, the former Crystal Palace boss claimed it was a "pity" that Mourinho was his manager.

Mourinho brutally hit back: "I read something, some quote from the worst manager in the history of the Premier League – Frank de Boer... If Marcus was coached by Frank, he would lose – because Frank lost every game."