Man Utd players mocked Erik ten Hag behind his back while pretending to be ‘buzzing bees’

Clearly there is a lack of a hive mentality at United

Reports from the Daily Mail say that ten Hag had told his players to "buzz around their opponents like bees" when not in possession and then hammered home the point by mimicking the noise of the insect.

This led to certain Man Utd players copying the noise and using it to make fun of the Dutch manager when he was not looking.

The behaviour has been described as a 'running joke' showing the lack of harmony and respect that has been consistently reported among this United squad.

With the mocking alleged to have taken place earlier in the season it would appear that, with Ineos choosing to keep Ten Hag in charge, the relationship between the manager and the players is not one of concern to the board.

This will have been largely helped by the Red Devils' FA Cup final victory over local rivals Manchester City which will have sent morale through the roof at Carrington.

The 54-year-old met with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe last week in Ibiza where a four-hour summit took place to explain the findings of an investigation Ratcliffe had commissioned into ten Hag's performance as manager.

The meeting concluded with the Dutchman receiving the blessing from Ineos to continue as manager with a two-year contract extension expected to be coming his way soon.

United have had six managers since Sir Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford, including the interim Ralf Rangnick who was very critical of the club's structure.

The 65-year-old German had said that the Red Devils were in need of "open heart surgery" and that the club could be six years behind bitter rivals Liverpool.

Erik ten Hag has been plagued by injuries this season with 45 separate cases recorded, the most of any club in the 2023/2024 season.

Ten Hag has won a trophy in each of his seasons at Manchester United winning the EFL Cup last season and the sensational FA Cup win against local rivals Manchester City this season.

Related links:

• Man Utd make £45m offer for Jarrad Branthwaite while Everton claim he is not for sale
• Erik ten Hag set for Man United contract extension
• Erik ten Hag handed measly transfer budget for next season