Erik ten Hag's treatment of Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho has left some of Manchester United's players questioning the manager's methods following a disappointing start to the season for the Red Devils.

Mail Sport revealed earlier this week that United's stars fear Ten Hag's no-nonsense approach is having a negative impact on team morale.

According to The Telegraph, the Dutchman's handling of Maguire and Sancho are two prime examples of why concerns are growing within the squad about Ten Hag.

Ten Hag's hardline approach was widely praised in his first season in charge as he gave United the green light to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo before the team went on to win the Carabao Cup and finish third in the Premier League to get back into the Champions League.

However, there has been a significant drop-off in results this term, with United losing eight games in all competitions, and they already find themselves eight points adrift of the top four.

Harry Maguire was ruthlessly stripped of the captaincy over the summer by Erik ten Hag

The past week has arguably been the worst of the campaign to date, with United losing 3-0 at home to Manchester City and Newcastle.

It has been reported that resentment is simmering within the United dressing room, with players believing Ten Hag has his favourites in the squad.

The Telegraph's report now suggests the squad also feel he has been too harsh on certain individuals such as Maguire and Sancho, although some players feels his no-nonsense style is needed, which has created a split in the squad.

Maguire was the club captain when Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford last year, but after being dropped from the starting XI last season he was ruthlessly stripped of the armband and replaced by Bruno Fernandes over the summer.

The centre back admitted he was 'extremely disappointed' by Ten Hag's decision at the time, and he continued to struggle for game time in the opening weeks of the season after being linked with a summer move to West Ham.

He has returned to the side in recent weeks following injuries to Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw, but it has failed to lead to an upturn in results.

Meanwhile, Sancho has been exiled from the team after a public fall-out with Ten Hag when he was not named in the matchday squad against Arsenal in early September.

Ten Hag revealed afterwards that Sancho had not been considered for selection due to not performing well enough in training, which the £73m winger objected to as he took to social media to claim that he had been made a 'scapegoat' at Old Trafford.

After refusing to apologise to Ten Hag for his comments, Sancho has been made to train on his own, is forbidden from eating with his team-mates, and must lock the door when getting changed in the academy's facilities.

He has not featured for the side in over two months, but United's other wingers have failed to impress in his absence.

Marcus Rashford has been unable to hit the heights of last season, scoring just once in 2023-24, while Alejandro Garnacho also only has a solitary goal to his name.

On the opposite flank, Antony is yet to get off the mark, and was criticised by Gary Neville for his 'embarrassing' swipe at Jeremy Doku in the latter stages of Sunday's Manchester derby.

Despite United's struggles in wide areas, Sancho is yet to return to the fold, and looks unlikely to be brought back in from the cold any time soon. 

Ten Hag has insisted he is the right man to turn things around at Old Trafford, but Paul Merson claimed he had 'lost the players' after watching the team's dismal showing in their Carabao Cup defeat by Newcastle.

His view was shared by fellow Sky Sports pundit Shay Given, who believes there is now 'a real divide between the players and the manager', while Gary Neville hinted that Ten Hag could be shown the door soon after posting on social media 'we know how it ends' on Wednesday night.