Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, who has not yet returned to his post after six months from his dismissal, has been linked with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Feyenoord and ultimately failed to be selected. In his first recent interview since his dismissal, he lashed out at the modern star for not being able to cope with criticism, apparently mocking the Reds' old department as a giant baby.

The 54-year-old has been in charge of Manchester United for more than two years, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, but you have also fallen out with a number of players, both publicly and privately, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. Ten Hag has not been named now, but his remarks in a podcast interview with his agency SEG were clearly aimed at the situation of his previous club, Manchester United.

Ten Hag said: 'The well-being of the players, including how they deal with the media, the fans and social media, will affect the game. For some players, these are positives, but for others, negatives. This generation of players has a hard time accepting criticism, and being scolded hits them hard. And our generation is thicker-skinned, and you can go straight to the point. If I go back to the traditional way now, they'll lose motivation and cry to HR the next day."

When further asked if it was difficult to communicate directly with the players, Ten Hag replied: 'You can, but it's a big challenge. Same message, different way of delivering it, otherwise some players will feel humiliated. We used to see it as a gift, and it gets better when we take it apart. The previous approach is more effective, and you know exactly where you are and what problem you want to solve. Now, you'll have to be more resourceful to get the same result."

Jose Mourinho, one of Ten Hag's predecessors, would surely share his sentiments. Mourinho has not changed, so the results have dropped significantly. Ten Hag said feedback from players had forced him to change his management style. "For 22 years, I had to study all the time. I tried to stick tough at the beginning, it didn't work in the first year, you had to adjust and the communication was gentler. It's not that it's not firm, it's just more cautious. It's difficult for my generation, but this generation needs it."

Ten Hag has also hinted that he may retire from football for good, as he has plenty of other job options, such as inheriting the family business! According to the data, Ten Hag comes from a wealthy family in Twente, the Netherlands, and has no financial difficulties. His father, who owned a real estate company and other financial companies, wanted Ten Hag to be involved in the family business with his brother, but he grew up loving football.

Ten Hag said: 'There are a lot of other things I can do, maybe football, maybe a new managerial position, it's an option. But maybe something completely different. I've been working with my brothers lately, and we have our own company. Or rather: they have their own company. But we also run a company with my dad, which is something I love to do, and I can focus on it more now, and it's also fun."

Ten Hag will not be out of the sport for at least this season, making it clear: "I won't be back in charge until at least July 1 this year. I hung up my boots at 32, became a coach three weeks later, and spent 22 years playing football 365 days a year. There are never days off in this job, and I have to work continuously in spring, summer, autumn and winter, and I am always busy. It's linked to teams, clubs and transfers, the next game is always the most important thing and you have to think about the long term. I have the energy to do it, I'm a busy person, but it affects socialization and you miss birthdays, parties, and some difficult moments. Now, my hands don't itch, so I'm going to be idle for the first time."

Reflecting on what he did since leaving Manchester United, Ten Hag explained: "I look at myself in the mirror and feel calm. Over the past few months, I've looked back on the last 22 years, reflected on it, and tried to refine the way I work, the way I played. How to choose, how to combine, whether it needs to be improved, whether to introduce new elements, and what the results will be. It's not an obsession, I call it a passion."

Ten Hag says he only misses United's Old Trafford stadium and passionate fans: "If there's one thing I miss, it's Old Trafford. You're always working towards a point on the horizon, but you'll never get to the horizon. We've had a lot of success, but there's always room for improvement, and good isn't enough, you can do better."