Taking U-Turn on Manchester United, Usain Bolt Slams Erik ten Hag’s Tactics After Preferring ‘Rival’ Manchester City Over Arsenal

Once again, the 2023/24 campaign was filled with many ups and downs for Manchester United. An 8th-place finish in the Premier League saw them entangled in criticism. But a surprise win over Manchester City to clinch the FA Cup provided some redemption. As manager Erik ten Hag remained in the crosshairs throughout the season, the criticism didn’t end there for him. Despite expressing a preference for Manchester City over Arsenal, Usain Bolt took a cheeky jab at the Dutchman’s tactics.

“Thank you for bringing the glory days back,” said Bolt while meeting the former Ajax man for the first time since he took charge of the Red Devils. Today, the fastest man on the earth is rather disappointed. The Jamaican, who is gearing up to play in the Soccer Aid tournament, was asked in a brief chat with talkSPORT whether he would retain ten Hag as United’s manager. Interestingly, he replied, “It’s tough.”

Bolt continued, “He’s a good person because you have had conversations. But the way the team has been, the team does have an identity, and that’s what bothered me because when I talked to him, he had just started and it was good, but you don’t know what they’re playing.” The iconic Olympian expressed his doubts about the manager’s philosophy, insisting the ‘tactics are just crazy’ to understand.

When asked for a simple yes or no, Bolt, while praising United’s performance in the last few games, said, “I guess when people are fighting for their jobs, it’s different. So I don’t know.” It seems like the former sprinter is unsure if his favorite club should retain the ex-assistant of Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich. Speaking of Guardiola, Bolt surprisingly came in support of the reigning champions.

Unsure of Erik ten Hag, Usain Bolt shockingly sides with Manchester United’s arch-rivals!

While comparing Manchester United’s season with their league rivals, Usain Bolt was first asked whether winning the FA Cup or finishing second last year made for a better season. Remarkably, the former Olympian replied, “This is like I’m running on the circuit and doing well and then I get to the championship and win no medals.” Bolt then revealed his take on the fierce title race between Arsenal and Manchester City with an eyebrow-raising claim.

The 37-year-old stated that it would be an ‘easy‘ choice for him to choose Pep Guardiola’s team over Mikel Arteta’s side. When asked to elaborate, Bolt took a dig at the Gunners’ fanbase for talking too much, even though they haven’t won anything yet.

In fact, the Jamaican asserts that he would rather see City win the Premier League as he couldn’t deal with Arsenal lifting it. As this is quite a huge claim, intrigue circles back to his doubts over Erik ten Hag’s tactics.