Much has been made of Manchester United's poor start to the 2023-24 Premier League season, with the club sitting in 10th place coming out of the international break.
While everything from the ownership to a lack of squad depth has taken blame from pundits and fans, focus has also been placed on the managerial skills of Erik ten Hag.
After a promising first full season in charge at Old Trafford in which United rose to third in the Premier League, the club have fallen mightily under Ten Hag this season.
Some, like striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have placed the blame squarely on Ten Hag's shoulders, with Ibrahimovic expressing doubt earlier this month in the Dutch manager's ability to handle "big stars and egos".
Not everyone shares that sentiment however, and on Wednesday another former Man United forward came to the defence of Ten Hag.
"I heard Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s comments about Ten Hag not being able to handle the egos at the club," Dimitar Berbatov said in an intervew with Betfair. "In big teams like Man United, it's impossible not to have big egos.
"Even as a player, if you don't already have one, once you sign for a club like Man United, you're going to get an ego. When you're a manager of a team like Man United, you need to know to handle it.
"Back in the day, I was in a United team with plenty of egos, trust me. But then you had Sir Alex [Ferguson] and he knew how to control it all. He built his authority throughout the years with his success and his principles of how the club should be led.
"Obviously, Ten Hag doesn't have 20 years of experience with Man United, he has one. Having said that, I think he has the authority. He's shown it before with Cristiano Ronaldo, and now Jadon Sancho."