Amid widespread reports that he was set to be sacked, embattled Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag had fighting words ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup Final. United defied the odds, to defeat their intra-city rivals Manchester City 2-1, so perhaps all the fire and the fury helped motivate his team to victory.
This rant was epic, to say the least.
“Manchester United won the league for the last time in 2013, 11 years ago,” Ten Hag said.
“But still they expect us to win every game while competing at the top. This club is not ready for that. We were supposed to start building something and we made the first steps last year, but then you find out how big this club is and that nobody is ever satisfied.
“Within the club people were satisfied, but outside the club there was noise by saying I won only the Carabao Cup, lost the FA Cup Final and came third. Well, then you have no sense of reality. Other clubs had a much better squad.”
As it stands, the future of Erik ten Hag at MUFC remains uncertain. No one really knows which way they’re going to go, but if the Dutchman is sacked, supposedly Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are the co-favorites to replace him.
Erik ten Hag then lashed out at the club’s supporters, as well as former players turned television pundits.
“It’s the biggest club in England and possibly in the world,” the former Ajax manager said.
“The club is either loved or hated, there is no in-between. So when things go bad, they all start talking and talking with very big words. All this negativity from these so-called experts who don’t have the capability to analyze something with facts, but who prefer to attack people to make themselves look better.
“And these same people were the ones who gave me a pat on the back last year. Last year I was able to walk on water, this year I am the worst manager in the Premier League.”
Wow! Good for him- letting it all out! I’m sure that was very cathartic for Erik ten Hag.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.