Erik ten Hag deserves any and all plaudits he gets right now. With the entire media believing he was set to be sacked, and numerous reports about who his potential successor could be, the Dutchman got it done. He was fiery and defiant in interviews prior to the 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup Final today.
He kept the fire and the defiance in the post match interviews as well. Check out the video below:
I thought the line of questioning by Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer to Erik ten Hag was disrespectful and wrong.
Irrespective on his future, heโs just won the FA Cup. Focus on the accomplishment. Instead this was an ambush. Heโs right to fight back.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/sbWXib2LGO
โ Owen ? (@OwenUnitedView) May 25, 2024
Not sure why Gary Lineker asked Ten Hag about his future, as that was NOT the time or the place. But then again Lineker does questionable things pretty much every time there is a microphone in front of him. The embattled manager took a strong tone with the media as well, during his post match press conference.
Ten Hag got ornery when asked about his job status.
โEvery time is the same question,โ he said.
โDo I have to repeat myself 10, 15, 20 times? They donโt have to tell me every week.โ
He also had a strong message for the board.
“Two trophies in two years is not bad, three finals in two years is not bad,” Ten Hag told the news conference on Saturday.
“If they don’t want me, then I go somewhere else to win trophies because that is what I do.”
He then went on to say that the club was a mess when he came in, and that they have a ton of rebuilding to do.
โI am in a project and we are exactly where we want to be,โ Ten Hag added.
โWe are on our way to constructing a team for the future. I will go with ups and down. When I took over we were in a mess at United. There is still a lot of work to do but are exactly where we are, we have value in the squad, high potentials progressing very good, the team is progressing and we are winning trophies.
“Two trophies in two years is not bad, three finals in two years is not bad. We have to keep going. Iโm not satisfied with it, we have to do better and if they donโt want me any more then I go somewhere else to win trophies because that is what I did my whole career.
โWhen I started here, I said I am here to win and also I want to build a team and both I am doing but if they donโt want me any more I go somewhere else and win games and win trophies.โ
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor ofย The Sports Bank.ย Heโs also theย author of โTransatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,โ andย โNo, I Canโt Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.โ
He currently contributes toย Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMGโs NFL Wire Networkย and theย Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.ย His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated,ย Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times.ย You can follow himย onย Linked Inย andย Twitter.
