Erik ten Hag hits out at English pundits for hypocrisy amidst uncertain Manchester United future
April 18, 2022 – Manchester United appoint highly rated Ajax manager Erik ten Hag as their new head coach, taking over from interim manager Ralf Ragnick. May 25, 2024 – Last game in charge for the Dutch coach at Man Utd?
When Erik ten Hag faced the media for the first time as Man Utd manager, he revealed admiration for the work that Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola had done in the Premier League but came up with a bold assertion – “Eras do come to an end”.
Fast forward a couple of seasons. Pep has gone on to win two more Premier League titles and his Man City squad has only grown stronger. Jurgen Klopp has surgically rebuilt his squad, mounted a title challenge and stepped aside, giving Arne Slot an excellent foundation to work with.
The only one who has seemingly pushed Pep Guardiola and surpassed Jurgen Klopp during this time is Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, who has impressively mounted back-to-back title challenges and pushed his former club Man City to the edge.
Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd finished third behind City and Arsenal last season. Everyone expected the Dutch manager to build on this foundation but his second season has been extremely poor, with the Red Devils finishing a disappointing eighth, with 14 losses this campaign. For a club of Man Utd’s stature (at least according to how the fans seem to think of it), this is simply unacceptable.
Fans have not been kind to Erik ten Hag (except in his delusional world). Pundits and commentators alike have torn into him. He has antagonized quite a few players this season and the way he handed the Jadon Sancho saga warrants a separate blog site.
However, Erik ten Hag seems oblivious to the entire situation. Yes, Man Utd have had injuries, more so than any other club in the league. However, their struggles on the pitch seem more to be with tactical organisation than the absence of players.
Speaking about his situation at the club and what he has done this season, Erik ten Hag was quite bullish [Voetbal International via Fabrizio Romano]
“The pundits in England want to score, they want to show they are worth the money, and for that Manchester United is an easy pray. It’s the biggest club in England and possibly in the world. 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 negativism 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!”.
Erik ten Hag needs to look around. He is running out of excuses and frankly, running out of time. Irrespective of what he seems to believe, widespread reports backed by the Guardian have claimed that the Dutch coach will be let go, irrespective of what happens today in the FA Cup final.
In one final blow, he seems to have absolutely poured his heart out into an explosive rant regarding his time at the club but we are not very sure he has a leg to stand on. Most of his comments are frivolous at best and baseless at worst.
More Manchester United News-
- Kieran McKenna and ex-Chelsea coach on Manchester United radar as they make Erik ten Hag decision
- “Cut that cr*p” – Roy Keane livid if Manchester United celebrate just reaching FA Cup final vs Man City
- “There’s only one” – Manchester United star Casemiro pens emotional message for ex-Real Madrid teammate on retirement
As one parting gift, all Man Utd fans can ask for is that he finds a way to get the better of a rampant Man City team to give us the FA Cup trophy. It might not save his job at Old Trafford but it could give him a chance to go out on a high. Let’s see what INEOS do, with respect to his future following tonight’s game.
