The awkward questions being thrown at the Dutch manager after the FA Cup final actually managed to unite the club’s fans behind him
Erik ten Hag celebrates with the trophy during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. Photograph: Alex Pantling/Getty Images
It’s remarkable that United were rated not much less likely to win a one-off final that they had already qualified for than the bookies had rated them to win the competition at its outset back in 1990. Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and manager Erik ten Hag with the FA Cup Trophy after winning the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Photograph: John Walton/PA Wire
Ten Hag’s many interviews after the game were dominated by questions about his future, which angered many fans. The manager took a defiant tone, repeating a line that if United didn’t want him, he would simply go and win trophies somewhere else. Fans in the YouTube comments under the video of his press conference raged against the “shameful” behaviour of the reporters: “disgusting”, “disgrace”, “leeches”, “snakes”, “literally demons in human form”, etc.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag shakes hands with Sir Jim Ratcliffe after winning the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire The BBC’s build-up to the final included the statistic that United this season conceded an average of 17.6 opposition shots per game – ranking them 95th out of 96 teams in the top five European leagues. Only Sheffield United were worse.Ten Hag’s universal excuse: injuries. “When you don’t have the players available, then you can’t perform. It’s as simple as that.
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