Erik ten Hag, in a recent call, labelled remarks about Manchester United’s narrow victory over Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final as “disgraceful”. United had led 3-0 until the 71st minute of the match against Coventry, a Championship team. Subsequently, Coventry managed a stunning resurgence, taking the game into extra time with a 95th-minute equaliser.
Though United progressed to the final by clinically winning the penalty shootout 4-2, they faced backlash for allowing their solid lead to slip. When pressed about this public sentiment ahead of Sheffield United’s match at Old Trafford, Ten Hag vehemently expressed his views on the issue.
He fiercely defended his team by stating, “Absolutely not,” when queried if he found the escape to victory embarrassing. He went on to criticise the media, arguing that they had exaggerated the importance of the 20-minute period where they let control slip.
Insistent that the focus in top football should be on results, Ten Hag drove home the point that reaching the final was a great achievement. He stated that the team’s past performances all contributed to their progress, and not just their latest game against Coventry.
Following United’s win, Brazilian player Antony was criticised for taunting Coventry’s players, but Ten Hag was quick to defend him saying it was a provoked action.
Looking ahead, United sits in seventh place before their next match, trailing Aston Villa by 16 points with just six games left. With qualification for the Champions League looking increasingly unlikely and fresh injuries to deal with, Ten Hag and his team face mounting challenges.
“We encountered an issue with Garnacho, which led to his substitution during the match, but I am hopeful he’ll recover quickly,” he mentioned. “There’s uncertainty surrounding Scott McTominay – we need to make an assessment today, Tuesday. Both Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes are in doubt, Bruno Fernandes had a hand issue, but I believe he’ll be able to play.
“We aim to triumph in every match – it’s what being a part of United implies, our focus is on a match-by-match basis and our priority is to qualify for Europe and then make it to the FA Cup final.”
Ten Hag had his initial meeting with Jason Wilcox, the newly appointed technical director of United, on Monday. As a former Blackburn winger, he is set to play a significant role in United’s forthcoming transfer activities during the summer.
“Working together closely is crucial – we need to speed up since we’re a bit delayed in the process,” Ten Hag stated. “Given the limited time we have this week and his profile consisting of extensive experience with youth and one year at Southampton, I eagerly anticipate our partnership.”