Erik ten Hag comes out swinging in sensational FA Cup final day interview as he blasts Man United fans with ‘no sense of reality’ and slams pundits who attack him ‘to make themselves look better’

Erik ten Hag has hit out at Manchester United followers for having ‘no sense of actuality’ amid their 11-year title drought in an incendiary interview on the day of the membership’s FA Cup last towards Manchester Metropolis. 

The embattled supervisor is believed to be heading for the exit at Previous Trafford no matter whether or not his aspect triumphs at Wembley on Saturday towards their crosstown rivals after two season in cost on the Manchester membership. 

Ten Hag has been defiant in his stance that he stays within the plans of Man United’s new minority proprietor Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group for the reason that petrochemicals billionaire took over the operating of soccer operations in February. 

However beneath the Dutchman, the membership has faltered to its worst-ever Premier League finsh in eighth, and European soccer subsequent time period relies on Saturday’s end result. 

Talking to Dutch outlet VI, Ten Hag pressured that the membership’s aspirations have been too excessive for the truth of its present straits. 

Sir Jim Ratcliffe (proper) is believed to have already made the choice to sack Ten Hag regardless of the end result of Saturday’s FA Cup last

‘Manchester United received the league for the final time in 2013, 11 years in the past,’ Ten Hag informed journalist Freek Jansen. ‘However nonetheless they anticipate us to win each recreation whereas competing on the high. 

‘This membership shouldn’t be prepared for that. 

‘We have been supposed to begin constructing one thing and we made the primary steps final yr, however then you definitely learn how massive this membership is and that no one is ever happy. 

‘Inside the membership folks have been happy, however outdoors the membership there was noise by saying I received solely the Carabao Cup, misplaced the FA Cup Last and have become third.

If critics have been to anticipate way more from Ten Hag’s aspect, then, the top coach supplied that ‘you haven’t any sense of actuality,’ as ‘different golf equipment had a significantly better squad’ than his United aspect. 

Ten Hag was additionally ruthlessly reasonable in regards to the 2023-24 marketing campaign, including: ‘Let me be clear. It has been unhealthy. It has been c***.’ 

However, the supervisor insisted: ‘Regardless of all the things, we’re going to play an FA Cup last.’

Ten Hag went to counsel that his membership was a simple goal for belligerant pundits, and that this had been a think about a downturn on the membership and unfavourable notion of his position in Man United’s poor type. 

The membership received its final Premier League title 11 years in the past, the final act of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign

Ten Hag took intention at pundits (pictured: former Man United gamers and Sky Sports activities presenters Roy Keane and Gary Neville) for making United ‘straightforward prey’

Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes – all former Man United gamers – have been vocally important of the aspect at numerous factors through the membership’s uneven season, and Ten Hag beforehand hit out at pundits and followers and referred to as for ‘endurance’ because the group continues its course of beneath him. 

He had stronger phrases on Saturday, saying that his United aspect have been ‘straightforward prey’. 

‘The pundits in England wish to rating, they wish to present they’re definitely worth the cash, and for that Manchester United is a simple prey,’ Ten Hag acknowledged. 

‘It’s the most important membership in England and presumably on this planet. The membership is both beloved or hated, there isn’t any in-between. 

‘So when issues go unhealthy, all of them begin speaking and speaking with very massive phrases. All this negativity from these so referred to as specialists who don’t have the potential to analyse one thing with details, however preferring to assault folks to make themselves look higher. 

‘And these identical folks have been those who gave me a pat on the again final yr. Final yr I used to be in a position to stroll on water, this yr I’m the worst supervisor within the Premier League.’

On the root of the membership’s points have been an unlimited quantity of accidents, so extreme, Ten Hag added, that one defender – Tyrell Malacia – hadn’t even stepped on the coaching pitch. 

Malacia had beforehand been recruited as an understudy to England worldwide Luke Shaw, who has additionally struggled for a lot of the season with persistent damage, additional hampering Man United’s aspect.  

The Dutchman identified that Tyrell Malacia has not even stepped on the coaching pitch as a result of severity of his damage

Luke Shaw has been unavailable to the supervisor for a lot of Man United’ 2023-24 marketing campaign

Rasmus Hojlund (centre) has additionally not all the time been match as required by his Dutch supervisor

However the supervisor was filled with plans for the next season, optimistic of his continued presence within the dugout, he stated, due to discussions with INEOS themselves. 

‘We have to signal an additional striker in the summertime,’ Ten Hag stated of his resolution to reshape the squad through the upcoming switch window. ‘And if we will signal one other central midfielder and a alternative for Varane, issues will look good once more. 

‘If the group stays match we will attempt to intention for high 4 once more.’

Ten Hag added that Ratcliffe and Co ‘wish to change each factor’, and ‘they wish to rebuild with (him)’. 

‘That is what they informed me immediately,’ he pressured. ‘INEOS will change issues within the membership and sure tasks have already began. Carrington will get be utterly destroyed, a brand new coaching floor will come’. 

For all of Ten Hag’s assured zeal, Man United are considered contemplating each Thomas Tuchel and Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna as severe candidates to take over on the membership forward subsequent season.  

Away from the topic of Man United, Ten Hag saved a phrase for his former director of soccer at Ajax, Marc Overmars. 

The previous Netherlands worldwide give up his job in Amsterdam in February 2022 after admitting to ‘unacceptable’ behaviour after it emerged throughout the membership that he had despatched inappropriate messages and images to a number of ladies who labored there.

However amid the Dutch giants’ seismic shift away from Eredivisie dominance in latest seasons, Ten Hag supplied a full-throated defence of the disgraced membership chief. 

Ratcliffe (proper, with United majority proprietor Avram Glazer) is eager to make wholesale modifications

However, insists Ten Hag, these modifications that INEOS wish to herald will embody his enter

Ten Hag additionally supplied a staunch defence of former Ajax chief Marc Overmars (left, in 2019)

‘I stand agency that I discover it a shame the way in which Marc Overmars has been handled,’ Ten Hag stated. ‘The departure of Marc Overmars killed Ajax on the time. 

‘And from membership perspective it was actually silly to throw him beneath the bus right away.

‘Overmars was the binding issue throughout the membership. He didn’t write a single letter on paper, however each outgoing and incoming line was created by him. He was good, he had strategic perception. After they removed him, all the things collapsed.’

Overmars went on to take over as director of soccer at Belgian aspect Royal Antwerp, however was pressured to take a step again in January when his suspension from Dutch soccer doled out in November 2023 was prolonged globally. 

The 51-year-old misplaced his enchantment to overturn the one-year suspension in February.