MANCHESTER, England (AP) After hobbling into the FA Cup final, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag battled back on Tuesday.
His club was heavily chastised after squandering a 3-0 lead over second-tier Coventry on Sunday, forcing a penalty shootout to get to the final.
Ten Hag said United were lucky when Coventry’s extra-time winner was ruled out by VAR due to a slight offside. However, with his future unclear after a dismal season, he responded to his critics after guiding United to back-to-back FA Cup finals.
Erik ten Hag has described Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final triumph against Coventry as “embarrassing” and “a disgrace”. Despite letting slip a 3-0 lead at Wembley with 20 minutes to play and winning on penalties when the Championship side’s extra-time goal was disallowed for a minor offside, United were highly chastised by experts and fans alike.
“The reaction from you (the media) was embarrassing,” he said during a press conference before Wednesday’s Premier League match against Sheffield United. “Top football is all about outcomes, and we made it to the final and earned it.
“Twice (two FA Cup finals) in two years—it’s wonderful. For me as manager, four cup finals in four years. The remarks are disgraceful.
United will face Manchester City in a rematch of last year’s final on May 25.
Ten Hag won the Dutch Cup with Ajax in 2019 and 2021, and finished second in 2022. He also won three Dutch league championships as Ajax’s coach. Under Ten Hag, Ajax advanced to the Champions League semifinals in 2019.
That record persuaded United that he was the perfect person to turn the club’s fortunes around following years of decline after previous manager Alex Ferguson departed in 2013.
Ten Hag won the English League Cup in his debut season at United last year, qualifying for the Champions League. However, he has failed to capitalise on his early success this year.
His squad is now in seventh position in the rankings and seems certain to lose out on the Champions League, behind fourth-place Aston Villa by 16 points with two games remaining.
Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s new co-owner, is directing major changes, and there is much conjecture regarding Ten Hag’s status.
Jason Wilcox, United’s new technical director, was recruited last week as Ratcliffe tries to revamp the club’s football operations. Former Manchester City executive Omar Berrada has been appointed as CEO, while United is also interested in Newcastle sports director Dan Ashworth.
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