Gary Lineker, the presenter of Match of the Day, has recounted his fraught encounter with Erik ten Hag
at the FA Cup final, which occurred just hours after Manchester United terminated the Dutchman. On the day that Ten Hag was shown the Old Trafford exit, the Match of the Day presenter was eager to bring up their chilly interaction. Following United’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday, Ten Hag, 54, was issued his P45. And it has raised the question of whether the club would have been better off severing ways after that FA Cup triumph, rather than prolonging the situation.After leading United to their lowest Premier League finish (eighth) and a dismal Champions League campaign, it appeared that Ten Hag’s final stand would be their Wembley match against Manchester City. However, the coach who was embroiled in controversy made a pointed comment to Lineker and Shearer regarding their treatment of him immediately following his upset of Pep Guardiola’s team at Wembley. In a special live episode of The Rest is Football (as reported by the Manchester Evening News), Lineker reflected, “We had the experience, didn’t we, of the FA Cup Final, where he had a bit of a go, particularly at Alan?” Lineker initiated their discussion by inquiring as to whether Ten Hag believed that the Match of the Day team had treated him unjustly. Ten Hag responded promptly, stating, “I believe so.” “It was not appropriate for the team, as well as for me.”
However, Shearer responded defensively, stating, “The only thing I would say to that though… you had a team out there today who showed a great attitude, great ability, and won every single tackle.” However, that has not always been the case this season, has it? “So that you may comprehend the reasons for our occasional criticism.” You would not have achieved eighth place if you maintained that level of performance on a weekly basis. Today was an extraordinary day.Despite the absence of certain members of the squad, United persevered in order to overcome the odds and prevent their adversaries, City, from another trophy. In the interim, Ten Hag secured his second major championship in as many seasons by winning the Carabao Cup in 2023. Ten Hag maintained his unwavering stance and directed his response to Shearer: “We were unable to field the players due to injuries.” You are correct; we have observed the same phenomena; football was not consistently of high quality. Without a doubt, no. However, we were compelled to make numerous schedule compromises.
Subsequently, you are incapable of participating in the football game you desire. I have been in this position for two years, and we have had a full squad on three or four occasions. The squad today was devoid of several significant players, including Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Casemiro.” After considering their conversation, Shearer was under the impression that United intended to terminate Ten Hag following the cup final. However, he later reconsidered his decision, as he was concerned that it would not be a positive impression after securing another trophy. He stated, “I believe that, despite its peculiarity, it may have disrupted their plans, as they were faced with significant decisions.” United’s performance in the FA Cup Final was exceptional. Suddenly, I believe their intentions were to realize that this situation likely required a change. This will not be a positive outcome if we terminate him. “They stuck with him, they gave him a new contract, they spoke to other managers and then the United fans hope and expect things to improve from the beginning of the season and they just haven’t.”
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