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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was seen sharing a heartwarming moment with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo following their much-needed 2-1 victory in the FA Cup final. They beat Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday, May 25. The win comes after an otherwise underwhelming season for United, with them finishing eighth in the Premier League.
The clip was shared by the official FA Cup account on X (formerly Twitter). It featured Ten Hag patting the cheeks of youngsters Mainoo and Garnacho after both scored one goal each to lead the Red Devils to win the FA Cup. The manager seemed to be saying something to the players, but the audio could not catch it.
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Erik Ten Hag was reportedly set to be sacked after the FA Cup final, irrespective of the result. However, the club or the coach hasn't made any official statement as of yet. It remains to be seen whether Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. decide to continue with Ten Hag next season.
Erik Ten Hag claimed Manchester United is "not ready" to win every match ahead of FA Cup final
Erik ten Hag spoke to Dutch media house Voetbal International ahead of the FA Cup clash against Manchester City. He responded to the reports of Manchester United deciding to sack him. He claimed that it is unrealistic to expect the club to win every game as the club last won the Premier League in 2013.
“Manchester United won the league for the last time in 2013, 11 years ago. But still they expect us to win every game while competing at the top. This club is not ready for that.” the Dutchman said.
Ten Hag also sounded disheartened about the harsh criticism he faced for the performance of the Red Devils. United finished eighth in the Premier League making it their lowest finish since 1990. They also bowed out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stages.
“We were supposed to start building something and we made the first steps last year, but then you find out how big this club is and that nobody is ever satisfied. Within the club people were satisfied, but outside the club there was noise by saying I won only the Carabao Cup, lost the FA Cup Final and became 3rd.” Ten Hag said.
Ten Hag lashed out at the critics, mentioning they had "no sense of reality" as other English clubs have a much better squad. The manager has notably pointed out the lack of available players in the squad multiple times during the season due to injury woes.
“Well, then you have no sense of reality. Other clubs had a much better squad.” the coach said.
Fortunately, Ten Hag was able to overturn things at the end of the season, with Manchester United securing a 2-1 win against City in the FA Cup final at Wembley. The win also led them to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. The Red Devils would otherwise not be able to qualify for any European tournament. Ten Hag also won the Carabao Cup with Manchester United last season.
