Erik ten Hag has criticized Manchester United fans for having "no sense of reality" amid the club's 11-year title drought. The embattled manager, who is rumored to be leaving Old Trafford regardless of the FA Cup final outcome against Manchester City, expressed his frustrations in a candid interview with Dutch outlet VI.
Despite speculation about his departure, ten Hag remains hopeful about his future at the club, asserting that he is still in the plans of new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team, who took over football operations in February. However, Manchester United's worst-ever Premier League finish in eighth place and their uncertain European future hinge on Saturday's match results.
Ten Hag criticized the unrealistic expectations placed on his team, stating, "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."
Reflecting on his tenure, ten Hag mentioned the club's internal satisfaction with their progress despite external criticism. "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 third."
Addressing the 2023-24 campaign, ten Hag admitted, "Let me be clear. It has been bad. It has been c***." However, he emphasized the significance of reaching the FA Cup final despite the challenges.
The manager also highlighted the undue criticism from former players turned pundits, such as Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes, suggesting that their negativity has contributed to the club's struggles. "The pundits in England want to score, they want to show they are worth the money, and for that Manchester United is an easy prey," ten Hag stated. "All this negativity from these so-called experts who don't have the capability to analyze something with facts but who prefer to attack people to make themselves look better."
Ten Hag pointed to the club's significant injury issues as a core problem, mentioning the numerous defensive lineups he had to deploy due to injuries. "The injuries have been really crazy," he said. "Not long ago I had to start my 15th different center-back duo of the season."
Despite the setbacks, ten Hag is optimistic about the future and plans to reshape the squad in the upcoming transfer window. He revealed discussions with INEOS about rebuilding the club, including plans for a new training ground at Carrington.
Ten Hag also defended his former Ajax director of football, Marc Overmars, who resigned in February 2022 amid a scandal. Ten Hag criticized Ajax's handling of the situation, stating, "The departure of Marc Overmars killed Ajax at the time. From a club perspective, it was really stupid to throw him under the bus straight away."
As Manchester United consider potential replacements for ten Hag, including Thomas Tuchel and Ipswich's Kieran McKenna, the manager remains focused on the immediate challenge of the FA Cup final, aiming to end the season on a high note.
