Of all the damning criticism Roy Keane handed out to Manchester United yesterday, the accusation that they have become a 'cup team' under Erik Ten Hag seemed to hurt him the most.
Under Alex Ferguson, Man Utd were full of grit and steel. They rolled with all the punches and more often than not, found themselves atop the table when the season ended.
Yesterday's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool was incredibly on-brand for Ten Hag's United. They were poorly organised and easily defeated. There's the usual excuses around player absences but in the Premier League anyway, Manchester United have come to accept mediocrity. Gary Neville said post-match he'd accept sixth place this season.
How the mighty have fallen.
On the flip side, under Ten Hag, Man Utd have shown an ability to raise their performances in cup competitions winning a league cup and an FA Cup.
At this stage, those two cup wins are the only thing giving the Ten Hag reign any momentum.
Ten Hag rows with journalist after Manchester United defeat
When speaking to reporters after the match, Ten Hag got involved in a spiky row with Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail about his successes at Old Trafford.
Ladyman reminded the Dutchman that his side needed penalties to defeat Coventry in last year's semifinal.
Ten Hag robustly defended his record.
'I don't think otherwise we would win trophies as we did and to beat big opponents so I am sorry for you.
'I think we won, after City, the most trophies in English football so I'm sorry for you.'
'When you make like this, I'm sorry to say but you don't have any knowledge about football and managing a football team.
'When you don't have the players available and then you can't perform, so simple as that, so if that's the opinion then it's no problem, I go anywhere else and I keep winning trophies.'
He added:
'Then you don't understand managing a football career.
'When players aren't there I can't train them, coach them so they can't perform and develop and get the results that we want.'
Erik Ten Hag was asked by a journalist if Manchester United's performances are down to a coaching problem and not the players. His answer: pic.twitter.com/vtFoppOiEV
— 🗿 (@spark9_) September 1, 2024
The INEOS ownership group wavered over retaining Ten Hag, before ultimately deciding to retain his services for another season. Jim Radcliffe looked a broken man in the Old Trafford corporate seats yesterday, and one wonders how much patience they will have if their club continues to underperform on the big stage.
Ten Hag was let down by individual errors again yesterday, but eventually the buck will stop with him.
