Ten Hag walks out of Man Utd press conference after six minutes following Moyes question
Erik ten Hag left his Man Utd press conference without answering a question relating to the David Moyes season after the disappointing Bournemouth draw.
Man Utd held Bournemouth to a 2-2 draw on Saturday, coming from behind twice to secure a point as his side extended their current run of poor form to one win in their last seven Premier League games.
The result almost meant that Man Utd went seventh below Newcastle on goal difference after the Magpies thrashed Spurs earlier in the day. West Ham are two points behind the Red Devils; Chelsea are six back with two games in hand.
That opens up the prospect of Manchester United recording their worst Premier League finish ever, which currently stands at seventh from the David Moyes season in 2013/14.
A journalist attempted to ask Ten Hag about that possibility, but the question came after the club’s press officer tried to end the press conference after six minutes and while the Dutchman waited to hear it, he offered little in response.
READ MORE: Man Utd show little in Bournemouth draw as 2022 Rangnick quote begs question over Ten Hag sack
“Erik, there’s a danger you get caught in seventh place,” the reporter began. “You fall below seventh, that would be the worst finish in Premier League history for United. Can you…do you think you’re going to be above…”
Related video: Watch: Erik ten Hag storms out of Manchester United press conference and refuses to answer question (The Independent)
Eric, there are six games to go.
Before they could finish, Ten Hag interrupted by saying, “I don’t comment on that question,” before walking out.
“That is not important at the moment,” the manager added. The reported then added: “I tried!”
In a different interview, Ten Hag admitted it was “not enough” from Man Utd and “the truth is today, we didn’t deserve more”.
“In the end, if you allow them so many chances in the first half, as a team you don’t deserve more. You have to take control, don’t give chances and score goals for yourself.
“It’s up to them… In this moment, with all the problems we have, we played to our levels and did very good to our levels.
“But you have to do it throughout the game, right until stoppage-time, and the last four games we dropped points from winning positions. Today, we were in losing positions and fought back.
“But coming into losing positions is totally unnecessary. We lost the ball three times in the areas where we should not lose those balls. They [United’s players] were not always well-organised, especially on the right side where there came some gaps for the opposition to benefit from it. We should have done this better.
“Second half, we took more responsibility and we closed that side… [There were] individual mistakes, we have players who can do better with the ball. On the right side, go with your opponent, that is your job, close it. It’s a small part in it, it’s about collaboration, but the main part is discipline.”
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Arsenal target draws direct Thierry Henry comparison after tearing top centre-back to pieces
Peter Crouch has suggested that a Thierry Henry quality is “the same with Alexander Isak” as the Arsenal target tore Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven to pieces.
Isak’s first season of Premier League football saw him score 10 goals, and that he did so in just 22 games suggested he could have a very good season if available throughout.
This season, he’s shown that’s the case, with 17 goals so far in 24 games – that makes him the joint third-top scorer in the Premier League along with Mohamed Salah and Dominic Solanke.
Arsenal have been linked with Isak throughout the season, and that his last two goals came against rivals Spurs will have further piqued their interest, particularly as he put Van de Ven on skates for one of his goals.
As will the fact former Premier League striker Crouch likened the forward to Gunners legend Henry as a result of his calm, composed demeanour in front of goal.
“How many times did you see Thierry go through on goal and panic? It’s the same with Isak, if he goes through on a one-on-one you’re just always confident he’ll score,” Crouch said on TNT Sports.
That one of their targets is seen to have such a similarity to one of the calmest players ever to have played the game, and a man who just so happened to play for Arsenal, will give them more to think about than they had already.Related video: Tottenham To END Arsenal's Title Hopes? (Global Fan Network)
Video Player is loading.Crouch continued in his praise of Isak, suggesting he has rare qualities that the Gunners would benefit from.
“He’s someone I just love watching, so calm when he gets in those positions, obviously he cut Van de Ven up a few times today and he seems to just do the right decisions all the time, when he goes through one-on-one he’s so calm and just knows he’s going to score,” Crouch added.
“Great feet and he just leads the line so well, it’s a difficult thing to do as a centre forward to lead the line on your own.”
Arsenal play with one striker, but Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah both failed to impress early on, leading to Kai Havertz being switched up top.
If Isak, a player who is clearly able to thrive up there on his own, was added alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, the Gunners’ attack could become a very potent one, with goals coming from absolutely everywhere.
READ MORE: Arteta wants 180-game Arsenal hero Cazorla back as he outlines his ‘trust’ in former teammate
Liverpool need Michael Edwards control after Ruben Amorim hints at snub amid false reports
Liverpool did their business largely under the radar in Michael Edwards’ first spell at Anfield, and the new CEO could do with some of that control in their search for a new manager after Ruben Amorim was forced to deny false reports.
Liverpool fans won’t have been hugely encouraged by Ruben Amorim’s response having been asked once again whether he would be leaving Sporting Lisbon for the Reds in the summer.
“I don’t feel like I’ve finished a cycle,” Amorim said. “I feel like I want to keep going so this isn’t over yet, we want to win and keep moving forward.”
What exactly constitutes a “cycle” in Amorim’s mind isn’t clear, and he may well be the Liverpool manager come the summer having secured the Primeira Liga for Sporting, but the way in which his comments chime with those of Xabi Alonso, when Liverpool’s first choice to succeed Jurgen Klopp committed his future to Bayer Leverkusen, will hardly have heartened Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes in their bid to secure their new favourite.
READ MORE: The Coutinho con and selling Salah to Klopp: Michael Edwards’ 10 Liverpool highlights
“It’s the right place for me to be, to develop as a coach,” Alonso said. “The fans showed great support this year. They have all the reasons to believe and dream we can have a great season. The players gave me so many reasons to keep believing in the team. My job is not over here.”Related video: 'No agreement' with Liverpool - Sporting CP boss Amorim denies deal in place with 'Reds' (SNTV)
In both instances, Liverpool haven’t been helped by false reporting.
A club renowned for getting transfers completed under the radar has felt the damaging force of the rumour mill in their chase of a new manager. It was inevitable, with the stature of the club, the legacy of the departing boss and battles with fellow European giants uniting to create an unmissable opportunity for clicks and eyeballs. Liverpool’s next manager is big business.
It appeared Alonso was as good as in the hotseat after reports of a ‘total agreement’ led to rumours instead focusing on which Bayer Leverkusen players the Spaniard might bring with him to Anfield. And the nonsense has only ramped up with Amorim, who was clearly frustrated at having to dispel the myths of a ‘verbal agreement’ being in place to become the next Liverpool boss.
“This is the last time I’m going to talk about my future,” he said. “There’s been no interview, let alone an agreement.”
It of course wasn’t the last time he spoke about his future, with his claim of unfinished business at Sporting coming the very next day, and you’ve got to wonder what effect the consistent questions, rumours and lies are having on his desire to manage Liverpool.
He may be questioning whether such a level of scrutiny before he’s even taken the job provides a forewarning as to what’s to come, and perhaps whether his potential new employers should be doing more to prevent the stories which are drawing his focus away from Sporting and the task at hand.
We assume Edwards and Hughes, the men tasked with finding Klopp’s replacement, are as frustrated as anyone by the media falsehoods. It’s of no benefit to them to plant stories of meetings or agreements with managerial candidates which plainly aren’t true, particularly when those stories force said candidates to come out in opposition to them.
They of course can’t stop reporters making stuff up, and the sources of the rumours – Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna and Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenburg – provide consistently stern tests of the there being no smoke without fire. But Hughes, and especially new FSG CEO Edwards, could be doing more to control the narrative – one of the latter’s greatest qualities in his first spell with the club.
Why should it fall on Amorim to deny such reports? And wouldn’t some proactivity on Liverpool’s part be appreciated by the man they may want to be at the helm next season?
READ MORE: Xabi Alonso made Liverpool U-turn after director talks as Richard Hughes targets £120.5m trio
Where are they now? The 6 ill-fated Real Madrid signings made by Julen Lopetegui
Julen Lopetegui’s short spell at Real Madrid was shrouded in controversy. But what kind of legacy did he leave at the Bernabeu?
He lost his job as Spain coach on the eve of the 2018 World Cup in Russia after Los Blancos announced that he’d agreed to become Zinedine Zidane’s successor.
The former Porto coach arrived back in the Spanish capital earlier than planned that summer and got straight to work on the training ground, while the club backed him with six new signings ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
But Madrid made a poor start and he was sacked by November. What became of those signings, though? We’ve checked back on the six squad additions that the club during Lopetegui’s tenure.
Thibaut Courtois
It was in Madrid that Courtois first established himself as a world-class goalkeeper, having played a key role in Atletico’s 2013-14 title victory and unforgettable run to the Champions League final.
The brilliant Belgian subsequently did his reputation no harm with four solid seasons back at parent club Chelsea, in which he won two Premier League titles, a League Cup and an FA Cup.Related video: 'Here, it is never over' - Guardiola reflects on 3-3 Madrid draw (SNTV)
And yeah, it was Madrid.
A return to Spain was always mooted in the press and the writing was on the wall for his future at Stamford Bridge in 2017-18. He remained a Chelsea player while away with Belgium at the 2018 World Cup but his move to Madrid was finally confirmed in early August.
Courtois has since won everything there is to win with Madrid and was particularly outstanding in the 2021-22 Champions League triumph, making a record number of saves in the final victory over Liverpool.
But an ACL injury has kept him sidelined for the entirety of this season and a recent setback might yet keep him out of action until 2024-25.
QUIZ: Do you know where these 20 former Real Madrid stars are playing their football in 2024?
Alvaro Odriozola
Talked up as one of the finest young prospects in Spanish football, Odriozola caught the eye after an excellent 2017-18 breakthrough campaign with Real Sociedad.
The right-back was signed as a 22-year-old for €40million fee, but he never really made it beyond the fringes. He spent five years on their books but was loaned out to Bayern Munich and Fiorentina and only made 34 La Liga appearances.
In September he returned to Real Sociedad, but so far this season he’s only made four league starts in his second stint with his boyhood club.
Mariano Diaz
The Dominican Republic international progressed through Madrid’s reserves teams and was sold to Lyon in 2017 before the club bought him back the following summer.
Diaz scored 18 goals in Ligue 1 in 2017-18, suggesting that he could be a lethal asset for Los Blancos, but opportunities were few and far between on his return to the club. Nevertheless, he seemed satisfied to play the role of bench-warmer and scored 12 goals in 84 appearances across five seasons.
Madrid released Diaz last summer. He’s since joined Sevilla on a free transfer but is yet to open his account for the Rojiblancos.
Andriy Lunin
Keylor Navas had just lifted a third successive Champions League trophy in 2018, but that summer Madrid acted decisively in the transfer market to secure his successor(s).
The Costa Rican stuck around for one final season before definitively getting usurped by Courtois, while highly-rated young Ukrainian ‘keeper Lunin was brought in from Zorya Luhansk with one eye on the future.
Lunin went out on loan to Leganes, Valladolid and Oviedo to gain experience of Spanish football. He’s since taken his opportunity to deputise for injured No.1 Courtois, winning the battle with Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga to get the nod from Carlo Ancelotti.
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Omar Mascarell
A bit of financial jiggery-pokery, this one.
Like Diaz, Mascarell had progressed from the youth ranks before moving elsewhere. The club exercised his €4million buy-back clause to sign him from Eintracht Frankfurt, only to immediately make double that back by selling him onto Schalke.
The defensive midfielder got relegated with Schalke in 2020-21 and is now back in Spain, turning out for Mallorca.
Lucas Torro
Some more cold hard business, here. Madrid exercised their buy-back on Torro in the summer of 2018, only to sell him on for profit.
The midfielder effectively moved from Osasuna to Eintracht Frankfurt, where he ended up replacing fellow Madrid old boy Mascarell.
Torro rejoined Osasuna in 2020 and has now made over a hundred appearances in his second stint at El Sadar.
Man Utd implored to sell struggling star labelled as bad role model for Kobbie Mainoo
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is under serious scrutiny after one pundit claimed he ‘looks like he’s in Soccer Aid’ and another insisted the club ‘have to move on’ from players of his category.
Had Sir Jim Ratcliffe had any power at Man Utd back in 2022, they may never have signed Casemiro. When outlining his plans for the club prior to his partial takeover, which went through earlier this year, he highlighted the addition of the experienced Brazilian as a questionable investment for their long-term strategy.
Ever since those reports emerged, it has seemed likely that Ratcliffe will oversee Casemiro’s sale in the summer – or at least attempt to – and the player’s performances since have not gone very far to persuade him otherwise.
On Saturday, Man Utd could only draw with Bournemouth, which means doubts are being fired towards a number of their key personnel.
Casemiro has once again come in for criticism, with Jamie Redknapp blasting his lack of pace and example to rising midfield star, Kobbie Mainoo.
“He has to see that danger first of all, it’s his mistake he’s made [for Justin Kluivert’s goal],” Redknapp told Sky Sports. “But for me, what I’m on about is the culture of just running and sprinting and helping your teammates.
“Casemiro, I’ve watched him for years and he’s been one of my favourite defensive midfielders in world football, I’ve loved watching him play.Related video: Why Kobbie Mainoo Has To Start For England (Dailymotion)
“But right now, it looks like he’s in Soccer Aid, he’s playing at such a pace where it looks like he’s just there for a bit of fun and there’s celebrities on the pitch. This is the Premier League! You have so much experience!
“I think to myself, what would Rodri do in that situation? He’d be flying out there to protect his teammates and I don’t know why he’s not.
“This is my point with Kobbie Mainoo – that kid has the world at his feet and he needs good role models, people you want to aspire to be like in that changing room and at the moment, [Casemiro] is not setting the right examples to the players around him and it’s not good enough.
“He should be running, he would’ve stopped that goal.”
IN DEPTH – The entire Man Utd XI Ratcliffe can brutally axe to cut £85m from wage bill
Casemiro becoming ‘a massive problem’
In fairness to Casemiro, pace was never his strong point even during his Real Madrid heyday. His declining awareness, though, is becoming a major issue.
Maybe Ratcliffe was right all along and these problems could have been averted. Come the summer, Man Utd will have the chance to try and sell the 32-year-old – something they should definitely be trying to do.
That’s the opinion of another pundit, Tony Cascarino, who has pointed out how his flaws were exposed last week against Liverpool too.
“Casemiro is a massive problem, for me,” Cascarino told talkSPORT. “I watched him against Liverpool. He was the reason why Liverpool kept opening up United, especially in the first half.
“He has never been the quickest, he was never blessed with pace, but, boy, he has got a parachute on now, which is that he has lost a yard, a yard he never really had, because he was never quick.
“He was a very solid player. They have to move on from players like that, United.”
Casemiro still has a contract with Man Utd for another two years after the current season.
READ MORE: Ratcliffe lines up marquee £80m Man Utd signing to finally solve Ten Hag’s biggest weakness
