Erik ten Hag last night delivered a passionate defence of his Manchester United reign by telling his critics to judge him when he gets his best team on the pitch.
United’s season has been decimated by fitness problems - and Ten Hag goes into the FA Cup semi-final clash with Coventry knowing that fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal was sacked in 2016 less than 24 hours after lifting the trophy at Wembley.
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is evaluating every aspect of the club’s football strategy - and the manager will come under intolerable pressure if Mark Robins’ Championship underdogs deliver a shock.
Yet Ten Hag is adamant that he has only been able to pick his strongest team ONCE during his two seasons at Old Trafford. And he insists he should not be judged until he can consistently call on a full squad to choose from.
Ten Hag said: “I don’t put any energy into whether I am judged fairly or not.
“I know what we are doing here and I know why I am here - to bring trophies and also to create economic value. So we are working on that.
“In a process, you have setbacks and I look at that and can see it realistically.
“There is no nuance. I see the comments, I can’t bother about it. I can’t get into the emotions of that.
“I see it realistically and I am only focusing on my team, on how to improve my team, to improve individuals. That is why I am here.
“No, I don’t have any concern. What concerns me is that in 18 months I have never had my favourite team on the pitch once, because players were injured - that concerns me.
“In fact there was only one time, against (Manchester) City at home last season. That is the only time I had a full squad to pick my full team."
He added: “In all the other games, there was an injury aspect that we have had to deal with.
“That’s normal in football, but not as many as we have had.
“And I know that when we’ve had so many injuries in crucial key positions, you can’t deliver the results you want to bring.
“That’s okay, but that’s my truth. Others can have different truths but I can’t put any energy into that.”
United came from behind to beat their rivals 2-1 in January 2023 in the game Ten Hag is referring to.
The team that day contained David De Gea and Fred, who have both since left the club, as well as players like Anthony Martial and Christian Eriksen who will be put up for sale in the summer.
United also got the benefit of a dubious offside call that led to Bruno Fernandes’ equaliser and enjoyed just 29 percent possession.
Ten Hag’s side could slip to eighth in the Premier League table if West Ham win at Crystal Palace after losing 12 of their 32 games this season.
They also finished bottom of a Champions League group that included Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.
With Ten Hag’s hopes of avoiding the Europa Conference League now appearing to hinge on winning the Cup, he is well aware of the role that Coventry boss Robins played in saving Sir Alex Ferguson’s skin in 1990.
Robins’ winner in the third round at Nottingham Forest bought Ferguson the time to eventually deliver his first trophy.
And although the Dutchman is hoping for the same kind of salvation, he remembers that Van Gaal’s fate was decided by a failure to finish in the top four.
Ten Hag said: “In football it is sometimes like this that one goal off the post can make a huge difference.
“Look at '66, eh, with England. Only one time they were world champions!
“I have a very good relationship with Louis but we didn’t talk last time about United. But everywhere Louis was, he won trophies - and also here at United.
“I know the FA Cup final was against Crystal Palace, I am aware of the game. If I watched it at that time, I don’t think so.
“But I am fully aware he was the last manager to win the FA Cup with Manchester United.”
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