But he appeared to be on cloud nine after leading his side to success against Pep Guardiola’s men and was quick to remind Keane of his own management struggles while he was being interviewed by the former Sunderland and Ipswich boss.
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“We have to improve much more,” Ten Hag told Keane. And when the former midfielder told him not to listen to pundits, the Dutchman quipped: “Hey, hey, you had trouble to manage a team. So...”
Keane snapped back: “I won a Championship with Sunderland, so give me some praise. Come on, don’t be too harsh on me.” And Ten Hag replied: “You did as well.”
Keane has bashed Ten Hag throughout the campaign, with the Red Devils suffering heavy defeats to the likes of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace. And the United manager took aim at former players who disparage his team ahead of the FA Cup final.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag led his side to FA Cup final victory over Man City on Saturday (Image: GETTY)
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“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,” he hissed.
“It’s the biggest club in England and possibly in the world. The club is either loved or hated, there is no in-between. So when things go bad, they all start talking and talking with very big words.
“All this negativism from these so-called experts who don’t have the capability to analyse something with facts, but who prefer to attack people to make themselves look better. And these same people were the ones who gave me a pat on the back last year. Last year I was able to walk on water, this year I am the worst manager in the Premier League.”
And Keane later told ITV: “He’s entitled to his opinion. I think a lot of managers don’t like pundits. That’s all part of a manager’s journey, you don’t have to agree with what people say.”
United’s victory against City means they have now qualified for next season’s Europa League. But it remains to be seen whether Ten Hag stays in the Old Trafford hotseat for a third campaign.