Man Utd's Erik ten Hag makes strong five-word declaration on being mates with Prem bosses
Erik ten Hag is currently in his third season as Manchester United manager and admits that he is not friendly with a host of his Premier League rivals.
The United boss is facing criticism following his side's 3-0 loss to Spurs (Image: Getty)
Erik ten Hag has revealed he doesn't see any fellow Premier League managers as friends, claiming that tradition is being lost in the sport. The Manchester United boss was speaking on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel and explained his solitary stance.
Ten Hag, whose United team were battered 3-0 by Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday, was clear in his response when asked about his rapport with other managers, as he said: "No, colleagues (yes). But no, no friends."
He also discussed the fading tradition of post-match drinks with rival managers - a practice once championed by Sir Alex Ferguson - attributing its decline to the intense media scrutiny in today's world. "Actually, it was always a good tradition, I think in English football to meet each other after the matches, but with all the media now, I think that tradition is going away a little bit and I think it's a pity because I think it was a nice tradition in English football," Ten Hag said. "But that is, yeah, that's how football media has progressed."
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Now in his third season with Manchester United, Ten Hag has already secured a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup, marking a fairly successful tenure for silverware so far.
Despite a decent haul of trophies, the Dutchman is once again feeling the heat after Sunday's 3-0 defeat. Ten Hag has already presided over a disheartening 3-0 loss to Liverpool and a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in the Europa League this season, leaving his team sitting in 12th place after six Premier League matches.
The United hierarchy showed faith in Ten Hag at the end of the season by activating a one-year extension in his contract following the club's 2-1 triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final and backed him with £180million in the summer.
United have had a hard run of results so far this season (Image: Getty)
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However, things have not gone as expected, and fans vented their frustrations on Sunday, with some demanding his dismissal during the Tottenham match on Sunday.
The road ahead doesn't get any smoother for Ten Hag as he fights to keep his job, with a challenging away game at Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, followed by a tough trip to Aston Villa next Sunday.
It remains to be seen if the Dutchman will still be in the dugout come Christmas, but fans will be expecting results to improve before then if he stands any chance of remaining the leader of a once-dominant force in English football.
