Erik ten Hag not embarrassed by Manchester United's struggles against Coventry City
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during the Emirates FA Cup semi-final. Photo credit: Nigel French/PA Wire.
Erik ten Hag has admitted his Manchester United side ‘got away with it’ after reaching the FA Cup Final despite throwing away a 3-0 lead against Coventry City of the Championship; but he drew the line at suggestions he should be embarrassed.
United’s performance at Wembley is coming under intense scrutiny despite reaching their second FA Cup Final in two years and setting up an opportunity to finish the season on a high by beating bitter rivals Manchester City at Wembley on 25 May.
Not least because they have a recent history of throwing away victories in Premier League games, including against Brentford, Chelsea and Liverpool.
This time the result sheet will simply say ‘United win 4-2 on penalties’ - but that hardly tells a tenth of the story that unfurled at Wembley.
United appeared to be cruising after goals from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes put them comfortably 3-0 ahead; but then they imploded.
Ellis Simms drilled home for 3-1, then Callum O’Hare’s deflected effort left Onana stranded, before Haji Wright stroked home a penalty after an Aaron Wan-Bissaka handball.
The comeback was almost completed in the very last minute of extra time when Victor Torp scored following a brilliant breakaway move – only for VAR to decide he was offside by the smallest of margins.
So, you can see why United barely celebrated when they completed victory in the shoot-out as Onana saved from Callum O’Hare, Ben Sheaf missed and Hojlund sent United to the final.
A frustrated Ten Hag said: “We can play on a very high level and within the same match in very low levels. It’s not explainable. It has to do with managing the game, taking responsibility, keep organised, and make the right decision.
“I have to teach my players, clearly. And we have to do better. On several occasions we let each other down and let the result slip away. Today we got away with it.”
The United manager, whose future at Old Trafford is widely reported to be under discussion, knows his team’s deficiencies will have been spotted in the directors’ box, where new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe was accompanied by fellow co-owners Joel and Avram Glazer.
In the kind of press conference you wouldn’t normally associate with a manager who has just taken his side to an FA Cup Final, ten Hag threw out all manner of excuses for what has been a frustrating season.
He talked about having a ‘curse against us’ with regard to dubious penalties given against United, including the one awarded for Wan-Bissaka’s handball that gave Coventry a chance to make it 3-3 here.
Then it was the club’s long list of injuries which means he ‘doesn’t have the tools to put things right'.
It all seemed rather churlish given most managers would have praised Coventry’s remarkable performance and at least looked a little pleased at the prospect of bringing a trophy to Old Trafford this season.
It was only when asked whether he understood why some fans are saying they are ‘embarrassed’ by the way United reached the final, that he broke the rhetoric.
“No, I don’t,” the Dutchman aid. “I can’t see that word. At the end of the day, it’s about the achievement. I see the mistakes we make - we can’t look away from it. But it’s not an embarrassment. It’s a huge achievement.
“A big team from United a decade ago only achieved the final three times. We have now done it two times in a two years. That’s a good performance with all the setbacks we’ve had this season and also today.”
As for Coventry, the performance should give them renewed confidence in the race to reach the Championship play-offs for the second season in a row, and manager Mark Robins – a United legend himself of course – was far more upbeat than his rival. Even about that VAR call that denied his team a fairy tale victory.
“If it’s the right call, it’s the right call,” he said. “But it was a toenail and that was tough. We were 20 seconds away from going to an FA Cup Final, and then 30 seconds later you’re in a penalty shoot-out.
"That puts you on the back foot. There’s no criticism of anyone. I’m proud of them all and we can’t be too down about it.
“At the end it was a swashbuckling performance and I liked that. That’s the way that Manchester United normally play and we took it to them.”
There’s no doubt that Coventry were the stars of the day, with Ellis Simms causing United all manner of problems, leading Roy Keane, in his role as pundit with ITV, to say: “I don’t like what I see when I watch this United group, I don’t see leaders.
"They gave up chances, they gave up goals. We’ve seen it all season. They rode their luck today. Coventry looked like a Premier League team and Manchester United like a Championship side."
Simms crashed a shot against the bar in extra-time, yet another moment when things could have gone City’s way and made life very difficult indeed for ten Hag as the United board decide on the direction of the club next season.
Now, however, the Dutchman wants fans to focus on the fact that they have an FA Cup Final to look forward to, and a chance to gain revenge over rivals Manchester City, who beat them 2-1 to lift the trophy last year.
“We have to go to the cup final and believe we can win," he said. "We can do it.”
It was a welcome moment of positivity; but it didn't sound convincing.
Collins 7, Latibeaudiere 6 (Tavares Desiderio 63; 6), Thomas 8, Kitching 6 (Binks 63; 6), Bidwell 7 (Dasilva 80; 7), Eccles 7 (Torp 63; 7), Sheaf 6, O'Hare 9, Van Ewijk 7, Simms 9, Wright 8.
Binks, Kelly, Allen, Wilson, Godden, Andrews.
Onana 8, Dalot 7, Maguire 7, Casemiro 6, Wan-Bissaka 6, McTominay 7 (Forson103; 6), Mainoo 6 (Eriksen 72; 6), Garnacho 6 (Antony 66; 6), Fernandes 8, Rashford 6 (Diallo 90+7; 6), Hojlund 6.
Bayindir, Amass, Ogunneye, Jackson, Wheatley.
Robert Jones.
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