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Erik ten Hag led Manchester United to their thirteenth FA Cup triumph after scripting a memorable 2-1 win over Manchester City last Saturday.
However, the Wembley display might not be enough to change Ten Hag’s situation, with the club officials yet to publicly confirm their desire to keep him at the helm beyond this summer.
As fans wait for an official word on the managerial situation, their attention has now shifted to another high-profile Premier League manager who is on his way out, Jurgen Klopp.
The Liverpool boss departs Anfield having won just one trophy in his final season. Some would say Ten Hag’s side played a big role in ensuring Klopp’s farewell season remained underwhelming by delivering two solid performances at Old Trafford in the FA Cup and then the league.
An unhappy Klopp has now hit out at Ten Hag or at least his decision-making in the transfer market.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager attended an event at the M&S Bank Arena, wherein he shed light on his style of management.
During this discussion, he seemingly took aim at Ten Hag’s handling of the whole Jadon Sancho saga, with the winger currently on loan at Dortmund.
“If the whole world loses trust and faith in the player then the manager has to be the one behind the player,” Klopp said (via The Mirror).
“I cannot just buy into that ‘he’s useless’ stuff – like other clubs did by the way. Buying a player for £80m (sic) and then sending him out on loan!”
While there is some substance in Klopp’s idea of doing everything possible to back a struggling player, it does not necessarily apply in Sancho’s case.
The Englishman, who arrived at Old Trafford for a fee in the region of £73m in 2021, received plenty of support from Ten Hag, both on and off the pitch in the former Ajax boss’ first season.
However, in his second season, Ten Hag was left disappointed with Sancho’s efforts in training and subsequently dropped him from his squad. This led to a public spat between the pair and Sancho was eventually loaned to Dortmund for the remainder of the term.
If Ten Hag’s version of the story is correct, his decision to cut ties with Sancho makes perfect sense. Certainly, even Klopp would have not kept a player with a questionable work ethic during his spell at Merseyside.
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