I’ve never had first-team of my choice – Man Utd’s Ten Hag

Erik ten Hag has dismissed criticism of his performance as Manchester United manager, saying he has never had his first-choice team available to him since taking over in the summer of 2022.

Man United are preparing for Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal against second-tier Coventry City knowing the competition represents the club’s last chance of ending the season with a trophy. The 12-time FA Cup winners are languishing in seventh place in the Premier League, 13 points behind fourth-place Aston Villa and almost certainly out of the running for a place in next season’s Champions League.

“I don’t have any concern [about what is said on the outside],” Ten Hag said at a news conference ahead of Sunday’s clash at Wembley. “What concerns me is that in 18 months I have never had my favourite team on the pitch, that concerns me, because players are injured.

“One time, against City at home last season – that is the only time I had a full squad where I can pick my team. In all the other games always there was an injury aspect we have to deal with. That is normal in football but not so many as we have had, and I know when you have so many injuries as we have had in crucial key positions you can’t deliver the results you want to bring.

“That is my truth, others can have a different truth but I can’t put energy in that.”