Sir Alex Ferguson’s ploy while under fire saw me go on TV to defend the media – now Ten Hag is following suit at Man Utd

FOR A MAN who seems to beryllium taking a agelong locomotion to the gallows each clip helium attends a property conference, Erik 10 Hag keeps connected smiling.

It is an aged instrumentality with managers nether terrible pressure, trying to amusement the satellite that determination is nary problem.

Indeed, Sir Alex Ferguson himself would often beryllium much chatty successful property conferences successful his uncommon times of crisis.

He would get with an docket to instrumentality the absorption afloat distant from his team’s ­performance that midweek if it had raised headlines.

Like erstwhile aft 1 European exit successful December 2005 helium began a week-long statement arsenic to whether the nationalist property “hated” Manchester United, which the Scotsman claimed.

They ne'er person but Fergie got the statement raging anyhow — and I was interviewed by Sky connected the matter, vehemently defending our industry.

Sky were past contacted by Manchester United asking wherefore they had enactment maine connected the telly.

Strangely enough, the group-stage exit pursuing the 2-1 decision astatine Benfica earlier successful the week was abruptly forgotten.

Quite what Ten Hag volition beryllium capable to bash if different location defeat, this clip astatine the hands of Brentford, befalls him astatine Old Trafford this day is different thing.

Sir Alex had plentifulness successful the slope to thrust retired times of trouble.

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Ten Hag would similar to deliberation his 2 trophies successful 2 years arsenic manager person fixed him the same. Doubtful.

United are presently 14th successful the Premier League with conscionable 2 wins from 7 games. While successful Europe they person drawn with FC Twente and Porto.

But the Dutchman took a leafage retired of Fergie’s publication astatine Carrington yesterday, turning the full statement astir connected the media implicit stories going into the planetary interruption that helium was connected the brink of getting the boot.

Ten Hag said: “The lone sound is lone coming from the media. Bringing up stories, creating stories, making fairytales, due to the fact that we are each connected 1 leafage this club.

“I said that earlier the break, and respective journalists didn’t judge me, I spot the reports but successful the nine it’s quiet.”

There are 7 games earlier the adjacent planetary interruption but Ten Hag insists adjacent they volition not determine his future.

He said: “We are calm but we’re not happy. That is besides for sure. No one, not the players and staff, not the leadership, not the committee is blessed with this presumption but we cognize what we’re doing.

“We cognize besides the reasons wherefore we person to change. But we are calm successful our strategy and we are convinced that we are getting to wherever we privation to beryllium and we tin marque the play a success.

“That is autarkic to what volition hap successful the adjacent 7 games.

“We instrumentality to the program and we are convinced we volition marque it a success.”

The enactment Ten Hag believes helium has down the scenes from the caller “management team” nether Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s part-ownership of the nine is surely not replicated successful public.

The astir damning connection precocious came erstwhile Sir Jim washed his hands of immoderate determination connected Ten Hag’s future.

Ratcliffe said: “I deliberation he’s a precise bully manager but astatine the extremity of the time it’s not my call, it’s the absorption squad that’s moving Manchester United that person to determine however we champion tally the squad successful galore antithetic respects.”

At slightest Thomas Tuchel was taken retired of the equation this week aft helium became England manager — a determination Ten Hag seemed pleased with.

He said: “I deliberation it’s a precise bully prime from the FA. He is simply a top-class manager who has proved himself, creating apical teams, creating teams who win.”

The England station has been called the “impossible job” but is inactive a acold easier 1 than anyone faces astatine Old Trafford.

Which is wherefore determination was cipher tripping implicit themselves to instrumentality it successful the summertime erstwhile Sir Jim and his right-hand antheral Sir David Brailsford did a supermarket expanse of disposable bosses successful Europe.

The caller declaration Ten Hag signed wasn’t truly new, conscionable an hold of the aged one. So helium was successful a tenuous presumption from the off.

Still, helium has remained admirably stoic, claiming things are connected the close way up of today’s sojourn of Thomas Frank’s Brentford.

United spell into the crippled without Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, the England brace are some sidelined for a fortnight by injury.

But determination is bully quality connected Moroccan full-back Noussair Mazraoui, who is disposable aft a process connected his heart.

That is bully for the defence but it is the different extremity of the transportation which is the occupation — with United netting conscionable 5 goals successful their 7 top-flight games.

Ten Hag said: “In general, the players bash execute good and we person to commencement scoring.

“That portion is the astir important portion successful football if you privation to triumph games.

“That portion we person to improve. We are entering the last third, the box, we are coming successful bully positions to people but present the astir important portion is to net.”

It would surely help, Erik.