Erik ten Hag criticises media for fallout between Premier League managers

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag spoke about whether he is in good touch with other managers from the Premier League. He blamed it on the media and said that they had ruined the tradition of having a good friendship with other head coaches. 

Erik ten Hag said, "No, just colleagues, not friends. There was always a good tradition in English football of seeing each other after the games, but with all the media now, that tradition is fading away..."

Following Manchester United's unlucky opening to the English Premier League season, Erik ten Hag has faced his fair share of criticism. A lot of people anticipated that Man Utd would have a successful start to the season following their hectic summer transfer window. Ten Hag's team, though, lost their midweek Europa League opening against Twente and is currently ranked eleventh in the English Premier League.

For their unsteady beginning to the season, Manchester United's players are also getting a fair amount of criticism, but none have been questioned as fiercely as Ten Hag. The Dutchman was given a two-year extension previously in the summer, but his job security has fallen to an all-time low. Ten Hag has asserted that he is unaffected by the controversy surrounding his team, nevertheless.

“You have to deal with this” : Erik ten Hag 

Ten Hag said, "Yeah, first of all, respect the criticism. There are many. You can have an opinion about football, when you are in a job, you have to deal with this. But I can't take every criticism into account. I don't read, of course, all the criticism, not even possible, but I don't want either to know.”

The former Ajax head coach added that, "It's about: I need to know some, and some are very good advices... but for me, it's stay clinical, and see where the team is, which areas we have to improve. Stay also methodical, that you guide the team in the right pathway, and make sure you make the right steps to get the best out of the team."