As Reds everywhere bask in the glow of another brilliant FA Cup win, following a season of unprecedented challenges for our manager, in particular. It’s important to take stock and reflect on two of our players who have gone under the radar in the mists of the celebrations; Christian Erikson and Sofyan Amrabat.
I’ll also give my take on that BBC interview with Erik ten Hag which could and should have been managed much better by Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.
Eriksen’s last dance
Let’s start with Eriksen… What a story and what a way to potentially sign off on his Manchester United career given all the challenges he has had to face. Sparingly used throughout the season with twenty-eight (28) appearances, his journey to Old Trafford is remarkable. We all remember Eriksen suffering a cardiac arrest in 2021 during the delayed Euros, regaining his health only to be told he could not resume playing with Inter Milan, as the implanted cardioverter-defibrillator to manage his heart rhythm was not sanctioned by the Italian Football Federation. Thomas Frank and Brentford grasped at the opportunity and were richly rewarded for their faith in signing him, playing an integral role in securing safety for the Bees playing much of the second half of the 21/22 season.
Eriksen’s passing, crossing, assists and chances created caught the eye of many but ultimately brought him to Old Trafford in an effort to provide more quality to Ronaldo, Rashford and co. At a time when players come under intense scrutiny for not caring or showing enough, Eriksen has always been the consummate professional. He leaves us with League Cup and FA Cup winner’s medals.
After that fateful day on the 12th of June 2021, Eriksen’s comeback story is special and is now embedded as part of our clubs history of profound setbacks, hard work and success.
A case for Sofyan Amrabat
A hefty loan fee on the last day of the transfer window, fitness issues, some hugely underwhelming performances, you would be forgiven for raising an eyebrow when Amrabat was named in the starting eleven on Saturday.
While our academy star Kobbie Mainoo stole the show and rightly picked up the man of the match award in the FA Cup final, Amrabat must have also come under consideration for the honour. Like the Butcher, he was aggressive all afternoon. The Moroccan and England new boy partnered brilliantly to pocket the best midfield in Europe, completely nullifying player of the year Foden who didn’t fancy the battle. De Bruyne and Rodri could not find the space and time they usually enjoy. Amrabat never stopped, he fought and battled as if his United career depended on it. Maybe it did. But has he left it too late?
Strong showings against Newcastle, Brighton and now City deserve merit. With no preseason, limited to largely cameo appearances all year and AFCON in January those three games represent only one of the few occasions he’s completed over 45 minutes in three consecutive games. The argument could be made that Amrabat’s fitness and integration into the team coincided at the tail end of the season. Those more sceptical might suggest he was perhaps playing for a contract in the season run-in. For 22 million and talks of a busy summer for United, Amrabat might present smart business. As Casemiro’s powers dwindle and rumours of a summer move to pastures new gain pace. Amrabat’s Wembley performance has certainly helped his cause to remain at the club. If Amrabat can consistently churn out similar performances across a full season that option to buy fee could prove to be a bargain.
BBC pundits score an own goal
The BBC’s post-match interview with Erik ten Hag has irked most Reds. While Lineker and Shearer doubled down and defended the questions put to Ten Hag after the final whistle, on their podcast The Rest is Football this week. The abrupt shift from celebratory discussions to probing questions about the manager’s future were misplaced and disrespectful.
Maybe the questions did need to be asked but on reflection, I think they will both regret the manner in which they went about it. After two hours of build-up on BBC about the magic of the FA Cup, it’s rich tradition, cities success and United’s demise, it took just one minute and thirty seconds for Lineker and Shearer to dispense of the congratulations and go straight for the jugular, questioning the manager about press treatment, assurances over his future and where this team performance was all season.
Would they have asked Pep Guardiola about his clubs 115 charges pending had City been victorious? We all know the answer there, City have largely received a free pass on this issue all season while Ten Hag has been chastised at every turn.
On reflection, Lineker and Shearar would have best served the public and United fans watching from home had the questions been along the lines of, “Erik, what a fantastic achievement in a season of unprecedented challenges, how did you get your team into a position to deliver you and the fans that performance?” Here’s another: “Erik you are scrutinised unlike any other manager in world football, please describe your feelings after masterminding another superb United trophy win”. It’s not like the pair didn’t have ample time to consider respectful questions before moving to his future so quickly. Or maybe pundits feel he’s an easy target, club legend Gary Neville and his Sky Sports colleague Jamie Carraghers interview with the manager last year was equally as disrespectful and as of yet, hasn’t been repeated for any other Premier League manager since.
Ten Hag does not deserve this, he’s an honourable man trying to undo years of poor recruitment and rot in many areas of the club. Fingers crossed he gets another year and the requisite support from INEOS, who aren’t blameless in the noise around Ten Hag. Their silence is deafening.
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You won’t hear me say this often, but the ITV pitch side conversation was much more on point than the Beeb’s. I don’t always agree with Roy Keane’s views, but it was great to see him so happy with the result – his interaction with Erik was much more satisfying, much more respectful, and captured the joy that followed the win no one believed was possible.
ITV focused on Erik’s tactical masterclass against the master tactician. The BBC quickly descended into confrontation and talk of getting the sack. Disappointing.
You would have to be football blind to not realise how having 2 fit capable centre halves made,Ten Haag deserves a chance to prove his metal with another season
Liniker and Shearer are a pair of arrogant, irrelevant and self-serving has-beens. They were never good enough to take on the onerous and demanding option of a premier league head coach or manager. They chose the easy option of talking thrash as if they are drunk, hallucinating or high on recreational drugs. They should be ashamed for their despicable, reprehensible, irresponsible, insensitive, jealous and heartless stupidity. You make your brand of football punditry look cheap, inferior and very low in class. You are a disgrace to football as you go about your business like a pair of aimless scumbags.
I agree wholeheartedly withRrdCap. The BBC should as well. The empty crisp packet is all Liniker deserves. The proud owner of one FACup medal and no experience as a Manager or coach demonstrates his capability. Yet the BBC has made him the highest paid pundit in the company. Yet they took him off MOTD. In future I recommend muting if nothing else.