'An ego thing' - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer predicted the future with his Manchester United trophy comment
Man Utd were thrashed 3-0 by Liverpool FC and Erik ten Hag was as much to blame as his players.
In a tense post-match press conference, it was only natural Erik ten Hag would go on the defensive following Manchester United's embarrassing defeat to fierce rivals Liverpool.
The Dutchman insisted United 'would be fine' and suggested his side were harshly punished by exceptional finishing on a day they made rare mistakes against a top side.
It just doesn't cut it. The margin of victory wasn't only three goals for three points, it was a manager in his third season totally outclassed by one in only his third competitive game in charge. Sure, Arne Slot might have inherited a more functional side than Ten Hag did at Old Trafford, but one identity was clear, the other was still a work in progress.
After another transfer window in which Ten Hag was backed handsomely, the results have to come. United can not waste another season of building for a future they are no closer to achieving. The final insult to United fans came after the match, when the Dutch manager argued with a journalist over the standard of their performance, before once again citing their trophy record as if it justified an eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season.
When asked if United's poor performance was down to the players or the coaching, Ten Hag snapped: "What do you mean? Maybe you can explain to me with the mistakes that we make regular."
The journalist replied: "Constantly turning the ball over in your own half, playing the ball out from the back, getting mugged, chances coming on the back of it, counter-attacks when you're outnumbered, giving up endless chances in your own stadium against your biggest rivals. With the greatest of respect, Erik, we've seen that for so long now."
"You are sure?" Absolutely sure." "I don't think otherwise you wouldn't win trophies as we did against big opponents. So I'm sorry for you, I have another vision. I think we won after City the most trophies in English football, so I'm sorry for you."
There were shades of Jose Mourinho about Ten Hag's post-match comments and championing of lesser achievements while using Man City as the best example. An FA Cup win and League Cup victory are certainly worthy accolades, but they only show just how low standards still are if they are being celebrated so regularly by the manager.
Instead, it is an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer quote that is the most damning reflection on the man who permanently replaced him and the 'ego' of managers who are keen to remind you of their own personal success.
“In the league position you see if there’s any progress – for me, that’s always the bread and butter of the season," Solskjaer said three years ago. "You see how capable you are of coping with ups and downs.
“Any cup competition can give you a trophy but sometimes it’s more of an ego thing from other managers and clubs to finally win something. But we need to see progress and if we perform well enough the trophies will end up at the club again. It’s not like a trophy will say: ‘We’re back.’ No, it’s the gradual progression of being in and around the top of the league and the consistency, and the odd cup competition can hide the fact you’re still struggling a little bit.”
United looked like they had turned a corner when they triumphed over Man City in the FA Cup final, but after just three matches of the new Premier League campaign it already feels like they are back at square one. Whether that is down to the players or the manager, time is not a luxury they can afford as they look to solve it.
The FA Cup victory might have saved Ten Hag his job, but it won't be enough to keep him in one.