I attended Ten Hag press conference after FA Cup win and felt two emotions

Erik ten Hag walked into the Wembley press room, quickly glanced at the front row to identify any familiar faces, repositioned his microphone and took a sip of water.

Manchester United had just won the FA Cup after a stunning victory over Manchester City and a celebratory press conference would follow in normal circumstances.

However, the build-up to the FA Cup final was marred by reports of INEOS’ interest in other managers and suggestions Ten Hag would be sacked regardless of the outcome at Wembley, so it was inevitable his future would dominate the agenda in the post-match debrief.

“It’s always the best to end on a high. Then you have the whole summer to enjoy,” said Ten Hag to PA’s opening question. The BBC came next and asked the Dutchman whether he expected to be in charge at Old Trafford next season. “I don’t think about this,” Ten Hag said.

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“I’m in a project and we are exactly where we want to be, constructing a team. When I took over, it was a mess at United and we’re on our way to construct a team for the future.

“There will be ups and downs. What you see is the team is developing, the team is winning, and it’s about winning trophies, and the team also plays to an identity.

“But you need players to be available and need a strong squad in top football, especially when you play in England, Europe, the Premier League is so competitive, so you need a very good squad. There is still a lot of work to do but we are exactly where we are.

“We have value in the squad, high potential, progressing very good, the team is progressing and we are winning trophies. Two trophies in two years is not bad. Three finals is not bad.

“But we have to keep going, I’m not satisfied with it and must do better. And if they don’t want me any more, I will go anywhere else to win trophies because that’s what I did my whole career.”

After the opening two questions from journalists, the press conference continued for another nine minutes and Ten Hag became animated when asked about an interview in the Netherlands, published on the morning of the FA Cup final, in which he said INEOS want him to stay.

“That is what they always tell me,” he said when asked if INEOS had told him directly they wanted him to stay. Pushed on when that had happened, Ten Hag said: “How many times do I have to tell you? Every time is the same question. Do I have to repeat myself 10, 15, 20 times?

“They don’t have to tell me every week if they tell me so often. I never – and I was in some clubs before – [get told] every day you are the best and I want to build with you. I heard it many times.”

The reporter who asked that question was polite and even apologised for trying to clarify the facts, but Ten Hag became spiky, which was understandable given he was now answering various questions on his future after winning the FA Cup against a dominant City side.

Ten Hag took another sip of water and was forced to be combative for the remainder of the press conference, as there were six further questions about his future.

A Dutch reporter asked where the trophy ranked for him personally and there was a question on whether the success of young players was vindication of his approach, while the MEN asked which emotions he had felt throughout a supercharged day at Wembley.

“I don’t know if they have done this. I can’t answer this question,” Ten Hag said to a question about United contacting other managers. “Maybe you have sources. I don’t have them.”

He also said: “When I started here I said I am here to win and also I want to build a team and both I am doing but if they don’t want me I go somewhere else and win games and trophies.”

The longer the press conference went on, Ten Hag became even more frustrated with the questioning and delivered a punchy response to the last journalist to ask a question.

“When you make this [claim], you don’t have any knowledge about managing a football team. When you don’t have players available, you cannot win,” said Ten Hag to the reporter, who asked how he could say United are where he wants them after a dismal Premier League season.

“You don’t understand managing a football team. When the players aren’t there I can’t train them and coach them and we will not get the results we want.”

The press conference ended with that question and some United fans have criticised journalists for heavily quizzing Ten Hag on his future after an FA Cup final triumph.

It was hard not to sympathise with Ten Hag during moments of the press conference. His approach against City was perfect, his plan was executed brilliantly and he’d just won the FA Cup against the odds, but it was his future as United manager that led the agenda.

The journalists in attendance have received criticism but were only doing their jobs. Ten Hag’s future was the biggest story, especially after a far-from-ideal build-up to the FA Cup final, and he was also questioned about it by Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on terrestrial television.

It would have been remiss for journalists not to spend time asking Ten Hag about his future as the uncertainty around the manager of Manchester United is a seismic story.

On the other hand, Ten Hag was entitled to become frustrated and combative. He has a right to respond to criticism and to feel aggrieved that his future dominated the questioning after leading United to a trophy for a successive season against their dominant rivals.

To be grilled in such a manner after winning the FA Cup seemed to annoy Ten Hag, but perhaps his frustrations should be aimed at the ownership above him at United.

United have touched base with other managers’ representatives and keeping that under wraps before the FA Cup final was always likely to be an impossible task. The reports around Ten Hag’s future in the build-up to the fixture at Wembley were not ideal and he deserved better.

If Ten Hag is sacked, there will be a sense of regret from United chiefs about how those stories came out. The positive is Ten Hag would leave having won the FA Cup.