Alphonso Davies responds to Manchester United boss Ten Hag referring to him as ‘not a great defender’
Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies has said that he was not motivated by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's comments ahead of their clash earlier this season. The Canadian star does not understand what the Dutchman saw in his game to make the comments but is not getting carried away.
Speaking to ESPN on October 9, Davies revealed that he heard the comments after the match, and thus, he did not have any extra motivation during the game. The defender added that he was not paying attention to quotes as he just wanted to do his job on the pitch, and it matters the most at the end of the day.
He said:
"I think as a coach, he said it to motivate his players and I'm not sure what he saw but I'm not here to say he was wrong. I do have a lot of good defensive ability and I showed that during the game. It was actually after the game that I saw the interview, but at the end of the day all that matters is I did my job on the pitch and we got the three points."
"It doesn't really hype me, I just have to go out there and play my game. I don't let criticism and what people say get to me."
Alphonso Davies has been linked with an exit from Bayern Munich next summer. Real Madrid have been named as the club chasing his signature when the summer window opens.
What did Manchester United manager say about Alphonso Davies?
Ahead of Manchester United's UEFA Champions League clash at Bayern Munich on September 20, Erik ten Hag was asked the reason for starting youngster Facundo Pellistri. He claimed that he was playing Pellistri on the right wing to exploit Alphonso Davies's poor defensive abilities. He said:
"Today, I think tactically it fits very good because Davies is very offensive, a lot of speed, Pelli can match that. He can match that defending but also offensive. He has the capabilities to also go into attack. Davies is not a great defender, so I think it's a good game for him."
Manchester United ended up losing the match 4-3 at Bayern Munich. Casemiro scored twice in the final minutes of the match while Mathys Tel squeezed on between the Brazilian's brace to help the German side win.