“Did you ask Guardiola about the 115 charges?” - Ex-PL star hits out at Gary Lineker over controversial interview with Manchester United’s Ten Hag
Joey Barton has hit back at Gary Lineker after the BBC presenter defended a controversial FA Cup final interview with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. Lineker and co-pundit Alan Shearer received criticism for asking the Dutch coach questions about his future and an eight-placed finish just after overseeing a Wembley win.
Barton lambasted Lineker in response to his defense of his interview. The former Manchester City midfielder suggested he wouldn't have asked Pep Guardiola about the Cityzens' 115 charges for breaching financial rules. He wrote on X:
"Did you ask Guardiola about the pending 115 charges? I must have missed it if you did."
Ten Hag was expected to be sacked after the FA Cup final regardless of the result. He masterminded a 2-1 win against Manchester City courtesy of goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
Lineker and Shearer somewhat took the gloss off Manchester United's unlikely win when speaking to Ten Hag post-match. They questioned his team's lack of form this season and whether he believed he'd be in charge come next season.
The co-pundits have since defended their interview with Lineker explaining how awkward questions had to be asked. He reposted an opinion piece that insisted the legendary former Premier League strikers were right to ask if he was going to be fired.
Ten Hag remains Manchester United manager but his future is still in doubt. He's overseen 68 wins in 114 games, guiding the Red Devils to two major trophies but they performed poorly last season with an eighth-placed finish.
"Embarrassing" - Alan Shearer defended his post-FA Cup final interview with Manchester United's Ten Hag
Shearer spoke about the interview and the backlash the two Premier League legends have received for it. He argued that Manchester United have been so poor this season that Ten Hag needed to be asked such questions (via The Rest is Football podcast):
"They've been really poor, they've had a disastrous season in the Premier League and I don't think any Man United fan would argue with that. To finish eighth in the table, to finish with the number of goals they've conceded and to have allowed so many shots against is embarrassing."
Shearer argued that the pundits were doing their jobs in the frosty back-and-forth with the United manager:
"So for all of those things, at times, we've had to criticize them this season. If we didn't, we wouldn't be doing our jobs, but he's entitled to have the hump with people who he feels have been unfair."
Ten Hag was often asked by journalists in press conferences throughout last season whether he'd still be in charge next season. Many United fans felt the Dutchman's FA Cup heroics deserved a more celebratory post-match interview than he was given.