Danny Murphy has launched a staggering rant over Erik ten Hag’s “whinging” and “whining” towards Andy Carroll’s challenge on Manchester United star Christian Eriksen.
Reading striker Carroll brought down Eriksen in a nasty challenge in the second half of United’s 3-1 win in the fourth round of the FA Cup last weekend.
Eriksen, who has made a sensational impact in his debut season at the Red Devils, was withdrawn by United manager Ten Hag and replaced with Fred.
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The 30-year-old Danish midfielder was later spotted leaving Old Trafford on crutches, with Ten Hag losing a crucial influence in the United midfield.
United confirmed in a statement that Eriksen would be ruled out of action “until late April or early May” after he picked up an ankle injury in the clash against Reading.
The Red Devils moved efficiently before the January window slammed shut to sign Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich to strengthen Ten Hag’s midfield options.
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Ten Hag was furious with Carroll over his reckless challenge and with the referees for not booking the Reading player for his lunge on Eriksen.
“I’m disappointed about that,” he said.
“I think football has to set limits, restrictions, that protect the players.
“What football wants is the best players to be available on the pitch. That is a tackle -- and the two tackles after it -- that don’t belong on a pitch, because there is a high risk of injuring your colleague.
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“So, it’s worse and I’m left wondering about that.”
Speaking on talkSPORT, Murphy pulled no punches towards the “whinging” and “whining” Ten Hag and reminded him of the physicality of the Premier League.
“It sounds like he’s just whinging, whining. You’re in the Premier League!” Murphy said.
“Andy Carroll got sent off, by the way, but for a different challenge, he should have got sent off for that one.
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“But the point is, let’s give this perspective, we are in a world now where creative attacking players are protected more than ever, more than ever!
“Very rarely do we see bad injuries from bad tackles, very rare, not many, and I think we’re in a good place because of that. I’m not saying we should go back to the old days where players can knock seven bells out of each other.
“I just don’t see why you would come out and winged about it when it’s just a consequence of playing football.
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“He’s lost Eriksen and he’s disappointed and we don’t want to see bad tackles… but he is whinging, because then he starts bringing up the elbow on [Lisandro] Martinez!
“I don’t mind him saying, ‘I’m disappointed with the tackle, it was naughty, Carroll should have been sent off, it was a bad, and I’m disappointed for Eriksen, but it’s football, it happens, that’s why we have a big squad and we’ve got to get on with it.’
“He’s working at Manchester United, be positive! ‘We’ve got other players, we will cope’ -- don’t pull up a list of, how many was he going to say? An elbow on Martinez at Palace? I saw it, it was next to nothing! Why are you bringing that up? Come on! It’s football in the Premier League!
“And it’s not just because it’s Ten Hag, I would say the same about Jurgen Klopp. I’ve sat here and talked about Klopp whining and I’ve said exactly the same. It’s not a Man United thing.
“Ten Hag has surpassed all expectations. He’s done a brilliant job, he’s got so much right, but whinging? Any manager who stands there and starts whinging about players getting an elbow last week against Palace?
“I don’t like it. There’s no conspiracy here.”
Topics: Danny Murphy, Erik Ten Hag, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football, Christian Eriksen, Andy Carroll
Adnan Riaz