Erik ten Hag breaks silence on axe rumours after club fails to back him before Cup final and insists ‘it’s not about me’

ERIK TEN HAG broke his silence as he faced questions on rumours of his imminent sacking.

The Manchester United boss is set to be sacked regardless of the outcome in the FA Cup final.

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Erik ten Hag addressed the rumours of his likely sacking as Manchester United boss[/caption]

The Red Devils face rivals Manchester City at Wembley.

And quizzed by the BBC how much the strong talk about his possible exit affected the preparation for the crunch clash, Ten Hag was clear.

He defiantly said: “[It has] not.

“I am focused on the game and the team.

“I don’t talk about my future.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the team and winning the cup.”

The Dutchman heads into the FA Cup final off the back of an eighth-placed finish – their lowest position in Premier League history.

SunSport revealed he expects to be relieved of his duties at Old Trafford – even if they spring a major surprise against Pep Guardiola’s winning machine.

Ten Hag added: “Two years after each other we’re in the final but this year we want to win.

“The mood is very good, strong spirit, strong belief, a tough opponent and we have to give everything we have, sacrifice, suffer but be brave and let them suffer as well.

“We have to be on the front foot and be aggressive. It’s about mentality.

“If we have a strong belief and are brave then you have the opportunity. We had the opportunity last year but didn’t take it.”

There was a last-minute change to the Manchester United squad after the team news came out at 2pm.

Casemiro was initially named among the substitutes but was then withdrawn from the bench with Willy Kambwala brought in.

Ten Hag explained the Brazilian’s absence: “Casemiro is not 100 per cent and in that space around Phil Foden we need a strong defence.”

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