Erik ten Hag hits out at ‘annoying’ Newcastle time-wasting

Erik ten Hag has warned his Manchester United players not to let “annoying” Newcastle’s time-wasting antics disrupt their game in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, and his Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta have both complained about Newcastle’s perceived time-wasting this season.

And now Ten Hag has told his players to watch out for Newcastle’s attempts at time-wasting and called on referee David Coote to get tough with any such behaviour.

In what felt like a move straight out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s “mind games” play-book, the United manager said: “It’s a great team, a clear philosophy about how they want to play the game. The key word is intensity. They do really well. It’s an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to win against them. Annoying. They try to annoy you. We have to make sure we play our game and focus on our game.”

Asked if he was referring to criticisms Newcastle have received for time-wasting this season, Ten Hag added: “Yeah. For instance, if you see the FA and referees want to play the effective time, they [Newcastle] have the lowest in the league and they are quite successful with it. So it’s up to us that we get speed in the game but then we are also then dependent on the refereeing as well.”

Newcastle have the second-worst record in the Premier League this season for the ball in play, behind only Leeds, and have picked up the joint-third most bookings for time-wasting after Aston Villa and Fulham.

Three of Newcastle’s league games this season have been in the top 10 for lowest “in play” action while the ball was only in play for 49.29 minutes in their 0-0 draw against United at Old Trafford in October, when the match lasted 98.17 minutes including stoppages.

Nick Pope, Newcastle’s first-choice goalkeeper, will miss the final through suspension and with Martin Dubravka, who spent part of this season on loan at Old Trafford, cup tied and Karl Darlow on loan at Hull City, manager Eddie Howe must decide whether to start former Liverpool No 1 Loris Karius or Mark Gillespie between the posts.

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Asked if Pope’s absence could impact on Newcastle’s alleged time-wasting, Ten Hag said: “I’m not in the instructions of the opponents, so I don’t know and also, I can’t influence that.

“I can only influence us – we have to make it our game, to focus on the job, we have to focus on playing football when the ball is in the game, it’s about that.

“So we have to be fully concentrated on that and don’t get distracted from what can be. Whatever is on the pitch we have to focus on the job. We have to find our way and found out the moments we can strike.”

Karius was infamously at fault for two goals in Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat by Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final and since then his career has nosedived.

Ten Hag admitted it was imperative United look to pressure whichever goalkeeper Newcastle opt to play. “It’s an issue for them, what they have to sort, and of course we know it,” he said. “That definitely is not an advantage but we don’t influence it, they can influence it, the one who is holding [playing] can influence it but of course we have to test it, that is quite obvious.”

United are targeting a first trophy for six years, with Ten Hag hoping they can end that long wait. “It’s a great opportunity to get the silverware in, it’s all about that, it’s about glory and honour in football,” he said.

“We deserve to play the final and now we have a great opportunity to win the cup so we have to do everything to get that cup to Manchester. You feel it, it’s clear – the fans are really waiting for it, so we do everything we can to give the fans their honour.”

Marcus Rashford is due to be assessed on Friday after suffering a knock in Thursday’s 2-1 comeback win over Barcelona in the Europa League at Old Trafford, when he had to be substituted late on and walked off gingerly.

“I don’t know,” Ten Hag said when asked if Rashford will be fit for Sunday. “So, players now are coming in. We have to do investigations, medical of course. Yesterday we did but so straight after the game most of the time you can’t say. We have to wait for a 100 per cent diagnosis, so we have to wait.”

Striker Anthony Martial has been ruled out of the game by Ten Hag while long-term injury victims Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek are also missing.