Erik ten Hag’s secret bust-up with Luke Shaw and the role Al Pacino played in saving Man Utd manager from sack

ERIK TEN HAG allegedly had a secret row with Luke Shaw and used Al Pacino to help him save his Manchester United job.

Last night it emerged that the Dutchman, 54, had received the thumbs up to stay on at Old Trafford following a two-week end-of-season review.

GettyHollywood legend Al Pacino played an unlikely role in saving Erik ten Hag’s job[/caption]

PAThe Dutch coach also had a row with Luke Shaw[/caption]

After months of uncertainty over his job amid their dismal Premier League and European campaign, his FA Cup victory over Man City last month helped to save him.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe performed a dramatic U-turn by not only sticking with Ten Hag but also opening talks on a new deal with the United boss despite the fact that he and his Ineos team sounded out a number of potential managers to replace him.

Ten Hag endured a rocky season both-on-and-off the pitch, including his high-profile public bust-up with Jadon Sancho that led to the winger being sent to Dortmund on loan.

But The Telegraph has now claimed that was not the only argument he had – but his flexibility impressed chiefs.

They claim that Ten Hag, whose influence on transfers has also been questioned, had “a heated altercation with Luke Shaw” that “could have festered if the mood had been toxic”.

It occurred when the left-back requested to continue his injury rehab overseas for a short period “but, when the manager refused, a row broke out” as Shaw “angrily” highlighted that other team-mates had been allowed to.

Shaw’s request would eventually get the greenlight after he suffered a setback in his recovery from the long-term problem, which this report says was “proof the manager was not always as inflexible as sometimes characterised”.

Piers Morgan was one of those to mock the news that he was staying after Ratcliffe’s Ineos finally concluded Ten Hag, who is on holiday in Ibiza with his family, was the right man for the job after looking at the whole campaign and the first team operation.

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Ten Hag, who won the Carabao Cup and finished third in the league during his first season, looked doomed after his side ended the season in eighth spot – the club’s worst Prem finish – and missed out on Champions League football having also been eliminated from that competition at the group stage.

But he led United to FA Cup glory by beating Prem champions and neighbours City at Wembley on May 25.

And this fresh report in The Telegraph also reveals a number of key tactics he used to inspire his players to Wembley glory – including Hollywood legend Al Pacino.

Players had received personal messages from their loved ones upon arrival at their hotel in London ahead of the cup final.

But the “previous afternoon they had been shown an edit from the hit US sports movie Any Given Sunday and the iconic motivational speech given by Al Pacino’s character, Tony D’Amato, coach of the fictional Miami Sharks”. 

The infamous speech sees the D’Amato character urging his players to ‘heal as a team’ rather than ‘dying as individuals’.

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Ten Hag “had footage of Pacino’s voiceover and the U2 hit song One cut with footage of every one of his United players in action” played to the squad.

This update says that was evidence that the boss “was not a manager running away from the fight but one impressively corralling his troops in the face of adversity”.

It is believed Ten Hag’s excellent work in developing young players, such as England midfield star Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, went down favourably with chiefs.

It was also appreciated that he had a crippling injury crisis and noted key signings Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund – as well as the injury-struck Mason Mount – will be better following their debut seasons at the club.

Ten Hag is now free to prepare for the upcoming campaign, though, without concerns regarding his future.