Manchester United ban prominent journalist from Erik ten Hag's press conference

United players leak personal information to banned journalists

Several well-known journalists were prohibited by Manchester United from attending Erik ten Hag’s press conference on Tuesday ahead of their Premier League clash against Chelsea.

Rob Dawson of ESPN, David McDonnell of The Mirror, lead reporter Kaveh Solekhol of Sky Sports, and senior Manchester United reporter Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News were each denied access to this afternoon’s news briefing.

Director of operations for United, Andrew Ward, issued the directive in response to their media outlets’ portrayal of the team’s disappointing start to the campaign.

United confirmed they had ‘taken action against several news organisations not for publishing stories we don’t like, but for doing so without contacting us first to allow us to comment, challenge or contextualise’.

Trending World Football Articles:

• Top five most valuable squads in football
• Top 10 players with biggest rating upgrade in EA FC 24
• Ranking the favourites to win Best FIFA Men’s Player Award 2023
• Top five favourites to win Serie A 2023-24 based on odds
• Top 10 footballers who were banned for doping

‘We believe this is an important principle to defend and we hope it can lead to a re-set in the way we work together,’ the club added. 

It’s unclear if Ten Hag will be speaking to the media during today’s press conference, which is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m., or if the suspension will apply to all upcoming manager conferences until additional notice is given.

The MEN claims that Ward, who joined the team in 2019, has previously barred reporters from questioning Ten Hag due to what they saw as unfavourable press. Ward has been contacted by Mail Sport for comment.

This week, several publications said that because of United’s poor performance thus far this season, the team’s stars are beginning to lose faith in Ten Hag.

Despite spending over £180 million during the summer transfer window, United has already dropped 10 games, even though they have been struggling with injuries to several important players.

The MEN revealed on Tuesday that several veteran players, notably Mason Mount, who signed for £60 million, Rasmus Hojlund, a Danish striker for £72 million, and Antony, who signed for £82 million from Ajax, were taken aback by the Dutch manager’s calibre of acquisitions. They maintain that the narrative was ‘well-sourced’.

Ten Hag’s go-to term, “didn’t follow the rules,” which he frequently used to characterise his team’s efforts in post-match interviews, was also removed, according to the article.

Ten Hag is dealing with unrest in the locker room and faces increased scrutiny after Saturday’s poor performance against Newcastle, which they lost for the tenth time this season.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.