Recently, Manchester United banned Sky Sports, The Mirror, Manchester Evening News (MEN), and ESPN journalists from Erik ten Hag’s press conference following reports on players’ trust issues with the manager. Afterward, there was a lot of hubbub worldwide regarding restricting the media from asking questions and reporting. Now, one of the banned media outlets from the presser, Manchester Evening News, has hit back at the Premier League team and come up with a fiery reply.
They said that Manchester United should introspect for the cause of such reports instead of punishing journalists. Let’s dive in to find details.
Manchester United vs Manchester Evening News
MEN says they report on important organizations, like football clubs, responsibly. They check and source their stories, acknowledging their duty to readers who trust them to share accurate information. In their response Sarah Lester wrote, “Manchester United is a Mancunian institution. It’s a privilege to have them on our doorstep and to cover them minutely. But we are not on the club’s payroll.”
Sarah shared the importance of the presser, “It’s at press conferences where our journalists get the chance to ask questions on behalf of all these supporters.” MEN added, “That said, we largely have a productive relationship with Manchester United and we want that to continue. Our role is that of a concerned friend. Our preference is to move on. We suggest United looks closer to home for the sources of the disquiet – rather than shooting the messenger.”
Indeed, it’s not the right thing to ban the media outlet, which acts as a spotlight on the team. Prominent media houses keep discussions and hype about the players flowing. If there’s an issue with the reporting, the team can address it at the presser instead of silencing voices, which is not a wise move.
Ten Hag is under additional scrutiny following his poor performance at Newcastle on Saturday. They suffered their tenth defeat of the season, causing division in the locker room. With these issues, there is a question about whether the team is in the right environment for the upcoming tournament. And now it will be interesting to see what the club has to say responding to the media house’s.
