Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag had a heartfelt conversation with Graham Coughlan, the head coach of Newport.
After giving Graham Coughlan a £230 bottle of red wine, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag discovered that his Newport counterpart disliked the beverage. After the game, Ten Hag graciously greeted Coughlan and gave him the bottle, which Red Devils legend Sir Alex Ferguson had personally chosen.
United avoided a significant FA Cup upset victory over the League Two team. The massive Premier League teams were pushed back to 2-2 early in the second half after taking an early 2-0 lead.
Rasmus Hojlund and Antony’s late goals ensured United’s advancement to the fifth round, where they will take on Nottingham Forest or Bristol City. Ten Hag gave Coughlan credit for his team’s performance.
Ten Hag approached Boyhood United supporter Coughlan following his post-game media duties. After shaking his opponent’s hand, the Dutchman said, “We have a small gift for you.”
Ten Hag gave Coughlan an expensive bottle of Antinori Tignanello 2013, which sells for £230. The manager of United claimed that his illustrious predecessor Ferguson had chosen it.
To which Coughlan replied in jest, “Excellent. I don’t drink wine, you know that? I sip Budweiser.
Ten Hag laughed along with the joke, saying, “Really, Budweiser? American-made beer? However, Sir Alex picked this one, and it’s really excellent, so perhaps your wife will like it.
Take a taste, maybe; I think you’ll like it. Excellent work for tonight.
Later, Coughlan discussed the interaction with the media, saying, “Don’t tell him I don’t like red wine! He gave me a nice little bottle of it!
However, we exchanged a few words after that. He gave us his congratulations, expressed gratitude for our hospitality, and talked about the difficult times this club has faced over the years.
Growing up, Coughlan was a supporter of United and said he encouraged Ten Hag. The former Ajax manager has had a challenging season, losing nine games in the Premier League and being eliminated in the group stages of the Champions League.
“At this point, it’s difficult for him,” the 47-year-old continued. “We had to stay in there, so I told him to stick with it. At times, we had to display character and tenacity, and he needs to do the same at Manchester United. I sent him my best wishes.
Coughlan remarked, “It’s unfortunate we weren’t quite able to reach our cup final which would have been a replay at Manchester United,” in response to his team’s valiant performance. That was our goal.
“I believed we had them at 2-2. They were acting in an unusual way, and I felt like they were shook. We didn’t test the keeper; we just needed a moment to happen, a moment of quality.
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