Carragher exposes the truth behind Ten Hag’s controversial Sky Sports interview – Man United were behind it

In a stunning revelation that peels back the curtain on the relationship between top-tier clubs and broadcasters, Jamie Carragher has admitted that a famous 2022 interview with Erik ten Hag was “staged” by Manchester United.

The interview in question, broadcast on Sky Sports ahead of a crucial fixture against Liverpool in August 2022, is often remembered for the intense grilling the Dutchman received from pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.

At the time, Ten Hag was navigating a disastrous start to his tenure, having lost his opening two games to Brighton and Brentford, the latter a humiliating 4-0 defeat.

While viewers believed they were watching broadcasters hold a failing manager to account, Carragher has now revealed the segment was actually a calculated move orchestrated by the club itself.

The admission came during an exchange on X. Carragher, who has recently faced accusations of bias regarding his criticism of current Liverpool boss Arne Slot, was challenged by a fan regarding Sky Sports’ access to managers.

In a moment of candid transparency, the former Liverpool defender quoted the fan to set the record straight, dropping a bombshell about the reality of football media.

“This interview was set up by the Man Utd press office not Sky Sports!! ETH first two games had gone horribly wrong so the idea was to help him by speaking to us about football. We asked tough questions so it didn’t look like what it was, a set up!!”

When Liverpool ask us!
This interview was set up by the Man Utd press office not Sky Sports!!
ETH first two games had gone horribly wrong so the idea was to help him by speaking to us about football. We asked tough questions so it didn’t look like what it was, a set up!!

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) November 24, 2025

Carragher’s revelation completely reframes the narrative of that broadcast. Far from being an ambush by Sky Sports to capitalise on United’s misery, the sit-down was a lifeline thrown by Old Trafford’s communication team.

The goal was to allow Ten Hag to demonstrate his tactical acumen and regain credibility in the eyes of the public.

At the time, the strategy appeared to work.

The “tough” questioning gave the impression of rigorous scrutiny, satisfying angry fans who wanted answers, while simultaneously giving Ten Hag a platform to articulate his vision without the chaotic environment of a standard post-match press conference.

Following the interview, United went on to beat Liverpool 2-1, a result that kickstarted Ten Hag’s first season and eventually led to a third-place finish and a Carabao Cup trophy.

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