Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer defend tense BBC interview with Erik ten Hag

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer defended their robust questioning of Erik ten Hag during BBC coverage of Manchester United’s shock FA Cup triumph.

Some United fans “took umbrage” at Lineker and Shearer on social media after Ten Hag was questioned about his future just minutes after lifting the trophy.

But as the former England strikers appeared on their podcast, Shearer said he was “well within my rights” to scrutinise United’s “embarrassing” eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.

Shearer had told Ten Hag on the Wembley touchline: “You have a team out there who have shown a great attitude, great ability, who have won every single tackle. That hasn’t always been the case, though, has it?”

While many viewers praised the pair’s line of questioning, on Monday Lineker said to Shearer on The Rest is Football podcast:

“People took a bit of umbrage to our questioning and your answer to Erik ten Hag.

“He came over and he didn’t seem very happy right from the start. I think he also had a pop at Roy Keane, so he obviously had something in his mind when he came over.

“I asked the question, ‘Do you think you’ve been unfairly treated by pundits, and even us?’ Obviously, it’s our job to be critical on occasion, we have to say what we think. And then he replied saying ‘definitely’, and then you challenged him didn’t you?”