Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer will be covering the FA Cup for the BBC this weekend, where they'll hope they won't spark the wrath of viewers like they did at last year's final
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Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer hit back over furious response to Erik ten Hag interview
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer hit back at the furious response to their Erik ten Hag interview
(Image: BBC)
The FA Cup quarter-finals get underway on Saturday, with two teams set to seal their place in the semis at Wembley Stadium.
The action gets underway with Fulham's London derby fixture against Crystal Palace at midday, while Brighton and Nottingham Forest will be broadcast on BBC later in the afternoon. Leading BBC Sport's coverage will be the familiar face of Gary Lineker, with Alan Shearer expected to return to the gantry on commentary duty.
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The two former England strikers will no doubt seek a less controversial FA Cup weekend compared to last year, where they faced the wrath of Manchester United supporters. Shearer and Lineker last season covered United’s shock 2-1 victory over rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
During their post-game analysis, the veteran broadcasters didn't hold back from addressing the team's poor performances throughout the season, or in posing challenging questions to United's then-head coach Erik ten Hag.
A section of Red Devils supporters were quick to voice their disapproval on social media, criticising the pair for what they felt were overly critical remarks in the wake of such a significant triumph. But the Match of the Day icons stood firmly by their approach when discussing the backlash on The Rest Is Football podcast.
"People took a bit of umbrage to our questioning and your answer to Erik ten Hag," Lineker said to Shearer. "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."
Lineker added: "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?"
Shearer replied: "Yeah. He's entitled to have a pop back because he's been criticised at times and I think rightly so, because his team have been miles off it. They've been poor. They've had a disastrous season in terms of the league.
Alan Shearer and Erik ten Hag speaking after the FA Cup final in May
Shearer's questioning and tone were deemed inappropriate
"I don't think any Man Utd fan would argue that. To finish eighth, to finish with the number of goals they've conceded, shots against, it's embarrassing.
"So for all of those things we've had to criticise them this season. If we didn't we wouldn't be doing our job. But he's entitled to have the hump with people who he feels are being unfair, but I felt I was well within my rights [to say what I said]."
The heated exchange, which took place last May, saw the then-United boss appear visibly irritated with Lineker and Shearer. He lashed out at the duo during the interview, taking offence at the nature of their questioning and even telling them to "calm down".
Shearer had turned a positive comment about United's Wembley display into a broader critique of their season's performances. And Lineker boldly questioned whether the manager, who was eventually sacked from his role in October 2024, had just overseen his final match for the club.
"You are very good here in England to push players and managers very high, and then you hammer them when they have one or two bad performances," Ten Hag told them. "I think you should be more calm."
Ten Hag had also hit back at ITV pundit Keane after the FA Cup victory. "We have to improve much more," Ten Hag told Keane and, when the Irishman appeared to scoff, Ten Hag jokingly turned to him and said: "Hey, hey, you had trouble to manage a team. So..."
Keane took the jibe in jest and said: "I won a Championship with Sunderland, so give me some praise. Come on, don't be too harsh on me." Ten Hag laughed and replied: "You did, as well."