Erik ten Hag takes swipe at Newcastle United ahead of Carabao Cup final

Manchester United’s manager has labelled Eddie Howe's side as “annoying” ahead of Sunday’s game at Wembley.

While Ten Hag praised Newcastle for their “clear philosophy” and “intensity”, he also pointed the finger at the team for time-wasting.

“I think it’s a great team with a clear philosophy about how they want to play the game,” said Ten Hag. “The key word is intensity. They do really well. They’re an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to win. They try to annoy you. We have to make sure that we play our game – and we focus on our game.”

Asked if his “annoying” comment was in reference to allegations of time-wasting, Ten Hag said: “For instance, the referees want to play effective time. They have the lowest in the league – and they are quite successful with it.

“So, it’s up to us that we get speed in the game, but also we are then dependent on the refereeing as well.”

Opta stats show that Leeds United have had the ball in play marginally less than Howe’s team over the course of the Premier League season.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag’s club haven’t won a trophy in six years, while Newcastle’s last piece of major silverware was the Fairs Cup in 1969.

“It’s a great opportunity to get the silverware in,” said Ten Hag. “It’s all about that glory and honour in football, and we have to do everything to get that cup to Manchester.”