Erik ten Hag explains why he lifted green and gold Glazers protest scarf
Erik ten Hag has insisted he was being 'polite' rather than joining in Manchester United fans' protests when he lifted a green and gold scarf on Sunday.
Green and gold - the original colours of the club when they were known as Newton Heath - have long symbolised anti-Glazer sentiment.
Thousands of fans marched through Manchester in protest against the Glazers prior to Sunday's 1-0 win over Aston Villa.
Man Utd are currently in talks over a potential sale, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani the frontrunners for a takeover. However, the Glazers could yet stay on in some capacity.
Ten Hag was thrown a green and gold scarf following the win when heading for the tunnel, and he lifted it up to cheering fans in the Stretford End before giving it back.
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Speaking to the press about his decision to raise up the green and gold protest scarf, Ten Hag admitted that, while he knew what the scarf represented, he was merely being polite.
"No, it was just polite. But I know what’s going around, what the symbol of it is, but this matter was just polite," he stated.
Man Utd takeover latest
As mentioned, Man Utd fans could be set to get their wish with regards to the club's ownership as the Glazers are currently mulling over two main bids to purchase the Red Devils.
Sheikh Jassim launched a world-record bid for a sports team to buy Man Utd following the final deadline for offers last Friday.
Ratcliffe's bid technically values the club even higher than Sheikh Jassim's offer, but this is to only gain a controlling stake and the Glazers could remain at Man Utd alongside him.
Man Utd are still also considering minority investment.
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