Stylish Ten Hag gifts Nieuwpoort boss expensive bottle of wine… but there is a problem
GRAHAM COUGHLAN was presented with an expensive bottle of red wine by Eric Ten Hag – but the Newport boss isn't drinking the stuff.
The Exiles boss – a lifelong Manchester United fan – was proud of his team after they rocked the Premier League giants after pulling back from 2-0 down before falling away at the end to draw 4-2 lost.
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But Ten Hag was impressed by Newport's performance and graciously handed his counterpart a splash.
As Coughlan spoke to the media on the pitch, Ten Hag approached him to shake his hand and give him a bottle of 2013 Antinori Tignanello – which retails for £230 – which had been selected by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Dutchman said: “We have a small present for you.”
Dublin-born Coughlan then jokingly replied: “Brilliant. You know I don't drink wine, I drink Budweiser.
Ten Hag replied: “Really, Budweiser? American beer? But this is a really good choice, chosen by Sir Alex, so maybe your wife will enjoy it.
“Maybe give it a taste, I think you'll like it. Well done for tonight.”
After receiving the gift, Coughlan told SunSport: “He gave me a nice bottle of red wine – but don't tell him I don't like red wine.
“But after that we had a few more words. He congratulated us, thanked us for our hospitality and talked about the tough times this club has had over the years.
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“It's difficult for him at the moment. I told him to stay there because that was what we had to do. We had to show character and resilience at times and that is exactly what he has to do at Man United. I wished him all the best.”
Coughlan said he was disappointed his County team were unable to at least get a draw and set up a big payday repeat at Old Trafford – showing that was the target they had set all the way after they had seen that the winner would face Nottingham Forest. or Bristol city.
He said: “It's a shame we couldn't quite reach our cup final, which would have been a repeat at Manchester United. That's the goal we had
“I thought we had them at 2-2. I thought they were upset, that they were doing things out of character. We just needed a moment to happen, a moment of quality, but we didn't test the goalkeeper.
“The better team won and their Premier League quality was reflected in League Two.
“It was just a shame that when Luke Shaw's effort hit the post it didn't go out of play, except straight to Antony. That was a shame for us.
“You need a bit of luck and it just let us down there, but I'm still proud of this group of players.”
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