Press conference and other interviews thread

His English has improved quite a bit since he started. And he speaks at a very high level, especially for someone that's really only learned English recently.
 
Strootman's Finger said:
His English has improved quite a bit since he started. And he speaks at a very high level, especially for someone that's really only learned English recently.
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He didn't learn English recently, he's Dutch and they learn English to a high standard at school from a young age, he likely hasn't used it much until recently which probably gives the impression he's improving
 
Red in STL said:
He didn't learn English recently, he's Dutch and they learn English to a high standard at school from a young age, he likely hasn't used it much until recently which probably gives the impression he's improving
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He's from a rural area away from the major cities, he learned English in school, but wouldn't use it like someone in Amsterdam. I learned french in school and couldn't speak a lick of it now. He spoke English when he started, but not well, it's pretty widely known he didn't do well in the Tottenham interview because of the language barrier. It's probably more down to confidence vs ability, but he's clearly gotten quite a bit better.
 
More than his English, it's just his personality. I've read he comes across similar in Dutch as well but maybe some resident Dutchies can comment.
 
Embargoed section

We are at the halfway stage of the season, your first season, and you are still fighting on four fronts. Are you ahead of schedule?
"That's good. That's why we need all the players we have here in the squad. To develop them but especially to get the right results out of it. We want to stay in those games and leagues, cups as long as possible and we have to fight for it. I think that is good for the development of the club, if we are ahead or not in the process I don't know but what we do is every day, we have to give our maximum. Every day we have to approach it and say good is not good enough and we have to do better. This is so that we keep going in the progress, and then the progress it is about that and it will never end. We have to approach it like that and if we are ahead or not in the process it is not that important and it is where we are now and we want to win every game, no matter the opponent."

I think you mentioned it there, 10 games in 30 days, its a crazy schedule. How much strain does that put on the players mentally and physically? Do you feel you have the squad to cope with that?
"It's tough, but it is always I feel better to have more games than we have training. Players like to have more games than they train. We are looking forward and I think they have a good spirit and good mood in this dressing room to cope with that."


Harry [Maguire] was suspended for the game other night, and we have seen Luke Shaw play very well at centre-back in the derby. You also have Victor Lindelof there too. Is it a fair question to ask whether he is now fifth choice under you? How big is it to manage Harry as Manchester United captain?
"No he is not fifth choice but I have to say it is up to him. He is training very well, he brings quality and that is what I expect from all the players in the squad. He has to fight for his position in the squad. Things can change and they can also do so sometimes really quickly. He is making progress and I think it is up to him."

Very politely you very rarely pick him, so what does that say, the facts are there?
"That is not completely true."

In big games derbies, Premier League, he never really gets a start?
"That is not true. After the World Cup, he should have played but he got ill. There is nothing I can do about that. He knows that and then you come in [during a good] run, and he has to wait for his chance. They are the laws of top-level football and selection. Then you have to wait for your chance and in the meantime you have to work well to prove the chance is there."


It looks like before the end of January there are unlikely to be anymore signings. Do you know which areas in the summer you would like to strengthen?
"I have an idea. But in the coming days, If I had the opportunity in the comings days [to strengthen], then I would go for it but this is not only up to me. I think at this club, everyday, that has to be the approach. You have to get better and if they are opportunities to get better you have to strike. That is my approach and I am looking, I am looking around with research and I have an idea with the profiles and what profiles we need to strengthen this squad."

Phil Jones's contract is up at the end of the season, has there already been a decision that he will be released at the end of the season?
"There has not been a decision take about that, for the summer. The whole season he has been injured.

Is there any chance he plays again this season?
"I can’t say. What I can say is he is not available for training and hasn't been since the first day of training this season. Then, the opportunity that you recovery quickly also goes."

What has happened with Marcus Rashford? Can you tell us what you have done with him? What have you done and said to him specifically?
"I am not Harry Potter. Confidence [is important] and every player has to make and get his own confidence. He fights for this and he invests in this. With me and my coaching staff, we bring structures and especially with the way of play. That gives him some routines what he needed to get into the right position, but finally it was up to him. If the player has confidence and he is confidence in the way we are working, the environment and the culture are also important. The player can then perform at his best. Marcus is obviously performing at his best at this moment and he is in really good shape, from day-to-day, game-to-game, training-to-training, more and more routines are coming in. I think the frontline also now gives me a positive feeling that they are getting stronger. That gives me the feeling that they can all benefit from each other. In the first part of the season we had many problems in the frontline and we often had games where we didn't even have players who were 100 per cent physically and mentally fit. Now I think it is much more that case and Marcus can now take much more benefit from certain situations."


Did you have to convince him how much of a good player he could become again? I'm sure when you arrived you knew how great of a player he could be?
"I said this to him, yes. But this a question you are better suited to giving to him."

Has Benni McCarthy been a big influence to Marcus and the other strikers on the pitch?
"We also made a construction of the staff, so that all positions are covered. We need different types in the squad from a tactical approach, but also human beings and personality approach. We had to get it right to get the right set-up in our staff. As far as I can see I am really happy with the coaching staff I have here at Manchester United."
 
Obviously wants more players but currently being hamstrung in that regard
 
Forest press conference;

Eriksen reaction
"Of course, he's disappointed, we are disappointed, but it happens in top football, soon it happens, but it did, and you have to deal with it."
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Difficult to sign a new midfielder
"As you said, on deadline day it's difficult, you can't make policy on such bad injuries. But we have players in the midfield department. good players. We have players who can fill the gap."
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Eriksen tough to replace
"I think you can never fill that (gap) because every player has his own characteristics, identity, another player will always fill in a different way, but it doesn't mean you have to be less successful. It's quite clear Christian Eriksen brings top quality to our squad and he has some specifics that are hard to replace, such as his impacts in the final third with his final ball."
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Fred has key role to play
"I think you mentioned already in your first sermon he's playing together with Casemiro in the Brazil squad, there's not a worse squad in the world, they have so many choices they can make, but they play together and that tells something about the quality Fred has and what he can contribute to the team.
"You see against Tottenham and Man City, when he's coming on last game he scores a goal, he has a lot of qualities, and they're a good combination, Casemiro and Fred."
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United players could leave on loan
"Could be, but it depends on certain circumstances. If so, would be likely loans, yeah."
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Chelsea spending on balance of Premier League
"I can't talk for other clubs, I'm talking for our club. We have a strategy, so we keep the strategy where we want to go. We want to restore Manchester United to where they belong.
"We are in a good direction and it also has to match our financial frames. We started the season, we keep consistent to that plan, to that strategy and we are developing as a club, we are developing as a squad in the way of play.
"You see also the results in the process, we make the right progress, we have to keep the process going and keep improving every day."
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Wan-Bissaka progress
"I think Aaron, he was so often ill or injured at the start of the season. He wasn't in the right spirit to contribute. In the restart he was available and he got used to our way of play. I think he has made a good development. He is growing game by game. I am also happy the last games the connection between Aaron and Antony, which made it more difficult for the opponent."
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Weghorst settled well
"First game he is integrating really well. He is doing what I am expecting him to do. The more he plays, the more it will come."
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Sassy Colin said:
Mind games to get more favourable decisions from refs for the 2nd half of the season?
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For me mind games is when you call out another team such as Klopp saying we get too many penalties.

Here ten Hag is looking for protection for his players. A card here and there for the things he mentioned and maybe we don't lose anyone else to awful tackles the rest of the season.
 
Dr. Dwayne said:


He's called out the elbow at Palace and Carroll's tackles!
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That's a good start. PL officials don't do anything unless someone talks about that in media. And given that it is not happening for Pool, the media will not bring it up much.
ETH needs to realize that you sometimes need to call out the clear inconsistencies in referee decisions.
 
Palace press conference:

Ten Hag on Crystal Palace
"We have always to focus on the game, no matter what, it is our job. That is why we are here, we have a lot to do against them, two weeks ago, we had a bad performance there, I wasn't happy with the performance from us, it was 90% focus and energy and we dropped two points. Tomorrow we need a better game, better focus in the game, better conduct in the way of play because we have to beat them because that's quite clear."
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Will Sabitzer be involved tomorrow?
"Yes."
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How good is Sabitzer?
"Very good. Of course, he did only one session but you can see he's a very fit player and I didn't have different expectations coming from Bayern Munich, German, their fitness is always good. I think he is ready to play."
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Varane's retirement from France
"For United, I think it's good news. Rapha, he achieved everything in terms of football club wise but also with his nation, it is incredible what he achieved, big respect and I am happy he puts all his energy and experience into the team."
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Ten Hag on Rashford award
"That's always nice to win individual awards but it's not about that, we have to win as a team. We have to work on that and when the team is winning, individuals will get their rewards, that is always the football and not the other way around."
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Could Sabitzer start?
"I think he's a really smart player and I think we gave him some guidance but he knows what to do, he knows the job."
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Ten Hag on Palace again
"It's always difficult to say before but we know a lot from them, they know a lot about us, we were really unhappy with our game at Crystal Palace so I demand a much better performance than in London, so we have a good chance to win."
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Did you speak to Varane?
"He gave me the information that he was intending to do this. I don't discuss, Rapha is experienced, at an age where he makes his own decision about that, I can only express my deep respect for his career until now but there is a lot to come."
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Leeds press conference:

United - Leeds rivalry and Marsch sacking
"It's about the match of the roses. It's definitely a big, big game. It's part of England. It's big for us. We have Man City, Liverpool but for our fans this game means so much and our players will know what to do.
"Always said if a manager gets sacked, in general I don’t believe in it. Let managers do their work. The pressure is high with decision makers in football clubs but if you see the stats, mostly it doesn’t work out so well."
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Sacking change approach
Definitely, you don't know. We have to be aware of that so when Jesse Marsch was at Leeds it was clear how they played. Now it's possible they change but it's also possible they don't. We will only find out on the pitch tomorrow but we need good anticipation on that so we know what to do.
Anticipation like we had against Villa when Emery came in, we had a week to prepare but not as much this time. We will see but we need to be proactive.
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Injury news
[McTominay and Martial] "They are not involved tomorrow. The same with Antony also not available for tomorrow. We have to sort it out."
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Ten Hag on City
"I don't have [an opinion]. I am not here for regulations. I am a football manager. I stick to that."
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Casemiro appeal consideration
"Consider yeah for me it wasn't the right decision but I don't think we have a chance in a legal process."
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Home form

"It was one of our aims this season to get that back. It's part of the process to restore United to the club they were once. Home is good, away we also have good results but away we show need to show even more personality. That's the next step we have to make to have the same personality away as we do at home. It's great to have the connection with Old Trafford but I think we have to be aware when we play away we have a lot of fans following is. We can do it away. Pitches are the same size. 11 players. We have to grow but we are happy so far and it's a good challenge."
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Impact of Casemiro absence
"I always have to play with the players who are available and we have a squad, we have many good players in our squad who are also not playing in the starting XI and I have to do it. After a game I can't say 'Casemiro is not there, Anthony Martial is not there,' we have to win. United are capable and we have to win the games no matter who is on the pitch."
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Love how he always says something is good but that thing or some other things should be better. Love that kind of mentality, it's been a long time.
 
So no Antony either. Sancho may well have to start. We are looking quite bare bones up top and in midfield :nervous:
 
Alek M said:
What’s wrong with Anthony. Did he get injured in the shove?
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can anyone explain this please? He get‘s bodychecked against Palace, nothing special. Now he is out of the squad, the boss says illness but at the same time he can already say that he will miss Sunday and most probably also Barcelona. No one is ill that long, especially not perfectly ripped sportsmen. Same thing happened after his spin, he disappeared for weeks. What’s behind all that?
 
doomy20 said:
can anyone explain this please? He get‘s bodychecked against Palace, nothing special. Now he is out of the squad, the boss says illness but at the same time he can already say that he will miss Sunday and most probably also Barcelona. No one is ill that long, especially not perfectly ripped sportsmen. Same thing happened after his spin, he disappeared for weeks. What’s behind all that?
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Twitter were saying a leg injury for Antony. Certainly didn't look ill when watching United from the box against Leeds
 
RonaldoVII said:
Twitter were saying a leg injury for Antony. Certainly didn't look ill when watching United from the box against Leeds
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So for Barca looks like we are down all of Lisandro,Sabitzer,Eriksen,McTominay,Antony & Martial as well,bloody good job Casa's suspension doesn't include Europe too
 
croadyman said:
So for Barca looks like we are down all of Lisandro,Sabitzer,Eriksen,McTominay,Antony & Martial as well,bloody good job Casa's suspension doesn't include Europe too
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Why Sabitzer?
 
croadyman said:
So for Barca looks like we are down all of Lisandro,Sabitzer,Eriksen,McTominay,Antony & Martial as well,bloody good job Casa's suspension doesn't include Europe too
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Surprised with that unless I have completely missed it. Didn’t know you could get cup tied for a European competition?
 
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