https://www.espn.com/soccer/manches...e-signingsgoals-for-premier-league-seasonmore
I'll pick out some things i found interesting
Is there a chance [Jadon] Sancho and [Raphael] Varane could play against Leeds United?
OGS: They still haven't trained with us, and I need to see how they are. I can't see them being available for Everton [this weekend], but hopefully they will be ready to be on the bench [against Leeds].
You've said you couldn't have asked for more backing from the club this summer. Does that then increase the pressure on you?
OGS: There's always pressure here to win the league and to win trophies. For me, it's the pressure I put on myself and the pressure the players put on themselves to achieve the best you can. That the board also wanted to extend my contract is proof we're going in the right direction, but we have to keep on moving in the right direction.
You still feel that pressure that if you don't start well next season, there could be questions about your future?
OGS: You feel under pressure all the time. At this club, with this responsibility, it's not just clinging onto your job; it's about the responsibility that's in my hands. We've got millions of fans, the players, the club, the staff... and the responsibility is on getting results. As long as you get results and improve, that's what I felt that we've improved all the time. As long as you can see improvement.
We've gone from third to second [in the Premier League] and a lot closer in points; we've gone from three semifinals to a final and one kick away from winning, so it's about taking the next step now. That's the challenge.
With the new arrivals, is this squad now strong enough to win the Premier League?
OGS: I'd rather be an optimist and be wrong than be a pessimist and be right. Of course these boys can, with a maximum effort, maximum season and maximum sacrifice. Every day is a chance to get closer to our target, and that's to come together as a team to give yourself a chance to win every game. But every day is also a chance to step backwards, so it's down to us as a coaching staff, but also the players, to keep improving.
Will we see any outgoings before the deadline? Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Diogo Dalot are all part of the squad here in Scotland after going out on loan last season...
OGS: We need a big squad. The start is important, the whole season is important, but you need to arrive in April and May fresh and with enough options. Some might go on loan until Christmas, some might go for a season, but I don't want to be too light in any position.
There seems to be an assumption one of the goalkeepers will leave because you already had David De Gea and Dean Henderson, and you've also brought in Tom Heaton this summer.
OGS: It depends on the characters you've got and how they gel. It's healthy competition. If you're too comfortable, I don't think you get the best out of yourself. You need an edge, and you need an edge of "if I don't perform, someone else is going to take my place," but it has to be healthy for the team and healthy for the group. If it's toxic and it's energy-sapping, that's not great.
Last year, it was a new situation for David and a new situation for Dean. This year, let's see how it works out.
Gary Neville said last season that as a defender, he always preferred to know who the first-choice goalkeeper was...
OGS: I enjoyed having one first-choice right-back when I played, but I never had one!
It would have been easy for you to say last summer "just get me a right winger." You also refused to "panic-buy" a striker when Romelu Lukaku left in 2019.
OGS: That's been communication and dialogue, and a plan. We know that this is what we need, and it might take a little bit longer, which means there's no point signing someone for the sake of signing someone. Yeah, we brought Odion [Ighalo] in on loan to give Anthony [Martial] a bit of a rest in certain games in that season, but it was important that we did because then Mason [Greenwood] kept developing. You know what you've got and if I suddenly signed someone who blocked the path of a young kid then we've lost a striker or forward in two or three years to come.
I manage for the club. I don't manage for me or the players, I manage for the club, and that's the whole job, to do the best for the club and not for me. That will never be me.
And finally, what are your expectations for this season?
OGS: That we get to April and May challenging. Challenging in the league, challenging in the cups we're in and hopefully then there's another cup, there's been a final. We've lost in the semis as well, so of course we want to challenge for trophies. That's the aim.
Overall a positive interview i think. He says all the right thing so i do still think he needs to be a bit more decisivie with certain sales/decisions (gk for eg) Would love nothing more than for him to prove me wrong and for us to win the league or cl this year.
I'll pick out some things i found interesting
Is there a chance [Jadon] Sancho and [Raphael] Varane could play against Leeds United?
OGS: They still haven't trained with us, and I need to see how they are. I can't see them being available for Everton [this weekend], but hopefully they will be ready to be on the bench [against Leeds].
You've said you couldn't have asked for more backing from the club this summer. Does that then increase the pressure on you?
OGS: There's always pressure here to win the league and to win trophies. For me, it's the pressure I put on myself and the pressure the players put on themselves to achieve the best you can. That the board also wanted to extend my contract is proof we're going in the right direction, but we have to keep on moving in the right direction.
You still feel that pressure that if you don't start well next season, there could be questions about your future?
OGS: You feel under pressure all the time. At this club, with this responsibility, it's not just clinging onto your job; it's about the responsibility that's in my hands. We've got millions of fans, the players, the club, the staff... and the responsibility is on getting results. As long as you get results and improve, that's what I felt that we've improved all the time. As long as you can see improvement.
We've gone from third to second [in the Premier League] and a lot closer in points; we've gone from three semifinals to a final and one kick away from winning, so it's about taking the next step now. That's the challenge.
With the new arrivals, is this squad now strong enough to win the Premier League?
OGS: I'd rather be an optimist and be wrong than be a pessimist and be right. Of course these boys can, with a maximum effort, maximum season and maximum sacrifice. Every day is a chance to get closer to our target, and that's to come together as a team to give yourself a chance to win every game. But every day is also a chance to step backwards, so it's down to us as a coaching staff, but also the players, to keep improving.
Will we see any outgoings before the deadline? Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Diogo Dalot are all part of the squad here in Scotland after going out on loan last season...
OGS: We need a big squad. The start is important, the whole season is important, but you need to arrive in April and May fresh and with enough options. Some might go on loan until Christmas, some might go for a season, but I don't want to be too light in any position.
There seems to be an assumption one of the goalkeepers will leave because you already had David De Gea and Dean Henderson, and you've also brought in Tom Heaton this summer.
OGS: It depends on the characters you've got and how they gel. It's healthy competition. If you're too comfortable, I don't think you get the best out of yourself. You need an edge, and you need an edge of "if I don't perform, someone else is going to take my place," but it has to be healthy for the team and healthy for the group. If it's toxic and it's energy-sapping, that's not great.
Last year, it was a new situation for David and a new situation for Dean. This year, let's see how it works out.
Gary Neville said last season that as a defender, he always preferred to know who the first-choice goalkeeper was...
OGS: I enjoyed having one first-choice right-back when I played, but I never had one!
It would have been easy for you to say last summer "just get me a right winger." You also refused to "panic-buy" a striker when Romelu Lukaku left in 2019.
OGS: That's been communication and dialogue, and a plan. We know that this is what we need, and it might take a little bit longer, which means there's no point signing someone for the sake of signing someone. Yeah, we brought Odion [Ighalo] in on loan to give Anthony [Martial] a bit of a rest in certain games in that season, but it was important that we did because then Mason [Greenwood] kept developing. You know what you've got and if I suddenly signed someone who blocked the path of a young kid then we've lost a striker or forward in two or three years to come.
I manage for the club. I don't manage for me or the players, I manage for the club, and that's the whole job, to do the best for the club and not for me. That will never be me.
And finally, what are your expectations for this season?
OGS: That we get to April and May challenging. Challenging in the league, challenging in the cups we're in and hopefully then there's another cup, there's been a final. We've lost in the semis as well, so of course we want to challenge for trophies. That's the aim.
Overall a positive interview i think. He says all the right thing so i do still think he needs to be a bit more decisivie with certain sales/decisions (gk for eg) Would love nothing more than for him to prove me wrong and for us to win the league or cl this year.
