Press conference and other interviews thread

[IRN-BRUno]

Everton press conference:

Ten Hag on team news

"That's the good news, they [Rashford and Evans] recovered after the derby, so they are available, the rest is the same squad apart from Omari Forson. He dropped out, he has an injury."

Ten Hag gives an update on Mount

"Mason Mount I think he is in a good spell now and he will return shortly, I think after the international break. For next week, some players are planning to return, hopefully when the process will continue like it is now, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka I expect them to be available for our game against Liverpool. Hojlund as well."

Ten Hag on his second season

"We want to be successful, we need to be successful, sometimes seasons are going like we are now in but we don't accept that, we will fight, we have problems and have had problems with the squad injury wise but with the players available we will fight, it doesn't matter who is the opposition, we go for the win."

Is the priority the FA Cup or Premier League?

"The project is going in the right direction when we have the players available. Top football is about winning games, we're working, keep working on better performances, we want to play on maximum levels and when the players are available, good players, in key positions you miss players who have a very high impact on the way we want to play."

Have you underachieved or overachieved?

"No team can deal with so many injuries, I think we played to maximum levels if you take in respect the availability of the players, we missed so many key players over the part of the season, the performances we have seen when the players are available in January and February the performances are very good. When the players were not even fit they could do even better."

Ten Hag on Hojlund absence

"I have to do it, we have to do it with the players available. I will never complain about that. We have to get the best out of it, that is our aim."

Ten Hag on injuries again

"It tells that we are in the right direction. So imagine we had many more players available and not setbacks and injuries, could easy have 75 wins and that tells the bright future of this team. When you compare it with other managers, other teams, or previous managers in this big club you can see there is a bright future. It is a good balance in ages in this squad. Young players, middle aged players, imagine when they are available, could easily have won from 100 games 75. It is a big difference with the stats you mentioned."

 

[IRN-BRUno]

Liverpool press conference:

Trio set to return on Sunday

"We had a good week. The players you mention (Hojlund, Maguire and Wan-Bissaka) returned on the pitch, partly at the start of the week and today they had a session and are all training. I think [they will be fit to play]. Tomorrow we have one session. We have to see how they recover from this but it looks good."

More positive injury news

"Tom Heaton is back as well, also very good. Mason Mount trained all week with us, he had some full sessions with us, so it's looking good."

Response issued to PSG and Rashford rumours

"We did not sign him last season for four years with the intention to sell him now."

Relishing taking on Liverpool

"Some games are bigger than others. United vs Liverpool is always a big game, especially in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. We are looking forward [to it].|"

Needing the fans to turn up the volume

"They are very eager for us to win this. There are more Liverpool fans [bigger away allocation than normal], so we need them to be really loud."

Need to be at their best

"If you want to win, which we do, [you have to be good]. We need our best to beat them."

On Liverpool

"They are very consistent. They play good football, have very good performances and get very good results."

Are United or Liverpool favourites?

"It is a difficult one. I never think about this. It starts on zero. We are ready and I don't think about the opposition. I respect them, as I do every opposition. We know where their strengths are and where their weaknesses are."

Is Sunday a chance to build some momentum?

"On Sunday we have another good opportunity to get the momentum. I think the players, the team, have shown lately since January onwards we have had a lot of good games with a lot of wins. We feel the momentum. I think they have that belief, good confidence and good spirit."

 

[Sassy Colin]

Embargoed section:

 

[Sassy Colin]

 

[Sassy Colin]

https://youtube.com/shorts/fH6XeS5m7Iw?si=iVYwA7W2tBoN52i4

 

[IRN-BRUno]

Brentford press conference:

Ten Hag on Martinez

"Yes, there is a chance [back in squad]. We have missed him every game because he brings a composure in the team, a calmness in the team. At the same time, a winning attitude and he can express this very clearly. He can transfer that into the team and that contributes a lot to our levels."

Ten Hag on other team news

"There are players returning, they are back on the pitch they are back in team training. We have one more training now. But it is most likely that we have some players back in the squad."

Ten Hag on Shaw

"Yes, I expect him back before the end of the season, he is still on schedule and will return to our team."

Ten Hag on mood during the break

"It was a wonderful break. It is always good to go with a win into an international break, definitely with such a win. Players go on international duties, are in other teams, playing styles, systems, now they return and we have to get back where we were. Get them back in our way of play, get them back in our team. Yesterday we started this process, it's a short slot but we will be ready tomorrow.”

Ten Hag on Mainoo

"I thought it was very good [display for England] but we are not surprised. We know what he is capable of, he can very quickly adapt to high levels. It looks very natural and we are very happy for him."

Ten Hag is proud of Mainoo

“Of course, we are also very [proud], it's great for the academy of Manchester United to bring up a player so young going into the national team, it's a big compliment for the whole club. For himself because he did it but also all the ones who worked with him during his time in the academy, it's very good news for Manchester United. Yes but we have discussed this before. So far, he handles it very well and if he crosses the line, of course, I as a manager, we as coaches, will interfere."

Mainoo continued

“But so far it is not necessary because he wants to play football, he wants to win, he wants to give his best every day because he wants to improve, he just wants to have fun on the pitch. Fun for him is to play dominant, to dictate the game and win the game.”

 

[Sassy Colin]

Embargoed section:

 

[IRN-BRUno]

Chelsea press conference:

Any other injuries?

"No more issues, we don't need. On the frontline and midfield we are okay and we have options there but in the backline we have a lack of options but the good thing is back in training this afternoon is Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans. Yesterday Harry Maguire was back in training."

Why so many muscular injuries?

"We have an idea but we will work on it. Internally, we will deal with it."

Want to share that idea?

"No."

Ten Hag on Brentford result

"I am long enough in football to know and some of you should also understand why such things happen. Sometimes you are not playing good but we are Manchester United, you have to win and you cannot give it away like we did, that was the biggest disappointment for me. We keep going."

Ten Hag on handling the players

"It depends on the situation you are in as a team, also how the players see it, how they express it on the pitch, then you take a strategy, how to handle this."

Ten Hag on injuries again

"You can't prevent, it's not only us who've had this, the standards of the Premier League from an intensity perspective are so high, the overload of the schedule, international football is so huge, we have internationals in our squad. City, Liverpool and Newcastle have problems, many other teams. In this moment, especially the defensive department but the midfield and frontline the players are available."

Has the schedule forced changes?

"We don't train because we recover then you go up to the next game."

Will Mount start against Chelsea?

"He's a fantastic football player but it's important first that he is getting and keeping fit because he has had three injuries. Like with Licha, another injury, you want to avoid and we have to do this carefully. The first objective is to keep him fit. Then he can benefit and contribute to the team like he did on Saturday when he had a big impact."

Ten Hag on Chelsea

"It's a tough competition, it's very tight and also a lot about which players are available and not. When you are on the right side of the line you can have a successful season but when on the wrong side you can have a much more difficult season. For the rest they have a fantastic team, fantastic players and play very good football, they can beat anyone and have shown in this league."

 

[Glorio]

When he says the trend has been good since January (I notice that's not in the quotes above), that really worries me. It comes across like he's happy hiding behind results regardless of performances. If Brentford hadn't equalised, I suppose we'd chalk that up to the good trend too

 

[miliebrowndivorceattorney]

When he says the trend has been good since January (I notice that's not in the quotes above), that really worries me. It comes across like he's happy hiding behind results regardless of performances. If Brentford hadn't equalised, I suppose we'd chalk that up to the good trend too

..as a result, as part of catching Spurs and Villa..how would a win not be chalked up as a good trend resultswise? Some people just don't want to see United win it seems.

 

[FrankDrebin]

I think fans want to watch United finally perform and show everyone that we're finally heading in the right direction on the pitch.
We've been bereft of a consistent, rounded performance from this club for what seems like a eternity this season.

Wins are great obviously but, Christ, I love to see a actual impressive showing.

 

[P-Nut]

I think fans want to watch United finally perform and show everyone that we're finally heading in the right direction on the pitch.
We've been bereft of a consistent, rounded performance from this club for what seems like a eternity this season.

Wins are great obviously but, Christ, I love to see a actual impressive showing.

Yeah this is what I see as everyone's main issue this season, the team has looked crap from the first game of the season until now.

I think our best perfomance was against Palace in the cup when they looked like they didn't even want to be there.

 

[Glorio]

..as a result, as part of catching Spurs and Villa..how would a win not be chalked up as a good trend resultswise? Some people just don't want to see United win it seems.

I'm not talking about results. He wasn't specifically talking about results either. Are we playing well in your opinion? Has there been an upward trend in performances?

 

[Sassy Colin]

Embargoed section:

 

[Sassy Colin]

Bryan Robson interview:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...terview-cantona-jude-bellingham-join-man-utd/

 

[IRN-BRUno]

Bournemouth press conference:

Ten Hag on McTominay and Rashford fitness

"Scott: I don't think so. We have training, so we have a day, he will push, he is so keen to be a part of it tomorrow, so it's very questionable. And then Rashford: Rashy trained yesterday, so how he recovered from it today, we have another training today and then we will make a decision on it."

Ten Hag on the back four

"It's very difficult [to keep changing back four]. So everyone who has a little (emphasises little with hand gesture) bit of knowledge about football - a little - they know it will affect your results and performances. Back four is always the foundation to get results. We didn't have that. But we still have to win, we know that, so then others have to take responsibility but when you oversee then you know it has a negative impact."

West Ham interest in Maguire

"You have to see it in that perspective. We were always happy with Harry Maguire but he wants to play. He's a great leader, he's a very good defender, very comfortable on the ball. When I count all of those abilities, just now when we are on our defending line we have our problems, he is even more important to lead that line, to make us play from the back. So we are very pleased he is there and we need him to get our results and achieve our targets."

Ten Hag on Bournemouth's win at Old Trafford

"It was after a very good performance against Chelsea in the week. We were mentally not ready for that [Bournemouth 3-0 in December] game. They battled us and we lost the battles. Tomorrow will not be different, that is the way they want to play. They want to fight with you. So you go into that fight, have the conviction, the belief and you need to support each other to win battles, to outplay them, outrun them and defending to match the runs."

Ten Hag on Murtough's departure

"You mention something there for the new season, I think it's very important that the new ownership is working on this, they have to replace his function to go into a new season. For the moment, of course, I miss his support, the surround support, you miss that. But he moved on, he has made choices. We worked very good together. I say thank you to John and wish him all the best for the future."

Will Murtough's exit have an impact on you?

"No [it won't affect plans]. For me, as I said previously, I work with the new ownership very good, closely together. It will not change, it doesn't have an impact on the way I can work here. The conditions were perfect, they are still perfect. I am happy with that but we want to set the right conditions to be successful."

 

[Sassy Colin]

Embargoed section:

 

[E-mal]

I still don’t get how we are so open and easy to play against, surely a manager worth his money can identify this as a problem and fix it by now.
You want to support this manager but then see how we play and find it difficult to continue to support him

 

[Sassy Colin]

I still don’t get how we are so open and easy to play against, surely a manager worth his money can identify this as a problem and fix it by now.
You want to support this manager but then see how we play and find it difficult to continue to support him

This is how Ten Hag plays, it was the same at Ajax. Hopefully, if can get the right personnel, it may finally start to click and we'll be unbeatable!

 

[E-mal]

This is how Ten Hag plays, it was the same at Ajax. Hopefully, if can get the right personnel, it may finally start to click and we'll be unbeatable!

Cant build a winning team playing like that. That style of football belongs to the 90's. May be he played like that at Ajax but they where so much better than the rest and no good teams to punish them for being open. Cant play like that in the EPL.

His football is so naive

 

[Sassy Colin]

Post match press conference, Ezzer walks out: