Manchester United Erik Ten Hag on Utd player returns, VAR and Brighton
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00:00 How have the team recovered from yesterday and are you expecting anyone back for Sunday?
00:09 I can't say at this moment, we're working on bringing players back.
00:17 We have seen yesterday, Licia Martinez, she had a good session now as well.
00:23 There were also others on the pitch like Rapha Farahn, Viktor Lindelof, they returned on the pitch.
00:32 We have to see how far they are on Sunday.
00:38 Tomorrow we have off, Saturday we have training and then we will see what we have.
00:43 You've obviously got the FA Cup looming large and before that the England squad announcement was made on Tuesday.
00:49 We have not seen Harry Maguire for a while, we have not seen Luke Shaw for even longer.
00:53 What is the situation, are they going to be available for the Cup final or England at the Euros?
00:58 For England I can't say, it's not up to me.
01:01 But for the Cup final we are working on.
01:04 Harry Maguire, I think it's a fair chance that he will be available.
01:10 We plan him, Luke is more complicated in this moment.
01:16 I don't think it's a less chance that he will make it, but there is still a very small reduced chance.
01:28 Are you able to elaborate on the setback?
01:33 He had a setback and now we have to find out how far he is.
01:41 The last two games, have Amar and Amad given you a selection problem for the FA Cup final?
01:50 Because they have come from nowhere and both produced two really good performances.
01:56 It's internal competition.
01:59 I think they performed well first.
02:04 I think their progression across the season is very good from both.
02:10 Now they deserve the chance, they took the chance.
02:16 It's a luxury problem, which is good.
02:19 That is what I need, what I was waiting for so long.
02:24 Actually I was waiting for the whole season, such a luxury problem.
02:28 We need a squad to win both games.
02:31 Yesterday Wolves released a statement about VAR saying they want to scrap it and the Premier League are obviously going to vote on it.
02:42 What is your view? Can you see a world without VAR?
02:48 Or do you think we are stuck with it and we have to try and make it better?
02:53 I don't think there is a way back.
02:55 In principle it makes football more fair.
03:01 But there are some problems and we have to find solutions for those problems.
03:07 We have to make improvements.
03:10 You mentioned the amount of potential you see in the squad.
03:16 I wonder going forward, especially in the summer, what do you think you need to change or add for the squad to reach that potential?
03:23 I know, I have it in my back head.
03:27 My focus is we have ten days, two very important games.
03:34 Now the focus is on the two games.
03:37 Wayne Rooney was quite critical yesterday after the game about the squad in general, saying there needs to be an overhaul.
03:43 You need to build around Bruno and the young players.
03:45 Do you think that is quite unfair, especially considering the injuries you have had?
03:49 As I say, I look at the two games.
03:54 That is important.
03:56 All the issues will only distract us.
03:59 We know what we are building on and we have to keep this process going.
04:05 But at the same time we have to win games.
04:08 Two very important games.
04:10 So all the focus for me and the team has to be on those two games.
04:15 What do you make of Brighton specifically and how important is a big finish to this Premier League campaign, especially in advance of this FA Cup final?
04:25 Most important is our game.
04:28 It is a typical style of play at Brighton.
04:33 I admire the way they approach the game.
04:37 It is a real challenge.
04:39 So we are really looking forward.
04:41 It is up to us to get the right plan, the right execution, to prepare the team in the best way we can.
04:51 Then it is about the players to get the win.
04:53 No doubt about it, an up and down campaign for yourselves.
04:57 What lessons have you specifically learned about yourself during this campaign?
05:02 I think also that I don't go into a reflection in this moment.
05:09 My focus is on winning those two games.
05:14 I think all the energy I have now has to be in those two games.
05:20 Was the last two games, I know you lost against Arsenal but still the performance was there.
05:28 Did it show the belief that the players are still playing for you?
05:34 Often when there is a run of bad results they say 'oh he is not playing for the manager' but that was an example that they were.
05:39 There was only one very poor performance.
05:44 All the others, there was always a very good spirit.
05:50 I would almost say across the season.
05:53 Across all the problems we had.
05:57 I don't think I have to sum them up again.
05:59 But the spirit in the team, the fighting spirit was always there.
06:05 The dynamic was always there.
06:08 We had also some good performances even when the best players were not available.
06:16 Sometimes, but you know when all the best players are not available and you have to change so many things.
06:24 The patterns are not there, the routines are not there.
06:27 Lately, in the last two games, we are returning some players.
06:32 Players who progressed very well came in the team.
06:35 The performance as you say, we are good in the last two games.
06:39 Do you think it will have been a good learning curve in a way for some of the younger players?
06:44 I mean three of them, each of them scored against Newcastle.
06:48 It has been a tough season but do you think that will make them strong?
06:51 Having to help out when maybe they might not have been able to play?
06:55 Absolutely. Confidence is a great thing.
06:58 In this season, we almost didn't get the turning point where you say,
07:05 "Hey, now we can make a step through."
07:07 I remember the Arsenal game where we played very good.
07:12 In the 87th minute, I thought we would win the game with a goal from Canaccio.
07:16 That could have given a big lift to the team.
07:21 With those beliefs and confidence, you are built on in the next games.
07:26 We never got this but a game like yesterday, of course, this will help.
07:31 Especially young players, there were three very young players on the scoring list.
07:35 It will give them a lot of confidence and belief coming into the next games.
07:41 We saw Marcus Rashford have a bit of a confrontation with a supporter yesterday,
07:48 before the game. The clip has been seen everywhere now.
07:51 I'm just wondering if you can elaborate on what happened and how you think Marcus reacted.
07:55 Was it fair enough for what was said?
07:57 Do you want players to not react in that situation?
08:01 I have seen yesterday, I felt yesterday, there were 68,000 fans.
08:09 3,000 fans from Newcastle.
08:13 Maybe they were negative, they were disappointed.
08:15 But the 68,000 fans were all very enthusiastic.
08:19 They were very positive about the mood, the spirit, the vibe, the ambience in the stadium.
08:27 Which is very good.
08:30 It shows the strong bond we have between the team and the fans.
08:34 Mr Ten Haak, several weeks ago you said you had an idea of what was behind all of the injuries this season.
08:41 Do you have any further information or development on that idea that you can share with us?
08:46 No. I know, but I don't share this.
08:50 It's not for now. It's also not important because we can't change this.
08:55 The coming ten days, it's about those two games.
08:58 The things you can change would be for the future.
09:00 Do you intend to change things for the future?
09:03 That is for the future. That is for across the summer.
09:07 Not for now.
09:09 During pre-season you said you were going to turn Manchester United into the best transition team in the world.
09:13 Is that still your ambition?
09:15 I think we have players in our squad.
09:21 I mean in the attacking transition, we can play very good transitional football.
09:28 I think we showed on many occasions that we did this.
09:32 We are a very quick, direct game. We can set this up and we can take a lot of benefit from it.
09:41 I think we have seen those patterns across the season.
09:45 But the defensive?
09:47 I meant attacking transition. That is what I said.
09:53 Throughout the season the ambition was attacking transition?
09:56 That is what I said.
09:57 But of course, other things. You have to be on top level.
10:03 Possession stuff. You have to keep the ball.
10:07 And also of course, defending. If you want to win games, it starts always.
10:11 That is the foundation. Every win is a good defence.