Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag on Lisandro Martinez injury blow, rebuilding Old Trafford and the challenge of facing Aston Villa
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00:00 Hi Eric, good afternoon. We saw that you lost Lizandre Martinez this week.
00:06 How big a blow is that? Is anyone else close to a return this week?
00:10 Perhaps Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka?
00:13 Yeah, it's a setback of course.
00:18 Licia just returning. You see his contribution to the team when he's playing.
00:24 He brings a part from his technical skills and mentality in the team.
00:31 It's a big setback for Licia. He's very disappointed about it.
00:36 But he's a fighter and he will be back. He will be stronger.
00:40 We think he can still be back by the end of the season.
00:46 There are games to play. As a squad we have to replace him.
00:51 We have very good players in that position who can play there.
00:59 And will play there and will perform there.
01:02 So as a squad we have to deal with it.
01:04 And then the second part of your question.
01:07 Aaron Wan-Bissaka today was training but then he dropped out.
01:12 So I don't know in this moment where he is.
01:16 What is the diagnosis? Hopefully he's not too bad.
01:20 Mason and Ty are not ready to return to the squad.
01:25 Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been quoted as saying he wants Old Trafford to be a Wembley of the North going forward.
01:32 I assume that's music to your ears.
01:35 But as a manager would you welcome changes to the stadium?
01:39 Even if it meant you had to perhaps play away from Old Trafford while the work was done?
01:44 If that is the view then I would say it expresses the ambition of this club which is good.
01:55 But further on it's not my task in this club to deal with stadium questions, with facilities.
02:05 My job is to perform the team, to manage the team, to build the squad.
02:11 In terms of your team, the form has picked up magnificently in recent weeks.
02:18 You're on your longest unbeaten run of the season now.
02:21 And the goals have started coming as well after 18 in your first 18 league games.
02:25 I think you've scored 13 in your last five.
02:28 Were you always confident that would happen?
02:31 And is it the fact that Rasmus has found his form, gone at you on the right, that it's clipped?
02:36 Players need time, especially young players like Rasmus and Alejandro.
02:45 They need time but also they need a team.
02:49 So those two facts were not there in the first part of the season.
02:54 The team, we had to make a lot of adjustments in our way of play.
03:02 So it was difficult to serve the offensive part of the team.
03:08 When that happens, it can go really quickly.
03:14 Players are going to develop and progress.
03:18 That is what we have seen.
03:20 I was confident from the start that they have the potential to do this.
03:26 What they are now doing.
03:27 Now it's about keep moving, keep going.
03:30 Be hungry.
03:33 Alissa?
03:35 Eric, you've spoken about consistency a lot and balance.
03:40 And Lissandra was a player that offered both.
03:43 Without him, you do have options to change it.
03:46 Will we see Luke Shaw shift centrally?
03:49 Or do you expect Victor Lindelof to come in there?
03:52 We have options how to deal with that position.
03:58 We have good centre-halves in our squad.
04:01 The others are all available.
04:06 Luke can play also there.
04:09 I'm quite confident that we can keep this process going.
04:14 That others can fulfil that position and also contribute.
04:19 Play in high levels.
04:21 Those players are experienced and very good players.
04:24 It's up to them now to fill that in.
04:26 You're still keen to keep someone who is comfortable
04:29 using his left foot there for the ball that play?
04:32 Yes, it's an advantage.
04:36 We have seen.
04:38 We have to work on players.
04:42 Players can also develop in such positions when you work with them,
04:47 coach them and train them.
04:49 I see our players in the back line making better decisions.
04:54 I've seen that they develop their skills in building up.
05:00 I'm quite confident that we can keep this process
05:03 from better ball play from the back.
05:05 We can keep that going.
05:08 We saw Villa play with a full first team last night and lose.
05:14 With your desire to get in the Champions League for next season,
05:19 does this now become a must-win game for yourselves
05:22 to dislodge them and raise yourselves?
05:25 I've said to the team from the start of January,
05:28 every game is now a final.
05:30 There was also our approach to West Ham United.
05:34 We were one point behind them.
05:36 This is a final.
05:38 We have to take this challenge.
05:40 We have to see this as a final.
05:42 That will be every game from now on for us.
05:46 We are already in that mood.
05:49 Elmer?
05:52 Unai Emery has had a lot of praise for what he's done this season.
05:56 What do you think he's done particularly well
05:58 to bring Villa on in the way that we've seen?
06:01 It's very good how we've developed this team.
06:08 It's very clear how they want to play,
06:11 in and out of possession.
06:13 I think the players know exactly what they have to do,
06:17 their jobs, and how it has to cooperate with each other.
06:21 They are a really good team.
06:24 They have absolutely weapons in their team.
06:28 We have to play our maximum levels to get the right result.
06:32 Samuel?
06:34 You spoke about the senior centre-halves,
06:37 who you have got available on Sunday.
06:39 Johnny Evans and Raphael Varane are out of contract in the summer.
06:42 Do you want to keep them next season?
06:45 We haven't made the decision yet.
06:49 Neil?
06:53 Erika saw that great picture of the three young players
06:55 sitting on the advertising hoarding after the goal.
06:58 How would you describe the relationship they have on and off the pitch?
07:01 Have they brought a sort of excitement to the squad?
07:07 I think they enjoy playing together.
07:13 There's adventure, they are a danger,
07:16 they want to do it together.
07:19 They want to pass the ball to each other.
07:22 Everyone can play to their qualities
07:27 and everyone can score goals.
07:31 It's great if they want to do it together,
07:34 because I think that's the key.
07:36 Then we can have a lot of pleasure from this.
07:39 They are young players, and I've said it before,
07:42 I think the future for Manchester United is quite bright,
07:45 with so much talent on board.
07:48 But we have to develop the talent,
07:51 because there's a lot of space for improvement.
07:56 And that's necessary if you want to go to top levels.
08:00 This club wants to achieve a lot.
08:04 This club wants to win trophies,
08:07 so they are very ambitious.
08:09 They have to step up, they have to bring higher levels,
08:13 they have to bring consistency in their game,
08:16 but also against the best opposition,
08:19 they have to express the same threat.
08:24 It's all about that, and product.
08:28 Hi, Eric. Just going back to Lissandra Martinez,
08:33 you've had some serious battle-up of injuries this season.
08:36 He came off initially in the incident,
08:39 then he went back on.
08:41 What was the thinking there?
08:42 Did that maybe make it worse, did it aggravate it,
08:44 the fact that he went back on and tried to play on?
08:47 Might he have been out for less time if he hadn't have done that?
08:50 I don't think so.
08:52 But Lissandra was his decision,
08:57 and he was comfortable to be back on the pitch.
09:04 But after he tried, I think he stopped almost in the next attack.
09:10 Is it almost impossible to diagnose that at the time,
09:13 when he initially comes off?
09:15 Yes. In some situations it's clear and obvious.
09:22 There's always a grey area,
09:26 and it's very difficult already to see when you're on the sideline.
09:31 So what happened then? Of course we have the screens,
09:34 we've seen it as well.
09:36 Of course our medicals are over there,
09:40 and they're communicating with the player.
09:43 But to assess in one or two minutes is impossible.
09:49 The more I always tell you after a game,
09:52 I can't tell you because you need 24 hours minimum,
09:56 and maybe sometimes even longer.
09:58 So how can you do this in two minutes?