Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag on Arsenal clash, European hopes and poor form
Carrington, Manchester, UK
Carrington, Manchester, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Will you have any players back on Sunday?
00:07 I hope I have players, yes.
00:09 But there are players trained.
00:13 They did train tomorrow, this morning.
00:16 Bruno was on the pitch and Scott McTominay was back on the pitch.
00:22 So there are some players returning.
00:25 But also I have to report that unfortunately yesterday Mason Mount fell out.
00:31 So he will not be available for Sunday.
00:33 Obviously it's only 15 days to the Cup final now.
00:37 Are there any players that are definitely not going to feature again this season?
00:41 Not in this moment, definitely.
00:46 But we have some doubts.
00:48 Some players are really fighting to be available.
00:53 That is so amazing. They all try.
00:56 They are all desperate to play.
00:59 Yesterday Luc Schorr came to me.
01:01 He wanted to play tomorrow on Sunday against Arsenal.
01:06 But he's not ready yet.
01:08 He needs a little bit more time to go through the process.
01:12 But he is so desperate.
01:14 There are more, Rafa Farah and Viktor Lindelof.
01:17 Luc Schorr had a setback in his process as well.
01:22 But there is still hope and he will fight to be available for the final.
01:27 MartÃnez is keen to play in the Cup final but he has had three injuries this season.
01:32 He is back on the grass. What is his situation?
01:36 I just tried to explain.
01:37 He is desperate to play.
01:39 He misses so much.
01:42 The team missed him.
01:44 He wants to play but as you say he had three injuries across the season.
01:50 He is almost there.
01:56 Injury free.
01:59 He is at the end of the healing process.
02:01 Now he has to get back into team training and into matches.
02:06 Is there a situation where you are on the verge of gambling with players' fitnesses?
02:10 Or would you never do that?
02:11 I would never gamble with a player. Never.
02:14 It is about them and their futures.
02:19 That is the most important.
02:23 About their careers.
02:24 I have to take responsibility for it.
02:26 And of course the club is the most important.
02:29 But the safety from the player.
02:32 The health of the player.
02:33 I think that is also always a higher level.
02:36 Rashford, where is he at the moment?
02:39 Rashford of course he trained this morning as well.
02:43 We have to see how he recovers from this.
02:47 I think he looks quite good.
02:49 I hope he can make the next training tomorrow.
02:53 And see if he is available for Sunday.
02:55 Is it important to get the performance right on Sunday?
02:58 Or are you already starting to think about that cup final?
03:01 Both.
03:04 We always go into a game to win.
03:08 And not prepare for the next game.
03:11 Of course it is in my back head.
03:14 But we want to put out a team.
03:19 What is competitive for Sunday.
03:21 A team that is eager to win.
03:24 We choose the best team for Sunday to win that game.
03:28 Eric, of course you want to win the next game.
03:31 At what point do you start looking at the bigger picture?
03:34 And think about prioritising games?
03:36 You do always.
03:39 I don't take big risks with players now.
03:44 I had to win on Sunday.
03:46 With the risk they drop out again.
03:49 But I think it is not so different in a normal situation.
03:53 If you didn't have that cup final.
03:55 Looking ahead to Sunday.
03:57 Arsenal.
03:58 How do you prepare for them?
04:00 What do you expect?
04:02 We know all.
04:04 It is one of the best teams.
04:06 Probably the best team.
04:08 We discuss about this.
04:10 Is City the best team?
04:12 Is Arsenal the best team?
04:14 Very ball secure.
04:16 Very good structures.
04:19 We know we have to play to our maximum levels.
04:23 To get a result in.
04:25 But we are capable of it.
04:27 What do you say to the fans?
04:30 Who probably look at this game and think after Monday.
04:33 We have absolutely no chance.
04:36 You see the fans on Monday.
04:39 They were our example.
04:41 That is what I told the players.
04:43 They backed us.
04:45 They see how we struggle.
04:47 They see our problems.
04:49 They have a very good understanding.
04:52 About all the injuries we have.
04:54 That we struggle.
04:56 They keep backing the team.
04:58 I am very pleased with them.
05:00 Just about Mason Mount.
05:02 It almost encapsulates your season.
05:06 He came with big expectations.
05:08 He can never play again.
05:10 It is very unlucky.
05:13 It is a symbol.
05:15 We have so many injuries.
05:18 It is difficult for all of us.
05:21 For the whole club.
05:23 But in particular the fans.
05:25 That is why they show unity.
05:28 When things are going bad.
05:31 You stick together.
05:33 We will come out.
05:35 We have to play for something really high.
05:38 The FA Cup final.
05:40 For the rest we will keep fighting.
05:43 In every game.
05:45 To get us over the ranking into Europe.
05:47 Do you regret not signing Declan Rice?
05:52 Because he was available for Trunsa in the summer.
05:55 Given his impact at Arsenal.
05:58 He is a very good player.
06:01 He would have fitted here.
06:03 But I am not happy with Mason.
06:06 This is what you are suggesting.
06:08 I am very happy with Mason.
06:10 He is also a very robust player.
06:15 You see in his profile.
06:17 He played the last four seasons.
06:19 This is the fifth.
06:21 The last four seasons he had a small issue.
06:25 In the end of his Chelsea career.
06:27 Before that he played all the games.
06:29 Three seasons after each other.
06:31 Three days.
06:33 Turnaround.
06:36 He always played.
06:38 It is really bad luck.
06:40 He is a very good player.
06:42 We really missed him.
06:44 He would have a contribution to our levels.
06:50 Your fellow Dutchman, Louis van Gaal,
06:56 had a difficult second season.
06:58 In charge of United in the Premier League.
07:00 Then went on to win the FA Cup.
07:02 To his great disappointment.
07:04 Was sacked.
07:06 Have you got any concern that the club.
07:08 Even if you go on to win at Wembley.
07:11 That the club might end up making a similar decision.
07:14 To what they did over Louis?
07:16 No.
07:18 I think they have common sense.
07:20 They see when you have 32 different back lines.
07:25 When you have 8 centre backs.
07:27 You use 8 centre backs.
07:30 If they see we use 13 partnerships in centre half.
07:34 When they see we don't have a left full back.
07:37 When we have so many injuries.
07:39 They know that will have a negative impact on results.
07:42 Still we are fighting.
07:45 It's a huge FA Cup final.
07:48 We are very happy to be there.
07:50 It can still be a highlight for this season.
07:55 Of course we are not happy.
07:57 We know the reasons why we are underperforming.
08:00 In the ranking now.
08:03 That causes the injuries.
08:05 I am a realistic person.
08:07 I see this when I make this analysis.
08:10 No team will perform.
08:14 When you have so many injuries in key areas.
08:17 Last question in this section.
08:20 Most fans will probably accept the problems you have had to face.
08:24 You say you have had productive conversations with the owners.
08:29 Do you think it would be of value for the owners to say.
08:32 Beyond any doubt you will be manager here.
08:35 That way all the uncertainty goes away.
08:38 The fans start speculating.
08:40 Do you think that would help if the owners came out and said.
08:44 This question you have to make to the owners.
08:47 Not to me.
08:49 It sounds like you would like them to do that.
08:52 Once again you have to make this question.
08:54 It's your opinion.
08:56 You have to make this question to them.
08:58 Not to me.
09:00 That's why you are in such an unfortunate position.
09:02 You have to sit here in front of us.
09:04 The owners are not in front of us.
09:06 That's my job.
09:08 I take responsibility for that.
09:10 To speak with you.
09:12 That's why I am the manager.
09:15 To give the answers.
09:18 I don't care if they do or they don't.
09:21 I am working on improving my team.
09:24 To develop my team.
09:26 That's my job here.