Ten Hag looking for more goal from inconsistent Utd ahead of Tottenham test
26/09/2024
Carrington Training ground, Manchester, UK
26/09/2024
Carrington Training ground, Manchester, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Eric, just reflecting on not only last night but the Crystal Palace game,
00:07what is wrong with your team that gets you to produce matches like that?
00:14We spoke last night about Christian and you saying it wasn't good enough.
00:19What is the problem at the moment with your team?
00:23Not scoring goals. Not scoring goals enough.
00:28That's the problem. It's the key area to score more goals as a team.
00:34I think we have players across the team who have the ability to score.
00:40But that's clear. You see all the opportunities we are creating.
00:45We're not scoring enough.
00:49You've got Tottenham this weekend.
00:51First of all, is anybody going to be available that hasn't won last night?
00:55No, I don't think so. I think it will be the same squad as yesterday.
01:02What are you expecting from the match?
01:04Obviously there are peaks and troughs in every season,
01:07but it feels like a win would be an important shot in the arm at this stage.
01:12What are you expecting from Tottenham?
01:14I think it will be a very intensive game.
01:17It's always against Tottenham.
01:21It's our style as well.
01:25I think it's going to be a very dynamic, attractive game.
01:32You're talking about scoring goals being the big issue.
01:35How do you solve that? Is that as simple as personnel,
01:38or is it something that has to be done on the training pitch?
01:41How do you see that?
01:42Both. You always work into a season.
01:48You have to build it.
01:52The structures in defending and possession, of course,
01:56you start with the build-up.
01:57I think we have the structures there quite right.
02:02Across almost all the games, we have more possession as the opponent.
02:08But then it's about what you're doing with your possession.
02:12I think we bring the ball into the final third.
02:15We bring the ball even into the box a lot.
02:17But now we have to take more advantage, more benefit from it.
02:23Eric, Ange Postacoglou has talked about the philosophy aside,
02:27having attacking teams, being positive.
02:29In this moment, this situation, given what you've said about your squad,
02:33your players, does that help you at all in the way you set up and approach this game?
02:38Of course, every opponent has strengths and weaknesses.
02:45Tottenham have their strengths, definitely.
02:50In their philosophy, very clear, very attacking,
02:59but that leaves also space.
03:01But that is what they take into account.
03:07Maybe it can help, but you have to be very good against Tottenham.
03:11If you want to control the game, you need a high performance level.
03:20Then we will create again, I'm sure, but take your chances.
03:27Eric, you're in your third season now.
03:30How can it be that the team can come from a game and say
03:35that they didn't try as much as the opposition?
03:37The opposition wanted it more.
03:38How can we be at that point?
03:41I think every team has this in a season.
03:48When you play 60 games,
03:51I'm sure there will be games where you are not happy with the performance,
03:59but you are not happy where the opponent wants more.
04:03I think that is always the psychological side of football,
04:08top football, what takes part.
04:11Any team is more hungry than the other.
04:16The team that can manage this the best, of course.
04:20They are the most successful.
04:24We are ambitious, so you always demand from yourself
04:29that you are the more hungry as your opponent.
04:33So you think your team needs to be hungrier?
04:36We should be, that is what we demand from each other.
04:42We have to bring in on a consistent base.
04:46That is what we are striving for.
04:48Successful teams have this.
04:51Joshua said he has had a few chances this season.
04:54His link-up play has been very good.
04:56I think it was Ronald Koeman who said he is more of a 9.5.
04:59Do you think he can become a prolific goalscorer for Manchester United?
05:04Yes, I do.
05:06It is sure.
05:08He is young.
05:10We see his great abilities.
05:14He is a very good link-up player, as you say.
05:18He is creative.
05:20He is creating chances.
05:22But to be fair, he also has his moments towards the goal from the opposition.
05:29Yesterday as well, I think it was a great action he had.
05:32With a great finish as well.
05:34It was a top save from the keeper.
05:36In that area, he can definitely improve.
05:40We know that on the forehand, he has some very good attributes.
05:45And also some attributes he has to improve.
05:48There he needs our support on how to improve.
05:54You have been here two full seasons now.
05:56You have had five transfer windows.
05:58I think the spend has been about £600 million.
06:01Given all that, are the fans of Manchester United not entitled to feel
06:05the team should be further forward than you currently are
06:08and play with more consistency?
06:10Are they not entitled to feel that?
06:14I think you have to assess the situation.
06:21Still now, we are working.
06:24We are in progress.
06:27We still have to sign players.
06:29We made the choice to sign very young players.
06:32Like last year, Hoyland.
06:35Like this year, Xhexhe.
06:38Like Lenny Yoro.
06:40They are players who we believe in them now in this moment.
06:47But also for the future.
06:49We have to build them.
06:52When I started, we spoke about it more.
06:55We had to make a switch in the dressing room.
06:58I think we turned the corner.
07:01Now we have to work with the squad.
07:04That takes time.
07:06Of course, it's not a good behaviour for me.
07:12I'm impatient.
07:13I want to go straight forward.
07:15But also be fair, we also had success in the last two seasons.
07:19Again, we have to work very hard to bring another success.
07:23Do the fans have to be more patient?
07:26Is that your message?
07:27Some of them, understandably or maybe not understandably,
07:30are losing patience and want to see the team further forward.
07:33Challenging near the top of the Premier League and playing with greater consistency.
07:37Do they need to be more patient?
07:38You also have to be fair.
07:40I say it again.
07:42We won two trophies in the last two seasons.
07:47This season, we are ambitious.
07:51Don't get us wrong.
07:53We want to win another one.
07:57We want to be as high as possible.
08:00We call it in every game.
08:02We will go for winning the game.
08:04It doesn't matter who the opponent is.
08:09Bruno Fernandes is the one that stays out there for the entirety of the game.
08:15But is he at all fatigued by the start of the season?
08:18It seems like he's not quite at the levels we've seen of him previously.
08:22I think the team brings him now into the situation.
08:29I think he is capable of it.
08:33I think he has proven this so many years already in the Premier League
08:38that he can create many chances.
08:41I'm convinced that this season he will not do differently.
08:47He will come to this point where he will find his form.
08:52He's already creating chances, but he will make final passes.
08:57He will score goals 100%.
09:00It's just a matter of time.