Erik's press conference part two: Every word

The Dutchman conducted his press conference at Carrington, ahead of the Blues' visit to Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Part one of Erik's briefing was dominated by questions about the unity of his squad and the team's recent form; in the second section, the boss was asked about the culture at the club.

You can watch our video of part two below, and scroll down to read a transcript...

Erik, we have seen a similar cycle with other managers that they have had a good start [at United] and then this situation comes along. Given that the club has invested a lot in your plan and ideas, how important is it they stick with you through tough times?
"There will be always tough times in every journey. We are in the right direction and I know we will get where we want to be. Because [you can] see my record. Everywhere I have been, in every season, I have got my targets. If we stick together and we stick to the plan and the strategy, we will get where we want to be."

You were also brought in to get rid of the culture at the club that was not right. When fans see players like Anthony Martial not trying, and this has been a case for a long time now, does there come a point when you just have to say 'you're out of the team,' even if it means bringing someone in from the youth team or something?
"But Anthony Martial played brilliant against Everton and I don't think it is fair to point to one player..."
 
There's more than Anthony Martial to be fair. There are a number of high-paid players who are letting the club down...
"I don't think [anyone] is doing it. If you have one moment you can't [say it is] a pattern. The week before, we played brilliantly and with a lot of energy in the team and [in] two games [with] a lot of energy in the team and spirit and I see all the games before - I mentioned Fulham, I mentioned Burnley, I mentioned Brentford and all the games like Luton. There were so many games that give evidence [of our fight]. If it was a pattern, then it is different, yeah. But this is not a pattern in this season, absolutely not. Everyone is giving their best and there is unity as a team."

You have always been careful to not set high expectations, and your record has been brilliant elsewhere. What is a realistic timeframe to get to where you'd like to go? Is it maybe next season? Is there, in your head, a time when it can be achieved? I think fans want to hear and get a sense of it...
"Yeah, I am patient. I can't say in this club that we are waiting for two or three years. In this club the aim is, and I think the demands and the standards should be, that you win every game. Go ino every game with that aim. I demand my team and players win every game. It doesn't matter who the opponent is and I will stick to that. That brought us, last year, very far. We were third in the league, in the FA Cup final, and we could even have won the FA Cup final, and we won the Carabao Cup. That mentality, I don't want to change this. Because that will be a drop off in culture. That means, yeah, there is a high standard [expected of] me and also me with the team. There are also high standards on the players and I don't make compromises in that."

Isn't it a fact that only one team can win the league and only one can win the Champions League? So it's just being realistic, I suppose...
"That's true. I am very realistic but also on these occasions we talk more about it, there is competition in the league which is very tough. There are many good opponents and I think the level increased a lot. I told you two weeks ago, you can see the physical outputs increased a lot in the last three or four months in the Premier League. That means that as a club, as a team, you have to match the standards. There is no way you can do less because if you do less you can never achieve what you want to achieve. And yes, we want to win the Premier League and the Champions League."

You mentioned that you listened to your players. I just wondered what that was like - do you go to them or do you wait for them to point things out?
"[It is a] continued process. We are always in the action. The management team, the coaching staff. We do it in team talks, in a group, with individuals or in partnerships. There is a lot of interaction."

In the Newcastle game, the midfield battle was won by them and the man-marking system didn't work effectively. Is that something you'll have to adjust for the players you have at your disposal or is it something you don't want to compromise on?
"No. I don't want to play man-marking. It is the wrong idea. In a certain point, we play man-marking when we are full in the press but we play zonal. Only in this game yeah, when we didn't co-operate, then it looks like it is man-marking. But I don't want to play it, it is the false idea."

You mentioned that some of the performances and comebacks are proof that the players are together. But do you think you have the players' backing?
"If I have the players'... ?"

If the players are backing you?
"I don't have the idea [that they are not] because I know they would have dropped me [let me down] against Fulham or Burnley if it was the other situation, if the situation was not right, if the environment was not right. But that's not the case."

And just to say, you have talked before about a "no-good" culture that you inherited. Do you feel like in some of the performances, and also on Saturday and what you have seen over the last 24 hours, that there are still parts of the culture you need to sort out?
"So I don't know what has come out because you speak in your article about one source. That's a joke. So I won't reflect on that. And when you play one bad performance you can't say that the culture is not good. If it was a pattern, once again, [it would be an issue]. Last week, once again [I will say we played well]. We played three games and had two very good performances where the team was playing very good in all perspectives of football, in almost all perspectives of football."

Erik, when it comes to the negativity outside the club, what impact does that have on you personally?
"Of course, negativity is never good. You have to take care it never kills the energy. But I don't care. I know, all the players know, that in this club, we are the biggest club in the world, or one of the biggest clubs in the world and you know you get a lot of attention. And you know in the moment that if you are not getting the results you want or playing the way you should be, there is criticism coming. And you have to deal with that. We are together in that and there is no way you are alone there. We are in that boat together and so we will deal with it in togetherness." 

You have an excellent record against teams in the bottom half of the league but not against the teams in the top half, with Chelsea coming up tomorrow. What would you put that record down to and how much of a concern is it for you?
"So I just said many times, we are developing, we are progressing as a team but we have a [way] to go. And we have a lot to build on. We are not there, where we want to be, that is also clear. So we have to stick to the plan and we have to raise our levels."
 
This was the sort of game you won at home last season wasn't it? You beat Chelsea at home last year...
"But I say and think the same answer. We have to build on the foundations we have but we have to raise our levels."