Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insists he is looking for a response from his players in advance of our Premier League clash with Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday (15:00 BST).
The Reds have so far endured an indifferent start to the new season and are currently 10th in the Premier League after seven games, having most recently suffered defeat domestically to Crystal Palace.
With the Bees next up in our league endeavours, Erik completed his routine media duties at Carrington on Friday, insisting how setbacks are part and parcel of any team aspiring to reach the very top.
Fielding questions on a range of different topics, below you can find out everything Ten Hag had to say...
With the Bees next up in our league endeavours, Erik completed his routine media duties at Carrington on Friday, insisting how setbacks are part and parcel of any team aspiring to reach the very top.
Fielding questions on a range of different topics, below you can find out everything Ten Hag had to say...
Hi Erik, just with Jadon [Sancho]. Has anything changed there at all? I know you don't want to talk about him but it's been nearly a month since we last saw him...
Have you spoken to him at all?
“As I said, if he was available, then we would report.”
And looking in terms of the injury list, do you think that's easing that when the October internationals are over, you'll have a lot more players back or they only be a few players back?
“Not straight after the international but [they] will during the international break. I think they will step up players into the squad. Yeah.”
“I am sorry but there's nothing [that has] changed and he's not available, so he's not part [of the squad]. So I don't have any comment on that.”
Have you spoken to him at all?
“As I said, if he was available, then we would report.”
And looking in terms of the injury list, do you think that's easing that when the October internationals are over, you'll have a lot more players back or they only be a few players back?
“Not straight after the international but [they] will during the international break. I think they will step up players into the squad. Yeah.”
A lot of us in here have seen similar situations like this arise over the last 10 years. Do you feel that the spotlight on Manchester United and the size of the club can sometimes be a bit too suffocating for a manager and for the players?
Have you been surprised by the size of the attention on this club and the demands despite the great last season, but those continued demands?
“No, I'm not surprised.”
Obviously you want to win. You did phenomenally well last season; won the Carabao Cup, finished third and reached the FA Cup final. In a way, has that increased the expectations to an unrealistic level? I get that it's Manchester United and you have to win. But sometimes not everyone can win a trophy. There's only three domestic trophies. So did you almost overachieve last season and that's made people think oh you know this season you are title contenders. Is that just not realistic? Arteta has taken a few years, Klopp did. Pep won zero in his first year…
“No, I know, but we didn't. I think that was, say, the surrounding that in that expectation. We know we are still in a transition as a club, but in the meantime we have to win every game also. We don't walk away from that. Not this team, not these coaches, not this manager. No. Definitely not. We have to win every game and that is the approach and that will be the approach always.”
“Yes and no, because we have to deal with it. So it doesn't make any sense to think about that feeling with it. We have to deal with it. The only way we can do that are the players together with the manager and his coaching staff. So we are in demand. So don't think about what's going around and what is [happening in] the surrounding environment or whatever. No, focus on what it's about and that is to be a good team. And so then always the foundation is a way of play. When you follow that and you have that foundation, you will win games.”
Have you been surprised by the size of the attention on this club and the demands despite the great last season, but those continued demands?
“No, I'm not surprised.”
Obviously you want to win. You did phenomenally well last season; won the Carabao Cup, finished third and reached the FA Cup final. In a way, has that increased the expectations to an unrealistic level? I get that it's Manchester United and you have to win. But sometimes not everyone can win a trophy. There's only three domestic trophies. So did you almost overachieve last season and that's made people think oh you know this season you are title contenders. Is that just not realistic? Arteta has taken a few years, Klopp did. Pep won zero in his first year…
“No, I know, but we didn't. I think that was, say, the surrounding that in that expectation. We know we are still in a transition as a club, but in the meantime we have to win every game also. We don't walk away from that. Not this team, not these coaches, not this manager. No. Definitely not. We have to win every game and that is the approach and that will be the approach always.”
It's the worst start in 37 years since Alex Ferguson came to the club. We all know what happened next after that. Does that underline the importance now for patience and cool heads?
Certainly, from your point of view coming into this club, you must have known that it wasn't going to be a quick fix, was it?
“No, I know that there would be gaps, [there] would be setbacks and there will be in every process. But yeah, in this club, it's probably happened more. That is understandable. But as I say, [we must] focus on the things what it's about and that’s football and nothing else.”
Some managers who have been here in the past have found that when things have started to go wrong, that the players just haven't got that mental strength to be able to turn it around. I mean, clearly the talent is there in the dressing room. But when you look in the dressing room, do you see that mentality that they're able to go and turn it around when things are so hard?
“I am responsible that we have the right mentality. My communication, my demands, my standards. It is my standards, that I demand from the players and in the togetherness and with the communication together. Now I have to set that and that the right mentality is there. So and I give my 100 per cent effort every day to get that in.”
“Yeah, it's patience, cool heads, but stick together and focus on what it's about. So, the way of play.”
Certainly, from your point of view coming into this club, you must have known that it wasn't going to be a quick fix, was it?
“No, I know that there would be gaps, [there] would be setbacks and there will be in every process. But yeah, in this club, it's probably happened more. That is understandable. But as I say, [we must] focus on the things what it's about and that’s football and nothing else.”
Some managers who have been here in the past have found that when things have started to go wrong, that the players just haven't got that mental strength to be able to turn it around. I mean, clearly the talent is there in the dressing room. But when you look in the dressing room, do you see that mentality that they're able to go and turn it around when things are so hard?
“I am responsible that we have the right mentality. My communication, my demands, my standards. It is my standards, that I demand from the players and in the togetherness and with the communication together. Now I have to set that and that the right mentality is there. So and I give my 100 per cent effort every day to get that in.”
I think that some of the fans have perhaps got a lot of faith in you. But when you look at the dressing room, having got faith in that dressing room, that they have got that mental strength in a really tough time to go and turn it around?
“I think the fans are backing us and the fans are behind us. That is what I feel. And so and I'm sure that these players can be mentally very strong. I have the experience from last season and they were on many occasions, many games. They were mentally very strong.
Some other big managers have been here in the past before you. Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, started off well, won trophies and then it didn't work out. It's a similar pattern for you. I know you're going through a tough time at the moment, but does it feel like the impossible job sometimes managing Manchester United or is that the wrong way to look at it?
“Exactly the wrong way. We have to fight. I think there's no club where we never go down. We are now in that place. But you have to fight only and we have to realise, everyone is there and we have to fight together. We have to be on that page and on every occasion. [In the] last game it was a very good example that we were for 28 minutes on top. One moment, we score a goal and then in one split second, we are not all on one page and straight away, it was the first shot the opponent got, straight in. You can't allow it in top football because it's about moments, isn't it? It's about details isn't it? So the opponent will always take benefit from it. So we can't allow them these small details.”
Do these setbacks make you even more determined as a manager? Do they kind of make you even more determined to turn things around?
“Absolutely, absolutely. So it even it makes me sharper and as you say, it gives me more energy to fight to turn this [around].”