Resilient Reds delight Ten Hag
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says the late goals his side have scored recently are a mark of resilience.
The Reds levelled in the 94th minute against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to secure a point, having suffered the setback of a conceding from the penalty spot just minutes earlier.
“That’s why I’m happy in this stage of the season with this point,” declared Erik in his post-match press conference. “When you are capable to fight back like we did.
“We did it last week against Omonia to get the win, we did it against Chelsea after you are down, you give resilience.
“You show resilience and that is a really big theme for big teams to have in your capabilities and also therefore that is what Casemiro, among others, is bringing into the squad and into this team.”
Watch Erik's post-match press conference
The boss fielded journalists' questions on Casemiro's impact, the game plan and more after our draw at Chelsea...
It was the Brazilian that netted the Reds' vital equaliser with a stunning header, his first goal for the club, and the boss has been thrilled at the impact he has made since joining in the summer.
“That is why we brought him in, we know he is capable of doing that. He proved this in Spain, he proved it in the Champions League – so at the highest level," he explained.
“So he could also do it in the Premier League. It’s clear the Premier League is a different league, with especially the intensity, so he needed a short period to adapt to that and now from game to game you see him growing and then you see how important it is for our game.
“He brings the composure," added ten Hag. "He brings the organisation and then he also even scores a goal and brings a lot to the team.”
The boss also described how the performance of the Reds in the first half against Chelsea matched his vision of dominating big games.
United were running the show at Stamford Bridge in the opening 45, with the hosts barely able to get a footing in the match.
So strong was our hold on the action, opposition boss Graham Potter was forced to make a tactical substitution after just 36 minutes and change his formation.
“That was a good part in the game and it’s part of our philosophy to dominate big games,” said Erik. “Especially when you can do it against a team like Chelsea with one of the best teams in the Premier League, that give a good feeling and so now we are to do it over 90 minutes.
"Even when an opponent is switching systems, it doesn’t have to take influence [on our game].”