Erik on Alvaro Fernandez's development

The 21-year-old Spaniard left the club for Benfica in the summer, following loan spells with Preston North End and Granada.

He has been an ever-present across each of the Portuguese giants’ last seven games, including two in the Champions League.

When asked whether there was any regret about letting Fernandez leave, Ten Hag noted we do still have a buy-back option on him, allowing us to assess how he’s advancing when playing at increasingly higher levels.

Read Erik’s quotes on Alvaro from the second part of Friday's press conference below. The manager's views on Sir Alex Ferguson’s influence and legacy, Scott McTominay’s start at Napoli and United’s longer-term strategy were also discussed...

SIR ALEX AS SOUNDING BOARD

“Sir Alex is Man United. He built Man United to where the club is now, and it impacts us. On the other side, also we know and also Sir Alex knows, that is what he wants, he wants to see a winning Manchester United. I'm sure he's always available for every [piece of] advice and we will meet him definitely in the short term again, as we did in the last two-and-a-half years that I've been here. Now and then we have a good contact. Once in half a year I meet formally with him, but also informally, around games, I meet him.”

IT’S A LONG-TERM PLAN

“We are calm, that's what I said, but we are not happy, that's also for sure. No one. Not the players, staff, leadership, the board - no one is happy with this position. But we are calm, we know what we are doing and we know also the reasons why and what we have to change. But we are calm in our strategy, we are convinced we are getting there to where we want to be, and we [want to] make this season a success. So, that is not dependent on what will happen in the next seven games.”

THE FANS ARE WITH US

“I think we are on the same page and in the same boat. We feel a strong connection between each other, with the fans at Old Trafford and also the away fans who are always there. They see the problems we have to face in the start of this season and they know when we stick together, when they keep supporting us, in the end, we will repay them, repay their trust in us. That is what we did the last two years and I'm convinced this process will keep going, and we will get there together - the fans, the players and the staff.”

WE’RE STILL TRACKING ALVARO

“I think the process is perfect. We loan him to Preston, he got back, then we loan him to Granada, he didn't play so much there, and of course we, all the time, observed him and now we had the opportunity to sell him. But we have a buy-back [clause] so we have control of the situation, I think that's what he needed. From Preston, then go to La Liga, go to Portugal [with Benfica], every time stepping up to a higher club and a better league. Now we have to see and assess the situation if he can be an option for us. But playing at Man United is not so easy, playing in the Premier League for Manchester United is not so easy. You need experience, also development. You get development from playing for better clubs and in better leagues.”

ON SCOTT MCTOMINAY

“No, I'm very happy for Scott. As I said when he left, I didn't want this but it is the rules. The club have to deal with the [Financial] Fair Play rules and the rules are not great. The rules are, I would even say, bad, but that is the situation this club created by the rules and it forced us to make this decision.”

STANDARDS ARE HIGH

“In this moment, we can't match the standards he [Sir Alex] set but still we won trophies. I remember six years before, this club didn't win trophies. So, we are coming back. We are returning. But it is also obvious we're not there but then what's very important is we need all the processes right and then we can construct a team that we can line up the best players, to construct the best team.

“I don't think in how many years you need, I want to win every game and make every season a success with trophies and titles. I think about this. If you think: 'I have to win every game' and as a team we have to match the standards to win every game, you get there where you have to be because they are the expectations Sir Alex set for this club.

“One thing is for sure, there's almost no club in the world where the expectations are so high as Manchester United. That is set in the era from Sir Alex, the rest who come after have to deal with this but it's nice, it's a big challenge. But also, it demands the highest standards in every process. Obviously, we are not there in every process, we didn't get so far to challenge for the Premier League title, the Champions League title but that is the ambition. That is what this club has and what the expectations are, but still we managed to win some trophies.”

PLANNING FOR BRENTFORD’S EARLY GOALS

“It's not a concern. But of course, you have to be aware of it and make a plan for it. But they are strong at it, that is absolutely one of their strengths.”

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