Ten Hag: We scored at the best time
Erik ten Hag left the touchline at The City Ground with a feeling of satisfaction after his Manchester United team scored a last-gasp winner to defeat Nottingham Forest in the Emirates FA Cup.
Casemiro’s decisive goal, ensuring United won the fifth-round tie 1-0, came shortly before the 90-minute mark and just four days after the Reds were condemned to a disappointing Premier League defeat by Fulham in stoppage time.
Erik’s delight – and determination to avoid complacency before Sunday’s Manchester derby – was clear as he fulfilled his post-match media obligations after the game. Below, you can see a round-up of the key reaction from his press conference, plus his interviews with BBC and MUTV.
Ten Hag: The fans and the team fight together
Erik ten Hag praises the unity between our supporters and players after the late win at Nottingham Forest...
“It’s the best time to score at the end. On Saturday, we felt defeat in stoppage time. Today, we scored just before the end of the time, so we scored at the right moment.”
CASEMIRO SETS STANDARDS
“Absolutely, [Casemiro is an example] by leadership and he's a fantastic football player. I think he's scored so many goals for us. He scored more goals than he's ever done in his whole career, for United, so that is great to have a player like Casemiro in the squad and in the team. Because you see how important he is for us when he is not there, like in October, November, December and January. We really missed him because he sets the structure in the team, his leadership, it makes us play better. Also, the quality he has on the ball, of course.”
“[In the] second half, after five or six minutes, we found the game, and then I think we were continually in their half, we take control of the game, we created also some chances. Before that, we have to make some changes, then you see the routines again fell away. But once we have that control in the game and we make the double sixes [deep midfielders] and we are keeping the ball, passing the ball from one side to the other side, then we took the control. Before that also we had big chances in the first half, with Scott McTominay twice, with Marcus Rashford. But also, we allowed them to create some chances and there was of course the quality from Forest, they have very good counter-attacks, but we should avoid that.”
WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A PENALTY
“I think there was also a penalty [when Rashford was challenged by Felipe and Murillo], and I have seen that one. That was close. Why wasn’t it a penalty?”
AMRABAT PLAYING OUT OF POSITION
“For Sofyan, he is not a full-back, but he played a solid game, especially I think after 55 minutes when he played in the middle [when we were] in possession. Then also, he understood what to do in the defending, in the rest defence, and from that moment on we took the control.”
“It is fantastic, you see the fans and the team, they are together, they are fighting together. The whole game they are behind the team, cheering the team, [being] really supportive. That’s a fantastic feeling.”
LIVERPOOL IN THE QUARTER-FINALS
“Now we have Liverpool at home, it’s a fantastic draw, we are looking forward [to it]. But we have to bury the cup, and first we are looking forward to the league, and the first game is always the most important. It’s a good game, [against Man] City, and we are looking forward to that.”