Ten Hag: We are a different team now

As the campaign approaches its conclusion, the Dutchman thinks we’ve made progress over the course of the four competitions we have competed in. 

In part two of his pre-Brighton press conference, Ten Hag discusses that upward trajectory, dealing with injuries and bouncing back from the Sevilla defeat. 

You can watch it in full below or scroll down to read every word… 

Erik, your midfield three, maybe your first choices - Eriksen, Bruno and Casemiro - you haven’t really been able to play them together very often this year. Would that make a big difference, do you think, when those three can have a run of games together? And also, is there a problem for you that some people have said maybe Casemiro will play centre-half at Wembley? Is that a problem because you’d like to see those three playing close together?
“Yeah, of course. I’ve said before, one of the things is that we didn’t have the opportunity so often to play the same team, and also the midfield department, and also other lads in the front line, for instance, didn’t play that often the same because we had injuries, suspensions, and so we were not in a position to do that. And so how often can you line up the same when your team is getting injured? But also, when you play a lot of games and the [work] loads can be higher, you also need to rotate because you have to keep the players fit and fresh, and then you need to look to the next game. You have to take decisions and [a] tactical approach or personal approach. And the numbers, when you miss players, you have to find solutions. And then you look at what is the best solution for the moment, and you have to shelter, but also of course look at the long term as well. And in this moment, when you play [a] semi-final, you have only one opportunity so you’re looking for the best team in that moment.”

It was very important for the club to win a trophy this year and you’ve done that, but you’re now getting injuries at the wrong time of the season. Do you think that if you stay in England for a few years, you’re going to have to rotate a little bit more in the cup competitions in August, September and October so that you don’t get this problem at the business end of the season? Because you’ve been very good for the Carabao Cup and you’ve tried to pick strong teams...
“But I think also we rotate during the whole season. This season, I would say, is crazy, with the World Cup in between, and many of our players were present there. Then I think we played the extra round in the Europa League, the play-off, so we’ve played maybe the most games of all the teams across Europe. But I think also, players are capable and we have players in the squad who can really have the load of a lot of number of games. It’s difficult to say, and if the squad is so strong, and if you have in every position double the same quality, we have to acknowledge that. Especially in the frontline, we had our problems during the whole season because we didn’t always have even the numbers there, so then you are forced because you have to win the game, game by game.”

You’ve been in Manchester long enough, I’m sure you will have heard of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 'hairdryer'. Is that a method that you’ve had to use this season or is that not part of your managerial style?
“Sometimes, yeah, I can go strong in certain situations. But it’s a tool and it’s about the timing of when to use [it]. As a coach, with your communication style, you can pick many styles and this is one of them.”

And did you use that method on Thursday night or were you more understanding about that performance? Because you’ve got quite a few injuries and it feels like the squad is stretched at the moment...
“I was really mad and for me, it was so unacceptable. And you can make mistakes but you have to carry on. If you play a quarter-final in the Europa League, you give everything, and we didn’t. And for me, as it is in any club, for any team, that is unacceptable. As a manager, I can’t accept that my team is not giving its best, so I would never accept it.”

Were the players made aware of that in the dressing room?
“Yes, of course, I made them aware. I analysed what my feelings about the game were and they [the players] didn’t match the standards of how I manage a team in professional football.”

Brighton were your first opponents as Manchester United manager. You’re playing them again, obviously quite late on in the season. I just wonder, do you feel your team is a very different team mentally, tactically and otherwise, from the team that faced Brighton in August, to the team now?
“Well, I hope that everyone sees that. What I heard from many of your other experts and fans [is] that we have made progress and that we developed, yeah. So, we are a different team now and I think,. as I said, we made progress. But also, we have to face we have steps to go, that is quite clear, and I can speak after Seville, it’s quite clear, but also some other games. No other team always plays at the highest level, I know, but then even if you don’t play at the highest level you still have to win, and that is what we have to learn. And how we deal also with the setbacks in a game, and that we have to carry on, we have to stick to the plan, we have to stick to the game and you have to keep the confidence so, yeah, we have steps to go.”