Every word from Erik's press conference: Part two
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag believes our recent form on home soil is merely a blip in the road, as we bid to return to winning ways against Luton Town tomorrow afternoon.
Having stuttered at the Theatre of Dreams as of late, Rob Edwards's side are the next to arrive in M16, as we return to Premier League action.
Hoping to ensure fans leave both entertained and satisfied with our performance levels on the whole, Erik spoke to the media at Carrington earlier today, backing his side to produce a positive performance in our final game before the November international break.
Ahead of our clash with the Hatters, the second part of Ten Hag's press conference is now available to both read, and watch, as we get set for our first league clash with Luton since 1991...
Erik, given he’s not started many games in the last few weeks, is there an issue with Raphael Varane beyond tactical decisions with your selections?
“Absolutely not. As I said, it’s tactical reasons why I choose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did quite well.”
You spoke so glowingly about Raphael last season, it’s just felt like a surprise that he’s not played as much this season – will he play tomorrow? Have you made that decision with Jonny being out?
“What I said, last year, Harry didn’t play a lot. So, I was very happy with Rapha’s performance and I have always been happy with his performance. But, in this moment, Harry is playing very good. There is internal competition.”
“Absolutely not. As I said, it’s tactical reasons why I choose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did quite well.”
You spoke so glowingly about Raphael last season, it’s just felt like a surprise that he’s not played as much this season – will he play tomorrow? Have you made that decision with Jonny being out?
“What I said, last year, Harry didn’t play a lot. So, I was very happy with Rapha’s performance and I have always been happy with his performance. But, in this moment, Harry is playing very good. There is internal competition.”
Wednesday was another example of conceding in short spaces of time – two goals in four minutes – it happened a few times last season… how do you remedy that? How do you fix that? Because it does seem when you concede one goal, you tend to concede in succession – how do you change the mentality so when you concede, you don’t fold if you like?
“It’s up to us, up to the team, definitely. We know, in the last minutes we made mistakes. We have to address that absolutely, we have to do things better to protect our box.”
Is it a mental problem then? Is it that the players find themselves unable to cope with it? Is it in their head or something tactical? How do you explain that?
“It’s definitely not tactical, the players know what to do in such moments. The first was a set play. But, definitely, you have to cope with it as you say, as an individual but also as a team.”
“It’s up to us, up to the team, definitely. We know, in the last minutes we made mistakes. We have to address that absolutely, we have to do things better to protect our box.”
Is it a mental problem then? Is it that the players find themselves unable to cope with it? Is it in their head or something tactical? How do you explain that?
“It’s definitely not tactical, the players know what to do in such moments. The first was a set play. But, definitely, you have to cope with it as you say, as an individual but also as a team.”
Part two: Press conference v Luton Video
Part two: Press conference v Luton
Press conference part two | Erik discusses his defensive options and home form, ahead of our clash with Luton...
Just on that, do you have enough leaders? Because those types of situations require leaders, organisation… do you feel you have that within your team at the moment?
“I think we can step up but, also, the injuries don’t help us. Because, so often you have to swap, for instance, the back four. You don’t get the routines in. Especially in such a moment, it’s very important that you have the routines.”
Erik, last season that Casemiro, Varane, Martinez axis was a very important part of your team… obviously Casemiro is injured, Martinez is out, Varane has still been there… do you feel that you need to see more from Rapha still in this moment? You’ve obviously lost two key players, is this a moment where you need experienced leaders like Rapha to step up and offer more than you’re seeing at the moment?
“It’s also on others now to step up. Casemiro and Martinez are not there so others has to fill it in. I was very happy actually with the game in Copenhagen, I think it was our best minutes at 11 v 11. It was a good midfield balance as well, but all over, there was a good balance in the team. I think we played very well, it was just the way we wanted to see. But we have to build on that.”
In these difficult moments though, when you are struggling for results, is this where you need to see your most senior and experienced players helping your most inexperienced players?
“Definitely. I think we have such characters who can do it, you mentioned Rapha, but I mentioned also Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Bruno of course. We have enough players who have the character and personality to step up, to step forward in such situations and lead the team.”
I think Paul Scholes was saying in commentary during the week that the feeling is you prefer Harry and Jonny at the moment because they’re ball-playing centre-backs and, with getting a new goalkeeper and playing from the back, they fit the system better. Is that fair comment? Do you think they are better ball-playing centre-backs than someone like Varane?
“No, that was never the issue. I think Rapha did very well in combination with Licha Martinez, I think he was brilliant, and I can also see very good combination with Jonny Evans or Victor Lindelof, I think they are very good combinations.”
“I think we can step up but, also, the injuries don’t help us. Because, so often you have to swap, for instance, the back four. You don’t get the routines in. Especially in such a moment, it’s very important that you have the routines.”
Erik, last season that Casemiro, Varane, Martinez axis was a very important part of your team… obviously Casemiro is injured, Martinez is out, Varane has still been there… do you feel that you need to see more from Rapha still in this moment? You’ve obviously lost two key players, is this a moment where you need experienced leaders like Rapha to step up and offer more than you’re seeing at the moment?
“It’s also on others now to step up. Casemiro and Martinez are not there so others has to fill it in. I was very happy actually with the game in Copenhagen, I think it was our best minutes at 11 v 11. It was a good midfield balance as well, but all over, there was a good balance in the team. I think we played very well, it was just the way we wanted to see. But we have to build on that.”
In these difficult moments though, when you are struggling for results, is this where you need to see your most senior and experienced players helping your most inexperienced players?
“Definitely. I think we have such characters who can do it, you mentioned Rapha, but I mentioned also Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Bruno of course. We have enough players who have the character and personality to step up, to step forward in such situations and lead the team.”
I think Paul Scholes was saying in commentary during the week that the feeling is you prefer Harry and Jonny at the moment because they’re ball-playing centre-backs and, with getting a new goalkeeper and playing from the back, they fit the system better. Is that fair comment? Do you think they are better ball-playing centre-backs than someone like Varane?
“No, that was never the issue. I think Rapha did very well in combination with Licha Martinez, I think he was brilliant, and I can also see very good combination with Jonny Evans or Victor Lindelof, I think they are very good combinations.”
But has your view of Rapha changed at all? We talked before about the whole pecking order and Luke was in there, Harry was in there, is he still very much one of your first-choice centre-backs?
“Yes, absolutely. As I say, Harry Maguire is doing very well in this moment and I’m very happy with that. As I always said with Harry Maguire, he can do the job and now he is showing he is doing the job. Rapha Varane, I always played him, all the games when he was available, I played him because he was doing that well.”
Just in terms of the way you defend, generally, you got a lot of credit for the way you defended – you got more Premier League clean sheets than anyone… it seems other teams are having more success against you this year. Is that just down to the changes you’ve had to make or is there anything you’ve noticed from the sideline that’s changed fundamentally about the way the players are organising themselves on the pitch?
“No, every time you have to swap your back four it’s difficult. A new keeper coming in and then every time you have to form a new back four. They know rules and the principles, but the routines are not the same, so the communication is so important in such moment. But it’s all split-second decisions, so you need that cooperation 100 per cent and when it doesn’t work, you concede goals on this level.”
Have you been able to pick your favourite back five this season, do you think?
“I made once that statement, so far [since] I was in, we could almost never play the starting XI that I wanted. But it is never an excuse, we have to win games and we have good players across the squad and they can all do the job. But football is about cooperation and so you need the routines. It has to [be so when it goes] blind you know where your team-mate is. When you are in pressure moments, you need to know what your team-mate is doing so you can anticipate on that.”
“Yes, absolutely. As I say, Harry Maguire is doing very well in this moment and I’m very happy with that. As I always said with Harry Maguire, he can do the job and now he is showing he is doing the job. Rapha Varane, I always played him, all the games when he was available, I played him because he was doing that well.”
Just in terms of the way you defend, generally, you got a lot of credit for the way you defended – you got more Premier League clean sheets than anyone… it seems other teams are having more success against you this year. Is that just down to the changes you’ve had to make or is there anything you’ve noticed from the sideline that’s changed fundamentally about the way the players are organising themselves on the pitch?
“No, every time you have to swap your back four it’s difficult. A new keeper coming in and then every time you have to form a new back four. They know rules and the principles, but the routines are not the same, so the communication is so important in such moment. But it’s all split-second decisions, so you need that cooperation 100 per cent and when it doesn’t work, you concede goals on this level.”
Have you been able to pick your favourite back five this season, do you think?
“I made once that statement, so far [since] I was in, we could almost never play the starting XI that I wanted. But it is never an excuse, we have to win games and we have good players across the squad and they can all do the job. But football is about cooperation and so you need the routines. It has to [be so when it goes] blind you know where your team-mate is. When you are in pressure moments, you need to know what your team-mate is doing so you can anticipate on that.”
Team news for United v Luton Town
ArticleTen Hag rules a player out of our first-ever Premier League meeting with the Hatters.
Before the Brighton game, I think you’d gone 31 home games without defeat, you’ve now lost five of the last eight, why is that? Has something changed in your approach to home matches?
“Nothing changed but we stay in the same issues because we are not in the best moment, but I see we are going forward. Fulham, Copenhagen was a very good game from our side and we have to build from that. When we do that, let’s see. Andre Onana came new in, [in the] last games he stepped up. Rasmus Hojlund, new striker, he came new in and he is stepping up. So, that is good stuff. I think we had some good midfield balance in the last two games, so keep that and hopefully we can keep that without new injuries in such departments or with these players. Then I think we can really improve and find our success in this season.”
Can I just clarify, just in terms of your balance of your centre-halves, Martinez is ordinarily first choice and he is left footed. We talk about Rapha or Harry – for you is it like one or the other? Because they both really need to play on the right, and if Licha is not there, it’s Evans or Lindelof you feel are more comfortable on the left of that pairing?
“Ideally, yeah. But there are moments in games or in certain games they can play together and they have already proved they can do it. But the build-up is not that fluid when one of them is playing from the left centre-half position. Licha obviously, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are right footed but they can play really comfortably from the left and they can make the right angles. Then you can construct a better formation where you can start to play.”
“Nothing changed but we stay in the same issues because we are not in the best moment, but I see we are going forward. Fulham, Copenhagen was a very good game from our side and we have to build from that. When we do that, let’s see. Andre Onana came new in, [in the] last games he stepped up. Rasmus Hojlund, new striker, he came new in and he is stepping up. So, that is good stuff. I think we had some good midfield balance in the last two games, so keep that and hopefully we can keep that without new injuries in such departments or with these players. Then I think we can really improve and find our success in this season.”
Can I just clarify, just in terms of your balance of your centre-halves, Martinez is ordinarily first choice and he is left footed. We talk about Rapha or Harry – for you is it like one or the other? Because they both really need to play on the right, and if Licha is not there, it’s Evans or Lindelof you feel are more comfortable on the left of that pairing?
“Ideally, yeah. But there are moments in games or in certain games they can play together and they have already proved they can do it. But the build-up is not that fluid when one of them is playing from the left centre-half position. Licha obviously, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are right footed but they can play really comfortably from the left and they can make the right angles. Then you can construct a better formation where you can start to play.”
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