Key quotes from Ten Hag's press conference: Part two
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag hopes the Theatre of Dreams can become something of a fortress, as we fast approach the business end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Liverpool (twice), Sheffield United, Newcastle United, Burnley and Arsenal are all set to arrive in upcoming weeks, with Sean Dyche's Everton next up on home soil tomorrow lunchtime.
Ahead of the Toffees' visit, Erik has candidly reminded supporters how valuable their support can be, speaking in the second part of his pre-match media duties earlier today.
Scroll down a tad further to both read, and watch, our standout quotes from the boss at Carrington...
Part two: Press conference v Everton
Press conference part two | Erik provides updates on Malacia and Shaw, ahead of Saturday's clash with the Toffees...
“Oh, so that's what they're telling me. But I'm independent, I'm here to win and I'm in a process. And, you know, we keep going in this process. We know in which direction we want to go. And, yeah, we have now big setbacks. We have had big setbacks. But we keep going and we have a strong mentality. We keep fighting and we keep pushing the team in the right direction.”
VITAL HOME FORM
“Yeah, last year it was the other way around. We are, I think, very reliant on our fans and they are very supportive to us. But of course, we always have to energise them. We have to make sure we are ready and that we show the fans we are ready. And I'm sure that they are very supportive to us. It's always a pleasure to play at Old Trafford and I think it is always because every opponent will fear Old Trafford. But it's up to us to show that from the first minute on, and don't let or don't allow them to come into the game. Home or away for us, that doesn't matter. We prepare in the same way. We believe in ourselves, and we will go with confidence into every game.”
“That is [it], so if you talk about one of my biggest frustrations, [it] is there that you can accept a position that one player is not available. But when two players are not available over the course of the season, that is very frustrating and because that is also very difficult to catch up as a team. And there we dealt with it in the best way. But of course it is a disadvantage.”
“I think it's going to be difficult for [Malacia] to be available this season but he will fight. He's back on the pitch, but not in the team. In the process he had some setbacks and [he] is still going really slowly forward, and the season is coming to an end.”
Part one: Press conference v Everton
Press conference part one | Ten Hag on injuries, Everton and what constitutes a successful season…
SHAW'S RACE AGAINST TIME
“I think it's the same. Yeah, maybe for the last games of the season, but we don't expect him back this [month] or next month. As a team, and as a squad, we have to deal with it.”
VALUE OF A TEAM
“I think nowadays it's much more difficult to be as a team. Players are much more their own individuals with their people around them. They all have their [own] say, their own business units, their own companies and to construct that as a team, that is the biggest change I think in the last, I would say, 15, 20 years.”