Ruben: We can use our suffering to change things

The boss was clearly still feeling the effects of Wednesday's disappointing defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final as he spoke to the media on Saturday, but remained positive and suggested that better times can be around the corner for his team, on the other side of the important off-season ahead.

He did, however, make clear that before preparations for 2025/26 can fully commence, the Reds must look to finish a tough campaign with a win in our final outing of the term, Sunday's 16:00 BST kick-off at home to Aston Villa on the Premier League's final day.

It was ahead of that clash with Unai Emery's men that Ruben was speaking to journalists at Carrington earlier this afternoon, and below you can see every word from the first part of the media briefing before the second section is released at 22:30 BST tonight...

Hi Ruben, obviously a couple of days have passed since Wednesday. What are your reflections looking back on a disappointing night?
 
"It was really tough, still is. It was harsh for us to lose that game. We were the better team, we had more chances. We suffer a goal near half-time, we tried everything in the second half but it is really hard because, like I said also before the match, if you don't win the final it's even harder to deal with that."
 
I don't think it's any surprise to people around the club that the aftermath has been debate around the future of the players. Two in particular, you said a couple of weeks ago you want Bruno Fernandes to stay - there's more reports around Al-Hilal and they want a decision from him. What is your understanding of that? And both Alejandro Garnacho and his brother put statements on social media in the aftermath of the game suggesting it was a mistake for him not to play. Are you going to speak to him? Do you have to speak to him? What is the situation?
 
"I will speak with my players but the focus now is the last game. I don't know what is going to happen. We have a plan, we were prepared for both situations - with Champions League and without Champions League. We have an idea what type of squad we want but now we have to focus on the game because we still have the last game and we'll have time to address all those situations."

Morale surely is rock bottom, you seemed very flat inevitably after the game. How on earth do you pick yourself up, the players up, the fans up? Because it seems this season has been one long struggle?
 
"Yes, it's really hard, I won't try to convince you otherwise. It was a tough season but we had the hope we could win something to help us finish the season a different way. The way we need to get up is to focus on the next game, to finish in a good way and then we will have time. Then you start thinking about the future, thinking about the squad. A new season is going to start and we'll start with new ambitions, try to do better."

There's no instant fix though is there? You look at where Villa are at the moment, Villa are probably where you want to be?
 
"Of course yes, they have that stability, they are used to fighting for the first places. So, we want to do that also but there are a lot of things that is really good in this kind of club but when you are in this situation, it's going to take time. But we can improve."
 
When you say time, how many windows are you looking at?
 
"It's not windows, sometimes we don't know. Things can change fast but to reach that kind of level of Manchester United is going to take time. I cannot say how many windows, how many years we need to reach that point, we can improve, that is clear."

With that in mind Ruben, you probably need to make a lot of changes to the squad, are you looking at the challenge as something you will enjoy or are you worried about how difficult it's going to be to juggle everything?
 
"This six months was really hard, a lot of changes. Not just for me, all the club. We did so many changes inside our club that sometimes it takes five years or three years to change all the personnel and a lot of things. We changed coach in the middle of the season, the way we play. It was a really tough season. Now is that part we need to enjoy, we need to focus on the future, be positive, because we know what we have to do. I know how I want to play, that is clear. All the mistakes you guys can point to me, I know how I want to play. Now is the exciting moment that we can change something."

Luke Shaw said after the game the players need to reflect on if they are good enough to be a Manchester United player. How many players in your squad do you believe are good enough?
 
"Again, we have this game against Aston Villa and we need to focus on that, this is not over. We want to finish in a good way in front of our supporters. So that is important. The rest? We are going to assess the squad, we know what to do - I will say it again - and the rest we will deal with that when the season is finished. The season is not finished yet."
 
You famously said when you joined here that you would have preferred to join at the end of the season around this time, I'm just wondering with the past six months and the challenges you've spoken about there, have you been able to understand the club or is there part of you that wishes the club had said: 'Yeah, sure, come at the end of the season'?
 
"In this moment I'm really glad I arrived six months before we start the new season, I think we're going to avoid a lot of mistakes that would be in the next season. Now is the time we can use all that suffering to change things in the summer, and when I say 'in the summer' it's not just the players. There's a lot of things we need to change in our club, so we are doing that, we did that for six months. We changed every aspect of our club. So I'm really glad in this moment. We suffered a lot but I'm really glad I arrived six months ago because it's going to help me a lot in the next season."

Did the Europa League final change your mind on any players? Did you think about the performance with a view to the summer transfer window?
 
"No, what changed is that it's one less competition [with no Champions League] in the middle of the week, you can manage the squad in a different way. So that rotation of the players, the depth of the squad changed completely if you have four competitions or three competitions. That changed a little bit the plan, but not the way I look to my players, just by looking at the final."