Ten Hag on Martinez injury blow, developing Old Trafford and challenge of facing Aston Villa (Full Presser)

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Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag on Lisandro Martinez injury blow, rebuilding Old Trafford and the challenge of facing Aston Villa

Transcript

00:00 Hi Eric, good afternoon. We saw that you lost Lizandre Martinez this week.

00:06 How big a blow is that? Is anyone else close to a return this week?

00:10 Perhaps Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka?

00:13 Yeah, it's a setback of course.

00:18 Licia just returning. You see his contribution to the team when he's playing.

00:24 He brings a part from his technical skills and mentality in the team.

00:31 It's a big setback for Licia. He's very disappointed about it.

00:36 But he's a fighter and he will be back. He will be stronger.

00:40 We think he can still be back by the end of the season.

00:46 There are games to play. As a squad we have to replace him.

00:51 We have very good players in that position who can play there.

00:59 And will play there and will perform there.

01:02 So as a squad we have to deal with it.

01:04 And then the second part of your question.

01:07 Aaron Wan-Bissaka today was training but then he dropped out.

01:12 So I don't know in this moment where he is.

01:16 What is the diagnosis? Hopefully he's not too bad.

01:20 Mason and Ty are not ready to return to the squad.

01:25 Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been quoted as saying he wants Old Trafford to be a Wembley of the North going forward.

01:32 I assume that's music to your ears.

01:35 But as a manager would you welcome changes to the stadium?

01:39 Even if it meant you had to perhaps play away from Old Trafford while the work was done?

01:44 If that is the view then I would say it expresses the ambition of this club which is good.

01:55 But further on it's not my task in this club to deal with stadium questions, with facilities.

02:05 My job is to perform the team, to manage the team, to build the squad.

02:11 In terms of your team, the form has picked up magnificently in recent weeks.

02:18 You're on your longest unbeaten run of the season now.

02:21 And the goals have started coming as well after 18 in your first 18 league games.

02:25 I think you've scored 13 in your last five.

02:28 Were you always confident that would happen?

02:31 And is it the fact that Rasmus has found his form, gone at you on the right, that it's clipped?

02:36 Players need time, especially young players like Rasmus and Alejandro.

02:45 They need time but also they need a team.

02:49 So those two facts were not there in the first part of the season.

02:54 The team, we had to make a lot of adjustments in our way of play.

03:02 So it was difficult to serve the offensive part of the team.

03:08 When that happens, it can go really quickly.

03:14 Players are going to develop and progress.

03:18 That is what we have seen.

03:20 I was confident from the start that they have the potential to do this.

03:26 What they are now doing.

03:27 Now it's about keep moving, keep going.

03:30 Be hungry.

03:33 Alissa?

03:35 Eric, you've spoken about consistency a lot and balance.

03:40 And Lissandra was a player that offered both.

03:43 Without him, you do have options to change it.

03:46 Will we see Luke Shaw shift centrally?

03:49 Or do you expect Victor Lindelof to come in there?

03:52 We have options how to deal with that position.

03:58 We have good centre-halves in our squad.

04:01 The others are all available.

04:06 Luke can play also there.

04:09 I'm quite confident that we can keep this process going.

04:14 That others can fulfil that position and also contribute.

04:19 Play in high levels.

04:21 Those players are experienced and very good players.

04:24 It's up to them now to fill that in.

04:26 You're still keen to keep someone who is comfortable

04:29 using his left foot there for the ball that play?

04:32 Yes, it's an advantage.

04:36 We have seen.

04:38 We have to work on players.

04:42 Players can also develop in such positions when you work with them,

04:47 coach them and train them.

04:49 I see our players in the back line making better decisions.

04:54 I've seen that they develop their skills in building up.

05:00 I'm quite confident that we can keep this process

05:03 from better ball play from the back.

05:05 We can keep that going.

05:08 We saw Villa play with a full first team last night and lose.

05:14 With your desire to get in the Champions League for next season,

05:19 does this now become a must-win game for yourselves

05:22 to dislodge them and raise yourselves?

05:25 I've said to the team from the start of January,

05:28 every game is now a final.

05:30 There was also our approach to West Ham United.

05:34 We were one point behind them.

05:36 This is a final.

05:38 We have to take this challenge.

05:40 We have to see this as a final.

05:42 That will be every game from now on for us.

05:46 We are already in that mood.

05:49 Elmer?

05:52 Unai Emery has had a lot of praise for what he's done this season.

05:56 What do you think he's done particularly well

05:58 to bring Villa on in the way that we've seen?

06:01 It's very good how we've developed this team.

06:08 It's very clear how they want to play,

06:11 in and out of possession.

06:13 I think the players know exactly what they have to do,

06:17 their jobs, and how it has to cooperate with each other.

06:21 They are a really good team.

06:24 They have absolutely weapons in their team.

06:28 We have to play our maximum levels to get the right result.

06:32 Samuel?

06:34 You spoke about the senior centre-halves,

06:37 who you have got available on Sunday.

06:39 Johnny Evans and Raphael Varane are out of contract in the summer.

06:42 Do you want to keep them next season?

06:45 We haven't made the decision yet.

06:49 Neil?

06:53 Erika saw that great picture of the three young players

06:55 sitting on the advertising hoarding after the goal.

06:58 How would you describe the relationship they have on and off the pitch?

07:01 Have they brought a sort of excitement to the squad?

07:07 I think they enjoy playing together.

07:13 There's adventure, they are a danger,

07:16 they want to do it together.

07:19 They want to pass the ball to each other.

07:22 Everyone can play to their qualities

07:27 and everyone can score goals.

07:31 It's great if they want to do it together,

07:34 because I think that's the key.

07:36 Then we can have a lot of pleasure from this.

07:39 They are young players, and I've said it before,

07:42 I think the future for Manchester United is quite bright,

07:45 with so much talent on board.

07:48 But we have to develop the talent,

07:51 because there's a lot of space for improvement.

07:56 And that's necessary if you want to go to top levels.

08:00 This club wants to achieve a lot.

08:04 This club wants to win trophies,

08:07 so they are very ambitious.

08:09 They have to step up, they have to bring higher levels,

08:13 they have to bring consistency in their game,

08:16 but also against the best opposition,

08:19 they have to express the same threat.

08:24 It's all about that, and product.

08:28 Hi, Eric. Just going back to Lissandra Martinez,

08:33 you've had some serious battle-up of injuries this season.

08:36 He came off initially in the incident,

08:39 then he went back on.

08:41 What was the thinking there?

08:42 Did that maybe make it worse, did it aggravate it,

08:44 the fact that he went back on and tried to play on?

08:47 Might he have been out for less time if he hadn't have done that?

08:50 I don't think so.

08:52 But Lissandra was his decision,

08:57 and he was comfortable to be back on the pitch.

09:04 But after he tried, I think he stopped almost in the next attack.

09:10 Is it almost impossible to diagnose that at the time,

09:13 when he initially comes off?

09:15 Yes. In some situations it's clear and obvious.

09:22 There's always a grey area,

09:26 and it's very difficult already to see when you're on the sideline.

09:31 So what happened then? Of course we have the screens,

09:34 we've seen it as well.

09:36 Of course our medicals are over there,

09:40 and they're communicating with the player.

09:43 But to assess in one or two minutes is impossible.

09:49 The more I always tell you after a game,

09:52 I can't tell you because you need 24 hours minimum,

09:56 and maybe sometimes even longer.

09:58 So how can you do this in two minutes?

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