Van Nistelrooy on his future at United, injuries and Leicester (Full Presser)

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Manchester United interim boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy on his future at the club, injuries and the challenge of facing Leicester Carrington, Manchester, UK

Transcript

00:00Hi again, Ruben. We've seen images of Luke Shaw returning to training,

00:05with Lenny Yorrow back the other day, Mason Mouwt, all these other players,

00:08it seems like the injuries are easing at just the right time with Ruben coming in.

00:12Yeah, and also for me. I have to say, yesterday we had a lot of benefit

00:17from Christian playing a good 30 minutes for Guardiola,

00:23and obviously Mason making his first minutes again,

00:28that benefitted us as well, so I'm glad that they're back,

00:34and also for the little bit longer future, good that Luke and Lenny are on the pitch.

00:41We asked you last night about Ahmad, how was the assessment, how did it come out?

00:46And looking ahead, Kobi Maino, I don't think we've got an update about him for a while,

00:50how's he doing, his progress?

00:53Yes, Ahmad was assessed, still working on him to get him ready for Sunday,

01:01hopefully it will work.

01:04And Kobi is also progressing in his injury, he's making the right steps,

01:13not yet with the team though, that needs a bit more time.

01:18Ruud, obviously this is your final match in interim charge,

01:23it will be an emotional occasion I'm sure on Sunday,

01:26but for you is it likely to be a second farewell from Manchester United?

01:30Do you know yet what your future holds?

01:32No, first of all, it was a special period, it is still,

01:39I call it an important period because I think it was important

01:44to get through the four games as good as we could,

01:47I think we've done very well so far, the players reacted very well in the games,

01:54so obviously the focus is now to build on that and show that on Sunday,

01:59with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.

02:06So, yeah, I don't know if it will be very emotional,

02:11I take it very pragmatically as well, although I'm very proud to be able to fulfil this,

02:17but we'll see how that will feel on Sunday.

02:24And other than that, there's not much more news than yesterday evening,

02:29where I think Ruben and I are both in that sense focusing on our teams and our games,

02:37he's focused on Braga and his team, and I'm focused on Leicester with my team,

02:42and see if things can come together in the near future.

02:46It seems like you've enjoyed the role,

02:49would you one day like to think of yourself as a permanent manager of Manchester United?

02:53Yeah, of course I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United

02:56as an assistant manager or assistant coach, I thought that through,

03:01and I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion,

03:08where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club,

03:13and also in an assistant role.

03:16I had clear ambitions to manage, I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant,

03:22and I'm still in that frame of mind, to be fair, to stay in that capacity.

03:32This whole experience of being the boss, how do you rate it?

03:36Was it stressful? Have you enjoyed it?

03:41No, I've enjoyed it, it gave a lot of energy.

03:46I think the reaction of the players was outstanding.

03:50I think also as an assistant you are quite close to players,

03:54so the past three months I spent a lot of time with the players

03:58and got to know the players very well, as human beings but also as football players,

04:04where they are in their development and how I can help.

04:07And I think that relationship that is helping now,

04:10that we are together and we want to achieve something together,

04:16so that bond is there and that's what I feel very supported.

04:20So that gives a lot of energy and the support of the fans obviously was amazing,

04:25and that gives also lots of confidence and energy.

04:29So far, so good.

04:31As you pass on the reins, what's the best bit of advice you'd give to Ruben Amiri?

04:38That's a good question actually.

04:41It's good to wrap it up after Sunday,

04:44and of course I've been in for the three months in the season and this short spell,

04:51and from there on I think it would be very good to wrap it all up

04:56and have that conversation, yeah.

05:00It's a good question, I'm going to start thinking about it.

05:03Let me know.

05:07Ruben, if you win on Sunday, you'll have the highest win percentage

05:10of any Manchester United manager in history,

05:13you'll go past Michael Carrick.

05:15That was not the question, by the way.

05:18What sort of state is this dressing room at the moment,

05:23what can fans look into it, because obviously it's been a disappointing season overall so far,

05:28do you see optimism for fans?

05:32I think if you look at...

05:36It's a results game in the end, and I think the last three results were OK.

05:46We were through in the Carabao Cup, we were in the quarter-finals there,

05:49it was a good point against Chelsea where we felt that we deserved more,

05:54and also an important win in the Europa League to get us settled higher up in that table

05:59to go through the next round in January, hopefully.

06:05So I think that momentum is changing a little bit,

06:10but of course Sunday is also a competition where we need to do better than we're doing.

06:19So, as in the Carabao, where we needed to go to the next round

06:24and do good business in the Europa League with a win, that's Sunday.

06:29And that game is very important in that sentiment, I think, overall.

06:38Ruud, what has the last eight or nine days taught you

06:42as a coach in your relatively fresh managerial career?

06:50Um...

06:55I didn't really think about this.

06:58I think I'm so focused on getting the best out of the players and the staff members,

07:06and all together we're working on getting United back on track in the short term,

07:13that I'm not really reflected on that, to be fair.

07:17Of course I learn a lot in the time that I'm here,

07:21from other coaches and from players, with the experience there is and with opinions they have.

07:30So I think overall the knowledge about training sessions,

07:33managing individuals and teams, I think overall, now I think about it,

07:38is something that really benefited me as a coach.

07:43Ruud, you did well at PSV and left for other reasons,

07:47and obviously the three games here so far where you have seen a lift in performances,

07:52it must be difficult then to be an assistant and not be all your ideas,

07:58has it not given you the appetite to be your own man again in charge of a club?

08:04Yeah, I think the appetite to build further within this club

08:09is stronger than the other bit.

08:12But not being your own man?

08:14Yeah. So for this moment, and as I said, I made a deliberate decision to step in this role

08:23for two seasons and take it from there, and these four games haven't changed that sentiment.

08:32And that's why I said from the beginning that what my intentions were,

08:36also after my interim job.

08:41Ruud, when you first joined the club, there were Teddy Sheringham, Solskjaer,

08:45York, Cole, proven strikers, goal-scorers.

08:48I know Rasmus and Josh were seen as potential,

08:51but do you accept that this club does need a proven goal-scorer

08:55if it's to get back to where it needs to be?

08:59Yeah, I agree that when you want to be a successful side in the Premier League

09:05and in Europe, and that's what the build is all about,

09:09you're going to need a certain amount of goals.

09:12That is clear, that is a fact in football,

09:17and that's why the best teams in the world have those players.

09:23At the moment we have players that get a certain amount of goals or assists,

09:28but obviously they are in an age where they still have to be developed,

09:33and there's the potential that there will be, and the belief is there that they can.

09:38And that's at this moment where we are.

09:43Yes, hi, Ruud. It's only going to have been two weeks and four games,

09:46but do you think you'll be handing over a group of players higher on confidence

09:52and better than what you inherited only two weeks ago?

09:56I think the results in themselves will make that happen.

10:01It's easier to manage a team that has won two of the last three

10:10and had a decent point at home against a good side.

10:14And the connection with the fans is there,

10:17and there's this kind of short, good feeling that we can turn to,

10:24and we can turn things around, that's what's happening at this moment.

10:28And of course, football being football, and especially in top-flight football,

10:34the results are necessary, and the Sunday game in that is a big one.

10:41I know it's not all about you, but from a personal point of view,

10:45how proud would you be to hand over, having gone unbeaten in those four games,

10:50hopefully winning three and drawing one?

10:53Yeah, especially for the club.

10:55It was very important after I took over to get, I called it,

11:04to stabilise the ship with results, and all of a sudden we're three games further in that,

11:10and it passes so quickly.

11:13And the last one, yeah, that's the one also where it will mean a lot.

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