sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Every word Erik ten Hag said ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash vs Southampton

Every word Erik ten Hag said ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash vs Southampton

Erik ten Hag has spoken to the media ahead of the fixture.

Erik ten Hag spoke to the media ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash against Southampton.

This comes following a shock victory against Liverpool on Monday, when Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford found the scoresheet in a 2-1 win.

United also found out their Europa League group stage opposition on Friday afternoon.

Another three points is vital for Ten Hag and his team, with all the latest from the manager detailed below:

Team news going into Southampton?

"We will see tomorrow. The manager knows, but I will first tell the team and we will see tomorrow."

What effect has Monday's win over Liverpool had on the group?

"The spirit was already good, but now it is even better. But it's only one game, so we have to build further. We have to develop and I think everyone is aware of that."

How important was the win?

"Yeah, I think it helps of course, because as I said before the game, Liverpool is – especially last year – the best playing football team for me in the world, and when you beat them it must give a lot of confidence."

Thoughts on the challenge posed by Southampton

"It's a different challenge so I'm really curious: did we learn the lesson from Brentford? Because this will be more or less the same approach. It's about transition, it's about running, it's about battling and fighting, and then we have to make it our game. So it's a real challenge for us to do that."

Latest on Casemiro?

"Casemiro is fit, yeah. He did all of the training sessions. He trained first individually and the last [few] days he trained with the team."

What's the situation with Anthony Martial?

"Anthony Martial is not fit, he came out with a problem on his Achilles out of the [Liverpool] game, so we have to wait. I cannot tell a prognosis [on] how long it takes. Of course, I hope that he will be available for the next game."

Busy week in the transfer market?

"I don't know, but we said: we need players, [it's] clear, but we need the right players. That is what we've said the whole transfer window and we are happy [with] what we have done until now. But the barrier has to be high."

Phil Jones, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe's situation?

"It can be [that they leave] but, who you are talking about, they are in this moment not available. So I don't think they will go out in this window."

Is it difficult to sustain high running statistics?

"We need to have a high standard, so it's a demand to the group, to all the players to do that and now they see what the reward is. So we have to match the runs in and out of possession. So also in possession, we need runs, we need movement. If you want to dictate a game you can do it in more ways but also we want to do it in possession and of course out of possession, organisation and intensity has to be always right to get a result."

More pressure with the ball against Southampton than Liverpool?

"I think in every game there is pressure on the ball, and it is our intention to make the game. But as I said, Liverpool's a really well playing team, There will be more occasions where you are out of possession and if you want to get a result you have to do your work well. But that is also what you have to do when you are in a game when you have maybe more possession, but there are always occasions where you don't have the ball. Then, you have to be 100 per cent disciplined to do your job and to act as a team. To make the good pressure and that starts with certain compact. That is the job, what we have to do."

Featured Image Credit: Manchester United

Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Southampton, Erik Ten Hag, Anthony Martial, Casemiro, Football

Choose your content: