Man Utd v PAOK: Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Andre Onana pre-match press conference

Ruth first of all look nice to welcome Benny Oro back to the group today, albeit I think it was 15 minutes and then he did an individual session. So how are you managing his return to full fitness now? Well, he's been managed very well after his injury in pre season. Obviously was it was going to be a long one and it's a big moment for him that first time he's back in team training. And obviously we're going to get him back partially over the over the coming weeks and, and look to to get him on board as quick as possible. We also saw Marcus doing an individual session before joining in with the main group. What's the thinking behind that? No, he, he did a bit of extra work before the the session on his own and he joined the group. There was no other special news on that one. Seems to be a standard question at the moment as well. Have you had any contact with Ruben just yet? Even if it's to offer congratulations as to what happened last night? No, I didn't have contact so far. This is no changes in that. Do you know when yet? I don't know when yet either. Can you tell us though, what would be the ideal scenario for you now? I don't know. It's it's difficult to comment on that now. I'm waiting conversation to conversations to take place. And in the meantime, obviously there's one thing that's the most important for this football club now is getting getting the work done on a daily basis. And in the in the in the game coming up tomorrow in in Europe, it's a European night at Old Trafford against the Greek champions, second in the league current. So I have to honestly have to say that I feel the responsibility to do well over over the over the next week. And that's my job. So please, yeah, don't, don't. How do you say it? I'm I'm focused on that. And, and, and the other side, as I said, I welcome Ruben happy here to help and help him and, and, and, and that's the the situation for the moment. Just wondering on on the subject of injuries, Tyrell Molassia, how he's progressing in and when we'd like you to see Luke Shaw copy my new and Harry Maguire again. Well, different, different cases, all of them. Tyrell is is the furthest in the moment. He's part of team training for a couple of weeks now fully in in team training, no restrictions. So he it's it's good for him to plan, plan game minutes, maybe in in in the under 20 ones we have to see. And the others are still Harry still inside doing working on his rehab. And Luke also does pitch work like he did today. And he's progressing there to also, you know, do partial team trainings hopefully soon. Every often mentioned, but we often ask him about the injury issues that kind of derailed much of last season and that he was looking into it, the trouble looking to it. Was there ever any a resolution to what the issue was with the muscle injuries and things that have been picked up? Well, I think no, I don't know. I couldn't, I couldn't comment on that. For me it's important, as I said that I'm focusing on the players that are currently fit and that's my job, manage them as good as I can. Obviously it wasn't an wasn't an easy. Over the last week, but I think the players reacted really well with the Leicester game and and also in the in the Chelsea game and we're looking to build on that. And and yeah, that's why I'm so focused on today and tomorrow to do well for, for, for the short spell that I'm responsible for this football club and I take that as a big responsibility. Hi, there's a question for Andre. Obviously you worked with Eric 10 Hager IX. Why do you think it didn't work out at Man United? And how did you feel when you learned that he was leaving? Well, when I, when I heard he was living, obviously I feel bad. It's not always easy for for for players to to understand when a manager is leaving. But at the end of the day, the club have to make a decision and we have to follow. Yes, I work with him. He's a good manager. I have very good relationship with him. And yeah, why, why he thinks is when he didn't work here, we don't, we didn't win enough game. So it's so simple and and high level. It's not, it's not, it's not, it's not easy. Sometimes you have to pay the price. Unfortunately it was him. But we did, we did everything. Please give everything. We work hard, we try our best but it just didn't work. Neil Rude microphone rude. We saw what Ruben did with sport in Lisbon last night. Is there enough here for him to replicate that sort of thing in Manchester United? Enough here in the squad, do you believe? Like I said just now, I'm so focused at the present here to comment on that is, is for me, it's, it's, it's very difficult and, and, and hardly impossible because I'm, I'm, I'm really putting everything, all my energy in with the current squad, all the players, like I said, all the injured players. I'm talking about the strength of this current. Yeah, I know. So that's why to to relate it to his playing style and all of that. That's that's for me. It's the question that I can't answer because I'm so focused on on the players here and and, and and and getting results going tomorrow and on Sunday in the Premiership, which are vital 2 games for the season and and I think I'm doing the new manager the best favour to do that. And later I, like I said in all my interviews, I'm here to help the club and him. And I think that that comes across that came across and, and, and, and see when communication can start about the future. I'm just on Manchester United in Europe. It always had such a rich heritage as a former manager called it, but not so much in the last 10 years. Why do you think a club of this size has failed in Europe in the last 10 years? Well, I think it's a big question for me to answer why it didn't work over the last 10 years. For me it's important. That's the reason why I arrived at the club, is to help the club and build to those years again where there was there were successful times in Europe. Obviously there was the the Europa League final, if I don't, if I remember well with Ollie, there was the Europa League win with, with Mourinho. So was that in the last 10 years. So I think that's big European successes. So in that sense, it's always Manchester United is always there to compete in Europe and, and, and that's what we want as well. And that starts again tomorrow. Well, the, the focus that that you've just been talking about, obviously these next two games are very important, but has it been quite hard for you to focus on, for the players to focus? Because it's only human nature for the players to to look beyond that and think, you know, how I'm going to fit in under the new manager? What's the, the new team it'll look like? Has it been quite a challenge for you to to keep the focus on these next two games? Well, I think last week before the Leicester game and then before the Chelsea game, I think it was even harder because obviously things are changed quickly and, and, and massively. So to manage that was, was was I think a bigger task. Now things sort of calm down and we're focusing on on on the two performances where we can, we were confident about and can build on. But again, it's about tomorrow that that we play with the same passion and, and, and, and commitment and then with the with the home support and we can get to our best. Question for Andre. Did you happen to watch the sport in Lisbon game last night? And if you did, how do you think these players will suit the new manager Reuben Amry's style? And do you think they'll they'll be able to adapt to that high intensity that that he plays? Can you repeat, please? Did you watch the sport in Lisbon game last night against Manchester City? And if you did, how do you think the current Manchester United players will adapt to his style? Obviously it's it's different to what we've played so far this season. Very high intensity. Yeah, I did. I did watch a game yesterday. Great victory from there by the way. Different system but my players, my teammates, we are all pragmatic now. I think everyone here is capable to to play in each system so I don't think this will be any issue for for us. We have big players so they will step up and then quickly just ask Rude as well. Obviously you were a brilliant striker for Manchester United Sporting under the new manager Ruben Ameren have scored a lot of goals. So far this season, Manchester United have struggled to create chances for the strikers Rasmus Hoyland and Joshua Zerksy. Do you have any idea why why that might be, why they're not getting as many chances as we'd expect? I don't agree that we didn't create enough chances. I think if you look at the statistics that we are one of the teams that's creating the most chances and it's the conversion. That's why I said I'm not worried because we're creating the chances and, and with the talent we have and, and they're still young and not only the two that you just mentioned, but the others as well. There's lots of potential. I think when, when results will keep coming, confidence will rise. And that's, that's the key thing in scoring goals, confidence. And I think these these guys will have it in him. And hopefully we can carry on in tomorrow's game. In the Sporting game last night, their best strikers scored a hat trick and I think he scored 21 goals already this season. It seems obvious that Ruben likes us, gets the best out of strikers. You've mentioned, you know, Rasmus there, he's he's 21, lots of big chances this season. What does he need to do to go to the next level? Because it's clear he's got a lot of potential. What does he need to do to elevate himself to the kind of level that that Coy Crez at Sporting is at? Stay calm and believe in himself, believe in his qualities like I do, like like his his his teammates do. He knows he's young. He's promising. It's a daily work he's putting in that will in the end will pay off not only for him but but also for his teammates. And confident in that. From Greek media over here. It's for both the question given that tomorrow's game is the sandwich from a tough game last Sunday and a difficult game next weekend, how do you approach tomorrow's game? And what do you know about Papsalonica asking me first? OK, like I commented before, it's it's it's a game of high priority for us tomorrow. So we don't look at the past game and and the future game. We know that we need all our attention on power. We analyse them very well. We know that they're the current champions of Greece, which is a is a is a big achievement and also his current second, just one point behind ours in this moment. Lots of talented players, experienced players, strong side will be supported tomorrow here with 4000 fans travelling and supporting that team. So we we are ready to face a very tough game that that's the approach for tomorrow. We agree easy. I'll make it easy for you. Obviously the folks be on these four games, but as well as tactics, how important has it been to change the atmosphere? Has there been a change atmosphere since Eric has left? I don't know. It's, it's, it's difficult. Of course, it's a mixed emotions as well, because when he leaves it's it's a very sad day. And the days after that, you have to recover as a team and as a staff, you know, to go through to go through that together. We tried everything together to make it work and, and, and unfortunately it didn't happen. And of course we have to switch mindset and we did and the players did. And you saw that against Leicester and they also took responsibility that they had to improve as well. So I don't know. After the Chelsea game, we were slightly disappointed we didn't get the win, which was very positive signal to to the performance and and I think the emotions calm down. Players are now focusing and training on on getting their performances to the maximum and and for tomorrow's game as well. So that's basically what I can share about emotions, feelings at the moment in in the squad. OK, last question, BBC Reid, just one more on on Rasmus. I think you only had one touch inside the box against Chelsea on Sunday that led to the penalty. He's done a lot of his work with his back to goal in recent weeks. How do you get the best out of him? Do you want him playing that deep or do you want him in the penalty area? I mean the most goals are scored in the penalty area. So that's where we want to to get our players as much as much as we can. And but depends on the games that there's been games where we arrived many, many, many times, created many chances and unlock. Unfortunately we couldn't convert them all and that cost us a couple of results. But I think you have to deal with the circumstances when it's needed to, to, to hold up to him, to hold up play and, and get plays into, into third man positions and play on from there. He does a brilliant job as well. And of course he's he's, he's a guy that can can change the game in, in a second, like the penalty moment and you just need one or two in the box and, and can be in with him and, and, and the others as well. So that threat we always have.