by Mojul » Wed Jul 06, 2016 7:48 am
10:59 - Sky ask 'Which ONE are you this time?'. The boss says 'I don't know. It is difficult to describe this club'.
11:00 - "I don't like to say 'Dream Job'. This is reality. I am the Man United manager" - banging out the quotes early!
11:01 - "I am where I want to be. I am a bit frustrated I am not in the Champions League. I am frustrated that I can't continue the chase for Sir Alex's records. Man United is a Champions League club. In July 2017, instead of waiting for Europa League draw, we have to make sure the club is where it should be."
11:02 - BBC ask what is the aim? To compete or to win? "I was never very good hiding behind words and philosophies. I never tried to be good at that. I was always much more aggressive in my approach, and take the risks that can bring. It would be easy to focus on the past three years, but it would be pragmatic to say lets get back to the Champions League. I am not good at that, I am more aggressive, and to be more aggressive is to say We want to win."
11:03 - "I suspect one of you will ask about style of play. I can anticipate that by saying; you can win a short competition or a couple of matches, but you cannot win a league not playing. To win you need to score more than the opponent, to give everything, to make the fans proud. It is an aggressive approach, but it is how I want to be. I want to score goals, I want to not concede goals, I want fans behind us in the last 10 minutes if we're holding on."
11:04 - Daily Mail ask; do you have a point to prove after last season? "There are some managers that last won a title 10 years ago, some have never won a title. I won a title 1 year ago. If I have a lot to prove, then imagine the others!"
11:05 - "I play against myself. I would never be able to work without success."
11:07 - "For so many years, success was routine. These last 3 years need to be forgotten. The players need to forget. To finish 4th? Finishing 4th is not the aim. I'm 53, not 63 or 73. Maybe you are tired of me because I started so young, but I'm a young manager, and I need to go for these big challenges."
11:08 - Premier League productions ask how many more changes are needed to the squad: "I don't know. The third player is already official?" Louise: "No......", Jose: "When?", Louise: "Soon", Jose: "OK. We made 4 positions priority. To give better balance and to get the qualities that I want. Especially vision. I like specialists more than multi-functioned players. I like one or two of those, as you need one or two guys who can fill the problems in a season, but I like specialists more."
11:09 - "We have 2 or 3 confirmed now?" Louise: "2", Jose: "We have 3 (laughter). When we have the 4th, I will breathe, and we will do this before August 31st. I also want to keep happy players."
11:11 - "Imagine someone is not happy here, or gets an offer they want to take, or they want a new option, then once I finish the fundamentals I will breathe, and then the supplemental deals can be made to solve that."
11:12 - "Now there are 20 teams fighting for the title. That is Leicesters legacy. If a team has 5 wins in 5 matches at the start, they will be candidates. The time for a December collapse is over. Leicester they have killed that. To only speak of only one club, or the word I hate; enemy (i hate that in life too), it is not right. It is not like Spain for a 2 horse race, or Italy a 3 team title. Here, it doesn't make sense to take the same approach. If you focus on one team, the others will be laughing. I am the United manager, with all the respect to all the clubs in the country, especially one that was my house for seven years. I have a great time with their fans, but now I am manager of the Biggest club in the UK. But I have the respect to every club in the league."
11:15 - Giggs leaving and youth policy: "First of all, I have 5 more minutes. I need 10 to explain fully. You know how many youth team players I have promoted to a first team? 49....49....49 players from the academies of my clubs. Sometimes you promote players because of no choice, sometimes through mass injury, that is one factor. Another factor is that when you're not playing for big targets you have a chance to bring them up. My injury record is very, very low. I had least injuries in several UEFA notes. Second factor is that I always fight for the title, so there isn't always stability to do it. But I have done 49, and they are names that are Champions League winners, playing in the Euros, playing for their national teams. One lie repeated many times will look true, but is always a lie. So many of YOU, with intention or not, I don't care, but it's not true."
11:19 - "And about Ryan, I will not run away. It is not my fault, Ryan wanted to be Man United manager, and the club for their own reasons decided it was for me. From this moment, Ryan wants to be a manager, like I did 14 years ago. For many of us, we start as assistant coaches, and the time comes to make a decision, so when you ask did I offer him a job, or could he have had a job, he made that decision, he made the brave decision to go, and he has made the step to not only leave from assistant to manager, but also his house of 29 years, and he made the brave and honest step. If he ever wants to come back whilst I'm here, he is welcome, and it is natural one day to be offered the manager job".
11:22 - Any advice from Sir Alex: "Bring an umbrella. Was great advice. Bring my typical bottle of wine, as we will have many occasions to drink together. I cannot see him this week as he is at the Euro's. But when he comes back we're both based in Manchester and he is always welcomed at the training ground, and we will have time to share our personal stuff in life, and his opinion is always important. So many legends are still here and their opinions matter. Agree or not agree, he is always respected and I want to learn what they can teach me."
11:24 - Is Rooney a Striker or Midfielder; "There are many jobs on the field, the most difficult is the guy who puts the ball in the net. It is normal that a player at this age changes. The natural appetite changes. Maybe his not a striker anymore, or a natural 9, but for me he is never a number 6. He is there to put the ball in the net. He will be a 9, a 10 or a 9 and a half. But not a 6 or an 8."
That concludes the press conference. The boss has left, and what an opening show!
CHAMPIONS 20 13