Izuchukwu OkosiManchester United manager Erik Ten Hag entertained questions from football journalists Friday afternoon ahead of the Super Sunday clash between his team and league leaders Liverpool at Anfield and insists that his team holds no fears as they visit the home of one of their Premier League rivals.
United were at the receiving end of a 7-0 hiding in the reverse fixture last season and was asked if his team is nervous about meeting the Reds in the aftermath of the UEFA Champions League exit.
“I haven’t seen [that since] last season the players were scared. It was a bad experience, but you start again on nil. Last year, in the first half, we were very decent but got hammered just after half time and we collapsed.
“It is a different team [now], with different players. We won’t ignore it, but I am confident my players will go there and fight from the start to the end.”
Ten Hag added: “Last year was the past, what we can change is the future. Sunday is a new game.”
Erik ten Hag further confirmed in his news conference that both Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw would be available, but Harry Maguire will miss Sunday’s trip to Liverpool: “Harry is not available for the coming games, but we don’t think his injury will be long term.
“Luke Shaw trained this morning, we think we have him for Sunday. Marcus Rashford is also back.”
Ten Hag was also asked if he had decided who would captain the side as a stand-in for Bruno Fernandes, who is suspended. He said “Yes, I know” but refused to elaborate.
Despite the defeats to Bournemouth and Bayern Munich in the Premier League and Champions League, Erik ten Hag says the future is bright for the Old Trafford club.
“Long-term the future for Man Utd is very good,” he said.
“If you see how many good players we have in the squad, how many good young players we have in the squad who have the potential to play worldwide.
“When the injuries get back the team will play better.”
United fans would have to find out if the manager’s bullish words are blind faith or a common sense assessment.
Unconfirmed reports had linked former Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter had been linked with the United job but that subject did not arise in Friday’s press conference.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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