Manchester United 'If players are good enough, they are old enough'
- PA MEDIA
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said he will have no concerns if he includes teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in his starting XI to play Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old was given his first Premier League start at Everton on Sunday and impressed in United's 3-0 victory.
Ten Hag said: "We don't have fear. If players are good enough, they are old enough.
"We are very pleased with that performance, but it's one performance. You have to do it on a consistent basis. Kobbie is so mature and he knows that. We are confident he will do it. But you are always as good as your last game."
Asked how to look after a young player making their first steps into the professional game, Ten Hag added: "Enjoy it first, but keep the focus on the game. Don't get distracted from it so your focus is going to things that are next to football. It's about the game. You have to focus on your game and your performance.
"If we observe a player is getting distracted, we will tell them. I see his levels in training so I am not concerned at this moment that Kobbie has been distracted from it."
Ten Hag and Fernandes on Galatasaray and Champions League chances
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and captain Bruno Fernandes have been speaking to the press before Wednesday's Champions League group game in Turkey against Galatasaray.
Here are the main headlines from their media conference:
Rasmus Hojlund and Antony are in the squad after recovering from injuries, providing attacking options for a United side that will be without Marcus Rashford because of suspension.
Ten Hag believes United have improved since their loss to Galatasaray earlier in the group stage: "I think so, it will probably be the same for Galatasaray but I think we have improved. It's good progress, we are stepping up, we are more stable, we are winning games so definitely there is a big difference from the first time we played them."
Ten Hag does not have any concerns about selecting teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in such an important fixture, after an impressive display in his first Premier League start against Everton on Sunday. "If players are good enough, they're old enough," said the United boss. "We are very pleased with the performance, but it's one performance. You have to do it on a consistent basis. Kobbie is so mature and he knows that."
Fernandes is excited to play in an "intense" atmosphere and says the team are "focused" on getting the win they need to keep their hopes of qualification alive. "It's really important to be in the competition, we want to be in the middle of the best clubs in Europe," said the midfielder. "It's disappointing if we don't go through but I'm not thinking about that at the moment, I'm just focused on the game against Galatasaray because the only way we can go through is winning against Galatasaray and going to the last game with a chance to go through."
Fernandes explained why Marcus Rashford was chosen to take United's second-half penalty at Everton: "It was in the moment, I thought Marcus needed his first goal [for United since 3 September]. He is such an important player for us, last season he was our top scorer. Strikers and wingers need that first goal and after that they're straight back to scoring more and more goals. We need our strikers and wingers in the positions to score goals and to have the confidence to score them."
On how he feels about previous criticism of his captaincy, Fernandes added: "You don't like to be criticised, everyone is the same, but at the same time I have to do what I think is best for the team. I'm not always right, but in my head at that moment that's the right choice so I do it."
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'That was some start'
Chris Sutton has praised the "assured" display from Kobbie Mainoo for Manchester United in Sunday's 3-0 win at Everton.
"That was some start", Sutton told Monday Night Club.
Listen to Monday Night Club in full
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'This team has the bottle to perform in intimidating atmospheres'
In the latest episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast, co-hosts Gaz Drinkwater and Amber Haque discuss Manchester United's upcoming fixtures at Galatasaray in the Champions League and at Newcastle in the Premier League.
Gaz: "They need to win. I was worried for Everton away, Galatasaray away and St James' Park - because they're three intimidating atmospheres.
"I didn't think this United team had the bottle to perform in intimidating atmospheres, but now they've proven they can do it.
"Let's do it again against Galatasaray."
Amber Haque: "It's just a tough one to call [against Newcastle], because they've also had patchiness in form, and we've seen some incredible performances from them in the Champions League.
"It's going to be incredibly tough for us. What we've been missing is dominating in the midfield, and we might have cracked that code.
"We've just got to show up, get the passing right, keep calm.
"It's going to be very, very hostile and they'll want to be in the mix for everything."
Listen to this week's full episode on BBC Sounds.
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GETTY IMAGESTransfer news: Man Utd interested in striker Werner
Manchester United have made enquiries about RB Leipzig's Germany striker Timo Werner and could move for the 27-year-old in January. (Sky Sports Germany)
The Red Devils have made Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi their number one target heading into the January transfer window. (Football Insider)
Scouts from several Premier League clubs have been watching 22-year-old striker Mason Greenwood's performances at Getafe. (AS - in Spanish)
Finally, England manager Gareth Southgate is expected to hold talks with United's 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo to persuade him to play for England rather than Ghana. (Star)
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