Just on your previous point, on failure to win back-to-back Premier League games and the need to do it. Do you think the fact it’s gone on for so long, subconsciously it’s become a bit of a psychological thing for the players? And if you can beat Brentford and finally win back-to-back, do you think it could just release?
“I think it’s going to help us. I know for people outside the club, it’s not a big thing. It should not be a big thing in Manchester United, but I think it’s going to help us a lot. So, for that, again, it’s not about playing well. It’s the way we are going to do the warm-up and the preparation, and if we are excited to go to the game, like we are sometimes when we are in the limit and we have to win some games. If we have always that feeling, I think it’s going to be massive for us. So, it’s massive to win this game.”
Over the last 10 months, do you think mentally there has been something there that has been a barrier?
“I don’t know, but the important thing is to do the maximum and to face that game like we face sometimes, Liverpool last year [for example] because we were struggling. The way we start the season against Arsenal, we were really excited to start the season. We should have that feeling all the time. So, we are in the beginning. We won the last game, we need to do everything to win against Brentford, and we need to win the game.”
Ruben, you said earlier that you spoke about the fact that you wanted to win consecutive matches. Was that here, or was it in the dressing room, or was it just generally?
“It was everywhere. I think if we, as a team, don’t understand the momentum now, we have a big problem. So again, anything could happen in a game, especially in the Premier League, and you can see in every game. But the feeling in the first minutes, it’s really important. So, for me, since we started the first training, we started talking about that. We need to understand the momentum of the club, the opportunity that we have to win the next game. So, it’s on us, and the responsibility is on us.”
On the same subject of winning back-to-back games. Obviously, you’ve come from a club that goes on these long winning runs and you did it quite a lot. How’s it been for you dealing with that?
“It’s really hard, but I also understand it’s a different club, a different pressure, completely different league. But that feeling of winning and [for it] to get really normal to win, I struggle a lot. I think also the players [do]. So it’s in our hands to change things. We just need to win the next one, and to do everything to win the next one.”
