After last week’s disappointing defeat at Tottenham, we are ready to go Manchester United today and try to respond well and pick up a good result. We are training well and we’re ready.
The Spurs game gave me and the players a lot of positives. We have trained well all week and lifted ourselves and we have to now play away against one of the biggest clubs.
At the end of the day, we didn’t lose a cup final to Spurs, but it really hurt. It was a massive game in terms of a London derby and we lost it in a very disappointing way, and if again in five or ten years you ask me about it, I’ll still say how disappointing it was. But we have to take the positives. Manchester United also played on Thursday, and we didn’t.
Last time out, I made the decision to play Darren Randolph in goal, and of course it was my decision. He deserved his chance, and it’s his position now. Adrian took the decision like a true professional. Of course he may be disappointed, but I explained this to him in person because he deserved that much.
It’s not like you’re replacing an outfield player – you don’t always have to have an explanation for every player every time, but Adrian deserved it and as I said, he took it like a pro.
Today is time to show our character and what we’re made of. Of course, we are all guilty of the situation we’re in. But since the Crystal Palace game, we have showed the intensity, quality and spirit. We have improved, but we have to improve more.
We showed last week that we can do it. We must now show that again.
It’s quite remarkable that Michail Antonio has scored so many headers. He’s the one that Man United will probably try to mark from set pieces, but it will be hard for them. Some of the goals are after the set piece and the players are moving and he’s difficult to pick up. Hopefully he can do the same today.
I’m really looking forward to this afternoon’s match and, as I said, let’s hope we can pick up a great result away from home.
Enjoy the match.
Slaven Bilic