Timothy Fosu-Mensah

[Andi Istiabudi]

Semoga panjang umur dan makin sukses karirnya bersama United

[Riskur]

Fosu-Mensah's ultimate football dream

Tim Fosu-Mensah has revealed his ultimate football dream during an exclusive interview with ManUtd.com.

The young Dutchman is aiming high with Manchester United after breaking into the senior side last season and being in and around the squad this term - making the bench for the last game, at Middlesbrough in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old also discusses which player he has been compared to and which elementof colleague Michael Carrick's play he would love to bring to his own game.

What’s the best goal you’ve ever seen – live and on TV?
I think of two great goals. The long-range one from Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] for Sweden against England. It was an amazing goal. And Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s goal for the Netherlands in the World Cup against Uruguay. Actually, Zlatan has scored some great goals like the one for PSG against Anderlecht in the Champions League and other ones for Ajax.

What’s the best save you’ve ever seen?
It’s difficult but what I can remember, one of the best saves, was David [De Gea]’s against Everton [from Bryan Oviedo]. It was my first season at the club and I was at the stadium. It came right near the end.

What’s the best individual performance you’ve ever seen?
It must be [Lionel] Messi and the game he had against Bayer Leverkusen. He scored five goals in one Champions League game [in 2012]. I like watching football when I’m at home – I always have football on.

If you could play for any team in history, which one would you choose?
The Ajax team that won the Champions League in 1995 or all the teams of Manchester United that won those trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson.


What is your ultimate football dream?
To play as long as I can for this beautiful club and win as many trophies as I can for United. To win the Champions League and then the World Cup. These are my boyhood dreams.

Is there a city or stadium you’ve never played in that you’d particularly like to visit?
I’ve played at the Etihad Stadium, White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge but not the Emirates Stadium. I'd like to play there and perhaps at the Bernabeu and Camp Nou as well.

Have you ever seen a player do something on the pitch that you’d like to introduce to your game?
Well, not a trick but the understanding of the game that Michael [Carrick] has. I would love to add this to my game. I think it comes with age and experience, though.

Have you ever been compared to another player?
When I just came to United, some people said they’d seen a bit of similarity between me and Pogba when Paul first came here. Some people said I reminded them of him when I played in midfield.

Is there one thing about football you would like to change?
At the moment? I don’t know. Everything is okay!


www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

Timothy Fosu-Mensah harus berjuang lebih keras lagi nih jika ingin masuk tim utama United di bawah Mourinho

[Andi Istiabudi]

FOSU-MENSAH COULD BE FIT FOR FINAL

Jose Mourinho has revealed that Tim Fosu-Mensah could still have an outside chance of making Manchester United's squad for the Europa League final.

The Dutchman suffered a shoulder injury during the dying seconds of the derby with City last month after coming on as a late substitute at the Etihad Stadium.

Although there were initial fears the versatile youngster would miss the rest of the season, he is working overtime in a desperate bid to be available to take on his former club Ajax in Stockholm in eight days' time.

"Fosu-Mensah has a little chance to be ready [for the final]," declared Mourinho. "But even this kid is trying everything because the others [who are out injured] are impossible."

Fosu-Mensah is capable of operating in defence or midfield and would provide an extra option for the boss if he can recover in time to make the flight to Sweden.

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

FOSU-MENSAH COMPARES AJAX TO UNITED

Tim Fosu-Mensah has travelled to Stockholm with the Manchester United squad ahead of the UEFA Europa League final against his former club AFC Ajax.

In a recent interview, he discussed his upbringing at the Amsterdam club and the comparison between his schooling there and as part of United's Academy. With his brother Paul still at Ajax, he was able to provide some unique insight and revealed one change to his usual routine that he found difficult to handle.

What was it like growing up at Ajax's fabled Academy?
It was very good. Very, very good. I enjoyed every day at Ajax. I was there for nine years and I grew up there. I came as a kid and they helped me. They treated me well all the time and I played with very good players like Abdel El Hasnaoui, Stan van Bladeren, Donny van de Beek and Riechedly Bazoer. Even with a couple of players in first team now such as Kenny Tete and Anwar El Ghazi. We all played together. It helped me. The coaches helped me. I had Orlando Trustfull, Frank Peereboom and Michel Kreek, who joined Inter, all very good coaches who helped me develop as a player. Then United came along when I was 16. Manchester United is, for me, one of, if not the, biggest clubs in the world so it was hard but, at the same time, an easy decision. I wanted a new adventure.

Has that ethos and spirit instilled at Ajax remained with you?
Yes, it’s still in me. Definitely. The way they play – as promoted by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff, is in the DNA of the whole club. You need to play in multiple positions and must have a good understanding of the game. So I think you have this very good schooling at Ajax.

You mentioned the number of players you were with who have come through. Providing opportunities for youngsters is a hot topic in England – is there a similar debate in Holland?
No. In Holland, it’s important for a club like Ajax to get the youth players through into the first team. It’s important because it’s the way it has always been and it’s almost the brand, or face, of the club. It’s all about youth players. The Academy complex of the club is called the Toekomst and that means the future. So, for all the players there, it’s the destiny to make it into the first team. I think, as I’ve said before, I love Ajax with my heart, I’ll always love Ajax, and I’m happy I have been a part of this great club.

Are they proud of what you’ve achieved already at United?
I’ve got contact with the players and coaches and they are very happy for me. My little brother is still there [Paul] – he is with the Under-16s.

Do you ever offer him any advice?
Yeah, sometimes when he has problems, he speaks with me but it’s more a case of it’s his career and it’s my career. He needs to develop in his own way. I develop in my own way because I’m still young. I’m only 19 and still have a lot to learn. Everyone develops in his own way.

Did you ever talk to the English guys about what it was like in the United Academy compared to being at Ajax?
Yes, when I came here, I was in the Under-18s with Axel [Tuanzebe], Marcus [Rashford], Cameron [Borthwick-Jackson]. So they spoke to me and the differences were very big. With Ajax, you were allowed to wear adidas boots, pants and gloves. When I came here with Paul McGuinness and Joycey [Warren Joyce], I wasn’t allowed that and had to just wear black boots. I was not allowed to wear pants or gloves. You can ask Joycey and ask Paul! In the beginning, I had a lot of problems with that because I was not used to it. But I cannot thank them enough. They made me mentally very strong. I spoke with Andreas [Pereira] as he also came from a club in Holland, PSV Eindhoven, and had the same situation. It was the same so he told me: ‘Just listen, keep your head down and work hard’. I spoke with Joycey and Paul a lot and they helped me. Paul felt it’s important for the players to know the history of the club so, in the classroom, we watched videos of the Busby Babes. It’s important to know the history of this great club.

Can you understand why there is this debate in England about making sure we continue to produce youngsters to come through?
I know why, it’s because obviously, when you bring homegrown players through, it’s a beautiful thing. You know you brought them up and you can tell with Manchester United’s fans, they love the homegrown players, they really love it. It’s like it’s their own child. So that’s why I truly love the United fans with my whole heart because I think they’re great fans. In England, the football is bigger than in Holland so, sometimes, it’s difficult for young players to get this time to adapt. Sometimes, that time is not there. I am happy as I got a chance last year and did well so now I try to progress and develop. But it is always good to have homegrown players in the squad.

www.manutd.com

[Riskur]

FOSU-MENSAH GETS END-OF-SEASON BOOST

Tim Fosu-Mensah was delighted to be part of Manchester United's UEFA Europa League final squad after recovering from a shoulder injury just in time.

There had been concern the 19-year-old would miss the rest of the campaign when he landed awkwardly at the end of the goalless draw with Manchester City on 27 April.

But Fosu-Mensah was fit enough to play in the last Premier League game of the season against Crystal Palace at right-back, and he was subsequently given a spot on the bench in Stockholm by Jose Mourinho.

The Reds overcame the Dutchman's former club Ajax in the final, triumphing 2-0 with goals by Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and after joining his team-mates in dedicating the victory to the victims of the Manchester terror attack - "I think this is for them" - Fosu-Mensah spoke to ManUtd.com about the win.

"Playing against Ajax, where I spent eight years as a kid and still know a lot of the boys, we had to do it," said the defender, during our interview in the post-match media zone.

"Fortunately, I could be in the squad for the final, after playing 90 minutes last Sunday, and it's the best feeling I could have. You don't want the season to end when you get the taste of it but this is the best way to have ended the season, with a trophy and Champions League football to look forward to next season."

Fosu-Mensah is determined to ensure he is 100 per cent ready for the new campaign and has not even planned any holidays yet.

"I still need to book them but the most important thing is to work on my shoulder and get it stronger," he added. "The physios worked hard and I decided not to have an operation because of the final. We did a good job with the physios working hard on it and that's what we're going to do in the summer too."

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

FOSU-MENSAH RECALLS HIS SCHOOL DAYS

Tim Fosu-Mensah is the latest Manchester United player to take part in our 'School Days' feature.

The versatile Dutchman discusses attempting overhead kicks out on the streets, playing football with his pals and offers some advice to aspiring players...

How would you describe your time at school?
It was a nice time and I enjoyed it. I didn’t really like school on its own but, when you were a kid, you’d always use any breaks to play football outside with your classmates. That’s what I enjoyed the most, I think.

Were there any subjects you particularly enjoyed or didn’t enjoy?
I did enjoy learning languages, and maths too. The rest of it wasn’t really my thing!

What were you like as a footballer back then?
At school, we always had little tournaments against other schools. I never played in those, because at the time I was already playing at Ajax. Whenever there was a little break and we played football outside, maybe I was one of the star players [laughs] - it was really enjoyable!

Were you playing with older players at the time?
At my school, we also had two other players who played for Ajax, so we always played together. I think there were others who weren’t playing professionally but had the talent, so it was always very competitive.

Have you always been a defender, even since your school days?
No [laughs], every time I played on the streets I just played as an attacker actually! With it being out on the street, the ground was hard, but sometimes as a kid you still tried bicycle kicks! It was great fun.

Do you still keep in touch with your friends from school?
Yeah, definitely. I still speak to a lot of them because I grew up with them so, every time I go back, I’m still with the same group of boys.

What advice would you give someone at school who wants to become a professional footballer?
I would say ‘work hard, listen to the senior players and always try to improve.’ If something is going well, I think you obviously have to be happy about it, but I don’t think about it too much because it’s important to keep going and keep trying to develop yourself. It helps you get the best out of yourself.

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

FOSU-MENSAH REACTS TO NOURI TRAGEDY

Tim Fosu-Mensah admits this week has been an emotional time in his life following the news that his former AFC Ajax team-mate Abdelhak Nouri has suffered brain damage.

The 20-year-old sustained heart rhythm problems during the game against Werder Bremen last Saturday, and his chances of recovery from the damage have tragically been reported as nil. Since then, the football world has rallied around and Daley Blind sent his strength to the talented player earlier this week.

Blind and Fosu-Mensah are both former Ajax players who knew Nouri personally, yet Tim were particularly close to the player after rising through the Amsterdam club’s famed academy together. MUTV spoke to Fosu-Mensah before Friday morning’s training session at UCLA…

Firstly Tim, it must have been a tough couple of days for you with the news from Ajax?
Yeah definitely. I played with him since the age of eight so it is very sad, and a very difficult time for me as well with what has happened to him.

With that in mind, has it been hard to keep training this week?
As the saying goes, 'life goes on' but every time when I wake up it is the first thing that I am thinking about. It hurts me a lot, I speak to my old team-mates at Ajax and we try to be strong together.

How have you found the week at UCLA?
To be fair, very well. I enjoy every session and I enjoy every day being here. It is difficult, what happened, but when I play football I try to think about nothing but football. After is after. When I am back I will try to have contact with a couple of mates but when I am on the pitch, all of my focus is on the pitch.

Are the new signings settling in well?
I think they are settling in very well because this group... we have is a wonderful group. Everyone is so kind so they feel at home straightaway. There is definitely a great team spirit. It is very nice to know the players are very good, if you need help then they help you, so the new signings are settling in very well.

Is this summer a good opportunity for you to impress the manager and stake your claim?
Yeah, I train hard, I do my best and every opportunity I get I try to grab it.

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

FOSU-MENSAH CONCENTRATING ON LEARNING

Tim Fosu-Mensah is delighted with how his pre-season campaign has panned out but refuses to accept he is closer to a regular first-team place at Manchester United.

The versatile Dutchman helped the Reds earn a 3-0 victory against Valerenga, in the latest match of Tour 2017 presented by Aon, after coming on at the break as manager Jose Mourinho tested his squad.

As he appeared as a right-sided wing-back in Oslo, it has been suggested he could become Antonio Valencia's deputy in 2017/18. However, the 19-year-old stressed he is certainly not aware if this is yet the case. "I don't know," he told reporters. "I’m just trying to develop my game. I’m young and still have a lot to learn, but I’m learning every day.

"I’m working with one of the best managers in the world, it’s something I’m grateful for and, as I say, I’m learning every day."

Fosu-Mensah is already eagerly anticipating next week's UEFA Super Cup tie against Real Madrid, with one more friendly to come beforehand, in Dublin, with Sampdoria providing the opposition on Wednesday night.

"I’m really happy," he added. "Everyone got their minutes tonight, so I think the whole team is building up to fitness and it’s going really well. We’ve won a few games and we’re working towards the game against Real Madrid next week.

"I think we’re stronger than we were last season. We’re working on a couple of points and we’ve had a couple of great additions to the squad in Romelu [Lukaku] and Victor [Lindelof]. I think we’re stronger.

"That’s what we’re going for [the Premier League title]. We’re Manchester United, so of course that’s what we are going for."

www.manutd.com

[zudomiriku]

Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah set to join Crystal Palace on a season-long loan

* Timothy Fosu-Mensah is highly rated by Manchester United's hierarchy
* He will move to Crystal Palace on loan in order to gain first-team experience
* The 19-year-old can play across the defence in Palace's 3-4-3 formation

Timothy Fosu-Mensah is set for a medical at Crystal Palace after agreeing to a season-long loan.

The Manchester United defender has been allowed to depart for the capital in order to gain experience.

Palace's new manager Frank De Boer was aware of the need for defensive reinforcements and did have a tentative interest in Daley Blind.


Timothy Fosu-Mensah will join Crystal Palace on a season-long loan from Manchester United

The impending signing of Fosu-Mensah will be seen as a coup given the Dutchman's rising stock at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho felt the 19-year-old - who recently signed a new contract at United - needs to gain maturity by playing on a weekly basis.

And the Palace switch looks set to be sealed soon with Fosu-Mensah ready for a medical at Selhurst Park.

He can play wide but De Boer may also use Fosu-Mensah centrally if Palace operate with three at the back.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4767340/Timothy-Fosu-Mensah-join-Crystal-Palace-season-loan.html