United 1-1 Spurs | Every word of Roberto De Zerbi's post-match press conference

Here's what he had to say...

Did you get what you deserved in the end, or did you deserve more?

Roberto: "For sure we didn't deserve to lose the game, we deserved to be 1-2 goals up in the first half. We suffered in the second half, especially in the first part, and then when we conceded the goal, we had five minutes before, potential chances as well to score. Then, after the red card, we showed the right reaction, but we played a great game. I think we are playing well, not (just) today, also the other games before Manchester, but today has been the game where for the first time in this season we showed to be a team. We played for the team-mates, we played together, we believed until the end of the game, we stayed inside of the game in every situation, and we attacked as a team, we defended as a team, the right football behaviour."

What did you make of the red card and what did you say to Rodrigo afterwards?

Roberto: "I kissed Rodrigo and I said thanks, because it's clear - it's a mistake from Rodrigo, because it's not the right reaction in football, but now Tottenham needs to react. Sometimes the reactions are not nice, not positive for the team, but I think in that moment, in 10 players, maybe we played with more courage, we played with more energy and we changed the game, and from a long time Tottenham played without this blood, this character. Now I am the coach and I want to see this character every game, because Manchester United in the second half showed character. Not just with the quality we can win the game, with the qualities, with the character, with the right energy, I think we are going to win many games, and we are going to score many goals."

How important was that goal for Dominic Solanke, your captain today?

Roberto: "He deserved to be a captain today, because he suffered maybe too much, because Tottenham didn't win, Tottenham didn't score, who is the striker of Tottenham, Solanke is not good enough - it's not true... Solanke is good enough to play, maybe he is the best striker for us, because his qualities, he is a complete player, he has personality, he has to feel good in terms of physical condition, but he is a great player and I wanted to show my confidence, the importance I give him in this team."

Can you explain why you made Solanke captain, not Archie Gray?

Roberto: "For what I explained. I decide who is the captain. Today, after the last game, the criticism, I wanted to put him captain to show my confidence and the confidence of the team, because all other players were happy when I said Domi Solanke captain. When one player of us is in a difficult situation, all other players and staff and myself, we have to show to be close with him, like a family, like a team, like a normal team."

What would the goal do for him?

Roberto: "It's important, but it was very good. If you analyse the behaviour in the goal area when he scored today and in goal area in the last game against Villa in our stadium, you can see totally different behaviour, totally different energy, totally different energy and we need this Domi Solanke, because Domi Solanke is able to make the difference in this team."

Is travelling to Spain this week a chance to be together and train together?

Roberto: "Yeah, because we have to build the team. Now the target is to build the team, not the group of the players. We are a great group of players, but we are not a team yet. Today, this game, we show to be a team. To be a team is to play for the team-mates, suffer together, attack together, defend together, the players who come inside five minutes, three minutes, like Mateus Ferdandes, they have to play like they are in the first 11, without problems, without other faults. We have to find the balance between the confidence in ourselves and to be hungry in the training and in the games."

Is it important then to socialise together?

Roberto: "To stay together, yes. To work together, to stay together, to go for dinner together, to know better each other, because to be a team you have to know the team-mates, to stay together."

You said yesterday you expected a higher level from some of the new signings, like Tonali, Savio - do you think you saw that today?

Roberto: "I think we played very well, Senesi, JP van Hecke played very well. We can play better. We can play better in the last third. We can play better in the middle of the pitch, to keep order in every situation, especially in the first half, I think we could create more chances if we would have kept the order on the pitch. Savio is a talent, he is still very young, he has to improve, he has to make the switch because his potential is clear for everyone and he has to work to be better and better and better, like the top players."

How frustrating is it, or what more can you do when your team is arriving in the final third and getting these chances but just not taking them?

Roberto: "I believe in football. If you create chance, chance, chance to score, if you work well, if you work seriously and if you have qualities of the players, because the qualities of the players are clear, I think in the end we're going to win many games and we're going to score many goals. If we lose passion, if we lose energy, if we lose because we are not winning, we can't make the step to find the higher level."

Just going back to the red card, how do you ensure that players give you the character that you need but stay within the rules?

Roberto: "Listen, the last game, we played one minute with 10 players because van de Ven was injured and we conceded a goal. We spoke, we spent time to speak, to be stronger with 10 players because it can happen during the game to stay one minute or 45 minutes or 60 minutes and you can win anyway, one player less, you can score anyway. It's the mentality, it's the character, it's the energy, the passion of the players. I think the red card today gave us the switch, the spark."

Have you felt with the fans, the players, even yourself, that this might be something of a turning point?

Roberto: "I can't answer your question. Now we have to prepare the next game at home with Coventry. We prepare the game humble, because we have the same point and maybe Coventry can make points Monday. So we are in a bad situation, we can't accept to stay in that situation. It's not important the environment, the past, the last season. We have to react and we have to win. Then when we play three, four, five, 10 games like today, even if we didn't win, we can say we went out of the problem, but so far we are inside and we have to suffer together."

Was that the most positive you've been with the players?

Roberto: "Yes, I'm happy for the performance. I'm happy for the performance. I'm happy for the qualities of the play, especially in the first half, but also in the second. I'm happy for the defensive space together. We suffered together. We didn't concede, we didn't suffer too many chances, considering we played in Old Trafford. I like the reaction. I said the reaction also of Rodrigo Bentancur, because now, for us, we have to react. We can't accept, we can't stay sad for the result. We have to react. We have to find ways to improve the result, to improve the table, to improve this club."