Cocu: PSV Do Not Fear United

PSV are preparing to take on Manchester United on Tuesday and manager Phillip Cocu has revealed his team doesn’t fear the EPL giants.

United are favorites to finish top of their group, which consists of Wolfsburg, CSKA Moscow and PSV, with their win over Liverpool a morale boost.

PSV thumped Cambuur 6-0 over the weekend and Cocu is determined to show United how good they are. 

“I think we should respect each opponent, but we are not afraid of Manchester United,” he told reporters. “We have no intention of throwing in the towel before we even get started. On the contrary, we want to make the most of this opportunity.

“These are the kinds of games everybody is really looking forward to. It was the same for me back in the days. We might have to slow down some of the players rather than motivate them. I think it is very important that everybody keeps a cool head. You have to remain focused. Details will be decisive.

“We are not going into the game thinking that we are likely to lose. That’s a negative approach. Our goal is to bag the full three points here, but we cannot afford to be naive.”

Cocu – who confirmed that Adam Maher will not be fit for the clash – has also paid tribute to Van Gaal, who coached him during his spell at Barcelona.

“We worked together in the national team and at Barcelona as my coach. He made me a better coach, with the tactical skills, the way he worked with the team,” he added. “Since I became a coach we sometimes met but we didn’t speak about how we play the game.”