Manchester United defender Mazlawi was interviewed by The National and talked about his first season at Manchester United and the difference in the Premier League. How was your first season at Manchester United? Personally, judging from my physical...
Manchester United defender Mazlawi was interviewed by The National and talked about his first season at Manchester United and the difference in the Premier League.
How was your first season at Manchester United?
Personally, judging from my physical condition and number of appearances, this is a season that makes me feel good. The Premier League’s physical fitness requirements are different from other leagues. There is no winter break, and the game is played one after another, and the schedule is very compact. From this perspective, I think I'm in good shape. Of course, I don’t need to say much about the team’s performance. Our results at the end of the season have already said everything and everyone is very clear.
Did you play more games than ever before, is it surprising you?
I want to stay healthy and play as many games as possible, which is not always easy for me. The Premier League has higher physical requirements than other leagues, so you must pay more attention to your physical care. I made some adjustments in my mindset to stay healthy and ready to play, which I think is helpful. I also believe in my strength. I know that as long as I can play at the level I deserve, I can play many games. I have already understood this point and I understand my level.
What is the difference between the Premier League and the league you played in before?
This is the first time I have experienced no winter break. In the past, by the end of November or early December, my body would always desire a short rest, but in the Premier League, you didn’t have such an opportunity at all, and that period was really difficult. It was a torment from December to January this year because your body must adapt to this rhythm, and it has long been used to having a rest period to buffer. The pace of the Premier League game is also very fast. I think this is related to the overall strength of the Premier League teams. There are many teams with high level in the Premier League, and this can also be seen from the transfer window that just ended. We signed two very good players from Wolves and Brentford (Cunha and Mbermo), which shows that every Premier League team has a high level player and overall quality is higher than other leagues.
Talking about the positive aspects of last season
For me, being able to play so many games is a positive aspect. I played more last season than the last two and a half seasons combined. I also played a few good goals and reached the European final for the first time. Although I did not win the championship in the end, being able to enter the final was already a breakthrough. I think it will always be a little harder to just join a new club, the players need time to adapt, but I don’t think I need much time to adapt, I quickly got into the team, which was a positive aspect of me last season.
If your hometown friends know nothing about Manchester United, what would you introduce?
Manchester United is a big, very large club, everyone knows Manchester United and everyone is paying attention to them. People like to discuss this team in various ways, and the club has received a lot of attention and focus, and that's the atmosphere I feel deep inside the club, and you can feel that kind of pressure. But we can no longer perform like last season. Even if we win the FA Cup, ranking seventh or eighth in the league is not enough for this club. From this point of view, we can see how high the requirements for playing for Manchester United are.
Ajax and Bayern are also big families, but Tenhach once said that Ajax is at the international level and Manchester United is at the global level. Do you agree?
I totally agree with him, from a stress perspective, the situation is the same, if you lose a game or two, it is a crisis, and it is the same in Ajax. But in the Premier League, everything is more international because if you lose, it will become a hot topic in India, the United States, Africa and other places.
Where does this pressure come from?
I think it is mainly the Internet, this is the world we are in now. I'm not the kind of person who can search for various opinions online, and there are too many discussions like this for this club.
Who is the hardest player you have ever encountered in the Premier League?
Salah, Sanzao, and Ilanga, there are many such opponents, but the one that made me play the hardest is Sanzao. He scored two goals in the first match. I was very guilty at that time, but when I met for the second match, I felt that I completely suppressed him.
