Man United manager Erik ten Hag made sure he got an angry message across to David de Gea during his side’s recent friendly against Crystal Palace.
United are currently on a tour of Australia as part of their pre-season preparations. Ten Hag is looking ahead to his first season of Premier League football – and he has already established some strict rules.
There is a crucial focus on fitness. Ten Hag wants his squad to work harder. He also wants them to lose any ‘negative’ body language.
The Dutchman also has stylistic concerns. His preference is for progressive, forward-thinking football. He has been instilling this style throughout training sessions and matches.
In addition, much is the modern way, United have been playing out from the back at every opportunity in pre-season so far. Even defenders, such as Eric Bailly, have been making driving runs into the midfield to create goalscoring opportunities.
At previous club Ajax, Ten Hag utilised a form of ‘total football‘ – and we may see something similar at Man United. However, he has warned that the Red Devils will not play in the same way as Ajax.
He told the Daily Mirror: “Our team will be different, of course, because it’s a different players. A different type of football, that is clear. There is also a direct bridge to Manchester United. Finally, it’s about the players you have, because I cannot change the identification [characteristics] of a player.”
But Ten Hag is still very keen to get his messages across to his players – and showed exactly that during a pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace.
Erik ten Hag criticises David de Gea for action
The match against Palace, which took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, was United’s third game in pre-season. They have already recorded 4-0 and 4-1 wins over Liverpool and Melbourne Victory, respectively.
Ten Hag’s side beat Patrick Vieira’s Eagles 3-1, despite going down to 10 men. Anthony Martial scored the opening goal, with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho also finding the net.
The Dutchman’s instructions are clearly having a positive effect. But pre-season is all about adapting to the new manager’s wishes, meaning there will be teething problems along the way – as goalkeeper David de Gea found out.
After receiving the ball from a centre-back, De Gea took a touch before launching the ball upfield. His decision didn’t impress his manager, however.
In footage from MUTV, Ten Hag can be heard shouting: “David! What the f*** are you doing?”
After De Gea’s pass, Palace managed to win the ball back, which will have disappointed Ten Hag. One of the main principles of playing out from the back is to avoid giving up possession.
However, this is one blip in what has been a strong pre-season so far, and De Gea will head into the new season looking to continue his impressive form from last season.
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