Man United boss Erik ten Hag has wasted no time in laying down the law at his new club, giving the players a ‘dressing down’ over bibs.
United are among a number of sides to begin their pre-season training in the past week. Anyone who has played for a football team knows that the first day of pre-season is always tough; you have to shake off the rust and build up fitness. However, in the Premier League, this is turned up to number 11.
Additionally, with a new manager, the need to work harder than ever to prove your worth makes pre-season a daunting prospect. This was something that a number of first-team and under-21 players enjoyed at Carrington yesterday.
Red Devils begin pre-season
According to Metro, between 12 to 15 first-team squad members reported for the first training day. These were only players that did not feature in any internationals at the end of last season. For instance, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire have an extra week off after featuring in the Nations League.
Despite this, stars such as Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and David de Gea all got their first taste of the Erik ten Hag era.
The Daily Mirror reports that United’s first day back at Carrington was a long one; players arrived at 9am, with training sessions not finishing until after 4pm. Clearly, Erik ten Hag wants to maximise pre-season to get Man United off to a better start in 2022/23.
In terms of friendly fixtures, the Red Devils will be having quite the tour. They begin their pre-season programme with a match against Liverpool in Bangkok on 12 July.
Then, United will go to Australia for three more fixtures. They take on A-League side Melbourne Victory at the famous MCG on 15 July, after which they will face Crystal Palace four days later. On 23 July, United will play another Premier League side in Aston Villa, this time in Perth.
Another challenge awaits after a long flight to Oslo, where the Red Devils will take on Atletico Madrid. Finally, a match against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford rounds out their pre-season.
The high volume of matches means that Erik ten Hag will have plenty of opportunities to assess his Man United squad. But, on his first day, he has already demonstrated his management style.
Bibs lead to Erik ten Hag ‘dressing down’ Man United squad
Somewhat humorously, the players received a ticking off over training bibs. According to Manchester Evening News, United’s squad left the training attire in a single pile at the end of the day’s session.
This annoyed Erik ten Hag; he wanted the bibs organised into colour-coordinated piles. As a result, the team received a bit of a ‘dressing down’, per reports.
Although this might be nit-picking, it is a clear sign of intent from Ten Hag that he will expect nothing but perfection from his players. If he can fine-tune details on the pitch, too, fans may get very excited for next season.
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