5 observations from Erik ten Hag's first Manchester United training session with "huge momentum"
Man United's pre-season began on Monday, with new manager Erik ten Hag leading his first session at Carrington despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire.
With Erik ten Hag at the helm, Manchester United is entering an exciting new era.
The Red Devils have a new manager, and there is plenty of hope for the future after the Dutchman left Ajax to take over at Old Trafford. Ten Hag arrived at Carrington early on Monday for his first training session before being joined by 19 other players.
Ten Hag took his players onto the training pitch after fitness tests and addressed them before they began ball work as he begins to communicate his ideas to a new group of players. When they return from their delayed international break, they will be joined by those who have played in internationals, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire.
"There was a real energy about the place," a dressing room source told the Mirror. Everyone was pumped to get started. Erik was buzzing around the practice field, meeting a lot of people before heading to training in the afternoon.
"There's always a certain amount of routine on the first day back, with fitness and health checks, but in the afternoon they were out on the grass doing ball work."
Here are five things we noticed after seeing photos of Ten Hag's first session.
1) Introduction
When Ten Hag got his players on the grass, his first task was simple: deliver a strong opening address.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag spoke to the players for "several minutes" at the start of the session, flanked by assistants Steve McClaren and Mitchell Van der Gaag.
He'd hoped to make a good first impression, as photos showed him looking assertive at times and warmly smiling at others.
Ten Hag then led his players through over two hours of training, alternating between ball work and running drills, as some players arrived before 9 a.m. and stayed until after 4 p.m.
Ten Hag will be hoping that his first training address conveyed his message effectively.
2) Return of loanees
Last season, Manchester United loaned out many players who are now back in their colors.
Donny van de Beek is one of those being closely watched from afar, having thrived under Ten Hag at Ajax. He returned to Carrington and was seen reuniting with his former boss.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0