Ten Hag issues key demand to United attackers after another impressive pre-season display

 

Erik ten Hag seems to know what he wants from his players. It’s clear that the former Ajax manager is tactically astute, but will he be able to get his message across to the team when the season begins in August?

That was always a concern for Manchester United fans when the board started looking for a new manager. Some people liked Mauricio Pochettino, but Ten Hag was a clear favourite on all the polls.

We’ve seen good managers come and go while the players continued to underperform.

Following Ten Hag’s appointment, however, I was cautiously optimistic.

Now, I can’t hide that I’m extremely encouraged by the way he has carried himself as manager a month into the job.

It is another measure of progress that Ten Hag’s focus isn’t about making everyone happy at the club and putting smiles back on faces. He is point blank telling them what they must do in his team while they’re winning football matches convincingly.

Ten Hag told MUTV he wants his team to press all day, saying (quotes via Yahoo Sport): “That is also the demand on the team. We press. We press all day.

“If we can, we do it high on the pitch. But if we can’t, we have to do that in a lower block.

“But also we have to press and we have to together, as a team.”

Ten Hag was then asked a follow up question about how his players can improved ahead of the new season, despite winning three games from three on pre-season tour.

He said: “The timing, when you start the press, for instance. I see still switches we can avoid and we can prepare a better press.

“And I think also on the ball. We play well, but you can see in the end when it