Erik ten Hag was participating in a training session during Manchester United’s tour of the United States when he noticed something he didn’t like, and it perfectly encapsulated his desire to play aggressively next season

Prior to the team’s opening preseason game against Arsenal, the 53-year-old boss, who joined United from Ajax in the summer, provided an early indication of his no-nonsense style.

In a pre-game press conference, Ten Hag said that his squad “doesn’t play friendly” matches. That assertion was validated right away as goals from Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes resulted in a 2-0 victory.

Goalkeeper Tom Heaton confirmed his manager’s remarks following the game by stating, “We don’t play friendly games.”

A tale from the team’s final training session in San Diego shows how keen Ten Hag was for his players to come up to speed before the Premier League season started on August 14. Ten Hag was known for his rigorous attention to detail.

The Athletic claims that a scenario involving Harry Maguire, Antony, and goalie Andre Onana during a practice in San Diego compelled the United boss to step on the field.

Antony turned and played backwards to Maguire, who then passed it back to Onana rather than sprinting into the open space in front of him.

Ten Hag abruptly stopped play after expressing his apparent displeasure with the maneuver and questioned the players as to why the ball had been directed deeper rather than forward.

In fact, the Dutchman gave a demonstration of how he pictured the maneuver going. He took command in midfield before handing the ball to Victor Lindelof.

In order to make room for the following throw, Ten Hag then pushed Maguire forward.

Maguire then took up position and made a first-time pass to Jadon Sancho, according to Laurie Whitwell. “The ball passed Antony, who was acting as a spokesman. After turning around, Antony caught Sancho’s final pass and continued to run unimpeded.

As shown in a different video below, Antony was captured passing backwards once more during the same training session, prompting some to query why he didn’t rush into the open space in front of him.

Following the session, United fan Bryce Guzzetta came to the conclusion that Ten Hag wants to give his players “muscle memory.”

“He seemed very focused on people being in the right places at the right times and especially off the ball movement and awareness,” the witness said. Getting a glimpse behind the scenes was beneficial.

Any opinions on Ten Hag’s teaching strategies? Can United top their third-place showing from the previous campaign?

Let us know in the comments.