Erik ten Hag chastises Manchester United stars in pre-season training drill

Manchester United’s players appear to be taking some time to get used to Erik ten Hag’s philosophy and playing style, with a pre-season passing drill causing a few players to come unstuck.

The Dutch coach favours ball work over pure fitness and is looking to immediately instil his style on the group of players he has inherited, who have been more used to playing reactionary, counter-attacking football under previous managers.

But Ten Hag wants his side to dominate the ball and possession and his drills are designed with that philosophy and approach in mind.

One such session this week saw the players passing and moving, firing balls into two centrally-positioned players before sprinting to another corner of the quadrant.

The emphasis appeared to be on passing to a specific foot of the receiving team-mate, a skill which is very important to a side looking to build up play and allows the recipient of the pass to play around any pressure more easily.