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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has refused to give in to demand among his squad for more days off, it has been claimed. The disciplinarian oversees a strict training schedule, with some stars reportedly unhappy over the lack of notice over when they are expected at their Carrington training base.
Ten Hag is battling pressure over his job having overseen a poor start to the season. United have lost 10 matches across all competitions, although Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea has provided some respite.
Members of the players’ leadership group have reportedly raised concerns about the squad’s workload. Ten Hag has not bowed to pressure for more days off.
The Dutchman works via a weekly training schedule, handed to all players at the start of the week. It is claimed that he reserves the right to change the schedule depending on results. He famously led his squad on a mammoth run after they were thrashed 4-0 by Brentford in the early weeks of his reign in 2022.
According to the Daily Mail, members of the leadership group have raised concerns that players are unable to plan their days off far enough in advance. It is claimed that ‘several’ complaints have been made about the schedule.
Several senior stars including Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and reserve goalkeeper Tom Heaton are among the leadership group. It is not clear who the complaints have been raised by and it is made clear that the majority of the United squad back Ten Hag’s management.
For his part, Ten Hag makes no apology for making huge demands of his players. The former Ajax manager has come to learn that the Premier League is extremely physically demanding and plans a similarly gruelling schedule to prepare his stars.
