Manchester United’s decision to retain Erik ten Hag as manager is heavily dependent on his ability to forge a strong working relationship with the club’s new leadership group.
Speaking between training sessions on Friday, Ten Hag aimed to clear up any lingering issues regarding Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford and United’s new technical director Jason Wilcox having interviewed candidates for his job at the end of last season.
“We are now in a new season,” Ten Hag said. “We left everything behind and are looking forward. It’s a great project. We want to work and win. I want to collaborate. I can’t do this alone. Players, staff, leadership—I’m sure we will have even more success. It’s a new dynamic. We aim to win more trophies.”
It was notable to see Ten Hag in a lengthy discussion with Brailsford, Wilcox, and United’s new sporting director Dan Ashworth for 15 minutes after training at UCLA on Friday evening. The success of this new dynamic is crucial for the club’s future.
Stars Нit the Roof in Beverly Hills
The players have been enjoying the rooftop pool at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills to relax after training.
Although the hotel isn’t as close to the bright lights and fashion boutiques of Rodeo Drive as the Beverly Wilshire or Montage, it rеmains an impressive venue.
Ten Hag gave his players Thursday afternoon off, and a British group including Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Jonny Evans, and Tom Heaton took a quick shopping trip to Rodeo Drive.
One of the perks of touring the US for United is the freedom it affords the players to walk around freely without being mobbed by fans, which is not often possible elsewhere.
Signing Session Makes United Late
United are focused on hard work in pre-season but also on connecting with their fans in the US. Both sections of a double training session on Friday started late because the players were signing autographs for supporters at UCLA.
This delay pushed back Ten Hag’s press conference ahead of the Arsenal game at SoFi Stadium in LA on Sunday morning. Explaining the delay, he said, “Sorry we are late. But there were a lot of fans outside, so we did some signings before training, which started late. Then we had a good session. We have to work. Sorry!”
The first session of the day was a fitness workout at Drake Stadium with an outdoor gym. The second session involved more ball work at Wallis Annenberg Stadium across campus at UCLA.
Ruud van Nistelrooy led a drill encouraging players to score from the wings, with double points for goals from crosses in zoned-off areas marked by cones.
Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, new signing Leny Yoro, and third-choice keeper Tom Heaton were allowed to sit out the evening session to manage their workloads.
Kobie and Zirkzee Keep Their Distance
Kobbie Mainoo and United’s new £36.5million signing Joshua Zirkzee are on holiday in LA, even though they aren’t part of the club’s pre-season tour.
Players who reached the semi-finals or beyond in the Euros and Copa America are on a break after the tournaments, with Mainoo helping England overcome Zirkzee’s Holland to reach the final in Germany.
Staff do not expect either player to join the camp, with Mainoo and Zirkzee more likely to report back at Carrington the week before the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 10.
Jelle Keeps Goalies on Their Toes
New goalkeeper coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar has been working on making United’s keepers more flexible with the ball at their feet to help them pass out from the back.
Ten Rouwelaar, brought in from Ajax this summer after a stint at Burnley, has been training with Andre Onana, Tom Heaton, and Radek Vitek (with Altay Bayindir on holiday after the Euros) at Carrington and in the US.
To keep the players sharp and deal with high-pressing opponents, Heaton explained how Ten Rouwelaar has been instructing them to do the opposite of what they expect.
“On my first warm-up day, it was a lot of opposites,” said Heaton. “There would be a blue cone and a yellow cone, and you had to do the opposite. If he shouts blue, you go to yellow. Then he passed me the ball, and if he said right, it would be left. The progression would be left, left, but the first one wouldn’t be an opposite, and the second one would be an opposite.
“Teams are very structured in their press: whether they press with one man, two, or three. So you have to work it out and count their numbers, where they are coming from, and who is looking to jump. It’s about being perceptive of what’s in front of you while making sure you’re doing the work right.”