Erik ten Hag cancelled a scheduled day off for his Manchester United squad and held an extra training session after their humiliation at the hands of Brentford.
The Red Devils followed up a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton on the opening weekend of the new season with an even worse showing at Brentford as they were hit for four goals without reply.
The Bees raced into a 4-0 lead inside the first 35 minutes and coasted to victory thereafter, and Ten Hag has wasted no time in beginning his inquest into the shocking result.
The Dutchman had originally intended to give his players the rest of the weekend off after the Brentford game, with a huge clash against arch-rivals Liverpool looming large on August 22.
However, the nature of their latest defeat prompted the Dutchman to alter his plans, and he called the team in for extra training on Sunday.
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Ten Hag arrived at Carrington early to mull over the events at the Gtech Community Stadium and will now seek to make sure that United bounce back and avoid slipping even deeper into crisis.
Reports suggest that the session consisted of United’s players running 13.8 kilometres (8.5 miles) – the difference between the amount they collectively ran and Brentford on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag wanted to make Manchester United players run 13.8 kilometres (8.5 miles) during their exercises in their extra training session today. Brentford players ran 13.8 kilometres more than them yesterday. Distance covered yesterday: Brentford 109.4km United 95.6km.
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) August 14, 2022
United are now rock bottom of the Premier League for the first time in 30 years, and Ten Hag made no excuses for their performance after the final whistle.
“It’s rubbish, and it’s poor. We need higher standards than that, that’s clear,” the 52-year-old told beIN Sports after the game.
“We have to deliver and we didn’t. We have to change, that’s quite clear.
“Thirty-five minutes you concede four goals. It is not possible. The team has to take responsibility. I feel really sorry for the fans. We let them down.
“You have to take responsibility on the pitch. As a team and as individuals, that’s what we didn’t do.
“What I asked them to do is play with belief and play with responsibility for their performance. That is what we didn’t do.”
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