Manchester United players must report for pre-season training two weeks earlier than expected, according to new boss Erik Ten Hag.
The players were supposed to return on July 4, six weeks after their final game of the season, against Crystal Palace.
According to the Mirror, the Dutchman is unhappy with the players’ fitness levels and wants the team he’ll inherit back at Carrington for the week beginning June 20th.
Ten Hag is claimed to have seen Manchester United’s previous two games, including Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Brighton.
According to reports, the Dutchman has concluded that one of the key reasons for United’s poor performances this season is their lack of fitness.
Ten Hag feels that an extra two weeks of intense fitness training and improved general conditioning will help them adapt to the demands of his game style.
Ten Hag is known for his aggressive pressing tactics, which are in stark contrast to the counter-attacking style that United’s players have become accustomed to under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho.
Before then, the club have four pre-season games currently scheduled in a July pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, where they will play Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, Palace and Aston Villa.
