During 2021/22 it felt as though we were treated to at least one story every week of how certain players were not happy at Old Trafford or were angry with a decision made by the managers at the time.
However, since Erik ten Hag has arrived at the club he has been doing his best to improve the discipline of the squad.
One of the best examples of this came after Manchester United’s embarrassing 4-0 loss at the hands of Brentford in gameweek four.
After that game, Ten Hag cancelled a scheduled day off and ordered each of his players to run 13.8km – the distance by which Brentford had collectively outrun United.
And whilst the United players were not happy with the punishment, that feeling soon dissipated when the players discovered Ten Hag would be joining in the intense running session – an admission of personal responsibility for the mauling that impressed the squad and strengthened the Dutchman’s authority over a group he is desperate to unify.
And to Ten Hag’s credit, his punishment seemed to do the trick. In the next game after Brentford, United ran 18.2km more than they did against the Bees en route to a 2-1 win over Liverpool.
“The players are simply not being indulged in the ways they were previously. Cristiano Ronaldo was one of a series of players publicly rebuked by Ten Hag for leaving Old Trafford without permission before the end of their friendly against Rayo Vallecano last month.
“One player who was twice late for team meetings during the club’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia was dropped for a game as a consequence. Mobile phones have been banned at meal times.”
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