Erik Ten Hag Wants His Manchester United Players To Be Smarter And Nastier

The Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has declared that his players need to quickly become smarter and nastier this season.

The Dutchman was disappointed at the manner in which his side lost 6-3 to Manchester City at the Etihad stadium last Sunday and also conceded two goals in their 3-2 win over Omonia in the Europa League on Thursday.

“I know nasty, I know what nasty means,” he said when asked at a press conference what his side needs to improve. “I think also in that manner we can progress. Sometimes also play a little bit more smart.”

Ten Hag pointed to the 23 bookings United have picked up in the Premier League so far this season, and only Nottingham Forest have collected more, as an example of where his team could be smarter on the pitch.

“We have too many bookings and some in the start [of games]. I heard in the Premier League they will play tough but I’m really wondering why we collect so many bookings. I don’t understand.”

“The first booking on Sunday, I really don’t understand that. We want to play tough, we want to keep the game going,” Ten Hag said.

“Then in the second minute already it’s a booking [Diogo Dalot on Jack Grealish] and I think it’s a duel, clear it was a foul, but to then get booked? Also I saw many other bookings where I think ‘OK, is that necessary’?

“But also I take it to the players. I have to keep the mirror [on them] that they have to play smart, but also they have to play nasty as well.”

Last weekend’s heavy defeat to the reigning Premier League champions made it clear to Ten Hag the enormous task he has taken on, and left him to consider how he can close the gap with Pep Guardiola’s rampant side.

“It’s physical, it’s mental. It’s also sustainability,” he said. “It’s like a routine. A way of life and you have to bring it every training, in your system as a squad and as an individual player. You had a lack of it in the last years. It’s not something that you build or progress in a week or a month.”

“It has to be consistent, but it is a demand in top football nowadays. I think it’s quite clear City sets the standard in that and there are more teams but I think that also we can deliver that. We have seen it against Liverpool, we have seen it against Arsenal but now we have to do it on a consistent basis. That is what we have to work for now but this will not come overnight it will also take more than weeks, it will take months.”

“I will give players trust. I will back them when they are in a worse shape. When they work hard, when they give their best in training sessions, when they take responsibility on the pitch, I will back them but also we are United and our ambitions are really high so you have to deliver.”

“Every player in the squad has to take that responsibility individually and they have to do it in a team culture. That’s the demand from us, from the coaching staff, to the players.”

On Sunday Ten Hag’s United side face Everton at Goodison Park where he will be hoping to see his players begin to execute these demands.

The United manager confirmed that Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek will be unavailable due to injury, but that Raphael Varane has a chance to play.