Manchester United’s next test is against Moldovan Sheriff Tiraspol and Erik ten Hag will be hoping his side can regain momentum after losing 1-0 at the hands of Real Sociedad in their Europa League opener.
The Red Devils’ form in the Premier League has seen a massive rebound with four wins in a row following defeats in their opening two games against Brighton and Brentford.
The four wins include the scalps of arch-rivals Liverpool and current league leaders Arsenal. Two away wins against Southampton and Leicester City have added to the feel-good factor around Carrington.
Lost momentum?
That momentum has slowly dissipated following Queen’s death, which forced the Premier League to cancel two of United’s games against Crystal Palace and Leeds United.
Ten Hag on more training time: “I think we had good days, where we were able to give the players some time to themselves, but also, after that, we had that time where we had some really good sessions. I think that will be really beneficial for the future, and to start tomorrow”. [mu]
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But Ten Hag doesn’t necessarily see it that way. He feels the team can be well served with the extra time he spends training at Carrington.
The players also enjoyed a well-deserved break and were able to give their all in training.
“I think we had good days, where we were able to give the players some time to themselves, but also, after that, we had that moment where we had some really good sessions.
I think it will be very beneficial for the future and to start tomorrow,” the Dutch coach was quoted as saying by the club’s press team.
One of the biggest challenges for the manager will be keeping his team happy and ready for United’s condensed fixture list after the international break.
ETH happy with extra training
Rotation will be key, but the manager isn’t thinking too far into the future at the moment.
“First, we have to watch this game. Let’s focus on that and then we’ll see. Of course, I am aware that there is a break and we are planning it, but that is not important at the moment. There is only one thing that is important and that is this game,” revealed Ten Hag.
The former Ajax coach will not have liked the performance of the players during the Society match. He had given chances to some of the fringe players like Fred, but they didn’t impress.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s form will also be crucial with Marcus Rashford out injured. He has yet to open his account and looks rusty when he has played.
In the Sheriff match, Ten Hag is likely to employ a strong starting line-up rather than rotate as he did in the previous match as United look to earn their first win of the competition.
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