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HAG ENOUGH
Strict Erik ten Hag ‘orders Man Utd to cut short holidays and report to pre-season training early over fitness fears’
ERIK TEN HAG reportedly wants Manchester United to begin pre-season in late June - two weeks earlier than planned.
Recalling the squad to training on June 20 would mean several United stars having to cut short their summer break.
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But Ten Hag believes extra training is needed to get the Red Devils up to speed for his playing style.
The Dutchman operates a pressing style and having watched many of United's recent games he does not believe the players are ready.
United's pre-season is set to start on July 4, a month before the Premier League season gets underway.
But in order to have his squad in tip top shape Ten Hag will ask his players to start two weeks earlier than plan, report .
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The incoming manager is believed to be holding individual zoom meetings with his new players this week to inform them of his future plans.
Ralf Rangnick previously criticised the fitness levels of his squad after they let leads slip against Middlesbrough, Burnley and Aston Villa earlier in the year.
He said: "We had no pre-season (together) and in essence only maybe two weeks in total in between where we could train in a normal way.
"If I watched the team in training and the way that it’s being prepared for games, I wouldn’t allow myself to say we are not fit enough to play like that
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"I don’t think that this is the case because then we would also struggle in the last 20 minutes of the game and both against Burnley and (on Saturday) in the game I think we showed that we were physically able to again play forward."
Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl also criticised the Red Devils for their lack of hard work off the ball after he secured a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in February.
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