Expert can’t believe ‘mad’ Man United training ground news pre-Liverpool
Man United boss Erik Ten Hag’s decision to cancel the team’s rest day after the 4-0 defeat to Brentford was rooted in a determination to show his authority rather than on a sports science basis.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
As reported by the Daily Mail on Monday (15 August), Ten Hag scrapped the planned day off in order to make his players run the 13.8km they were outrun by the Bees last Saturday (13 August).
The Red Devils have now lost their opening two matches of 2022-23 and are bottom of the Premier League for the first time in 30 years.
United next host fierce rivals Liverpool at home on Monday (22 August), with Jurgen Klopp’s side having won the last three fixtures between the two teams by an aggregate score of 13-2.
Dinnery insists there was “no method behind the madness” in Ten Hag’s draconian training strategy ahead of the clash at Old Trafford.
“There’s no shame in being outrun by Brentford,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“No one has covered more distance than them since the beginning of last season. It was more about the manner of the defeat and the attitude of the players.
“This wasn’t a decision steeped in sport science, it was Ten Hag asserting his authority and making players think twice about going out and putting in that kind of performance.
“There is no method in this madness. It was purely about punishing the players for a lacklustre, embarrassing defeat.
“We’re talking about 13.8km cumulatively for the team. That’s about 1.5km per man. Ultimately, it comes down to the intensity that you’re running at.
“Ultimately, most people with average fitness could probably cover 13km in 90 minutes without a problem. But as I say, it’s the intensity that differentiates elite-level pros from average Joes.
“In terms of fitness, I don’t think it will have any impact cancelling that day off before they face Liverpool.”
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