During the 2024 summer tour of the US, many members of Man United ‘s new leadership team also accompanied the players. Previously, Man United’s coaches often kept their distance from the leadership group such as the CEO or the Sports Director on the training ground and rarely communicated. However, currently, Erik ten Hag and this group are very close.

When Sir Dave Brailsford appointed Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox to the two new leadership positions, the trio of Ashworth – Wilcox – Ten Hag showed great understanding. They often had detailed discussions on the training ground. Wilcox and Ashworth often gave Ten Hag feedback on how to improve each exercise, which was very different from the previous John Murtough and Richard Arnold.

One of Man United’s biggest additions this season is Ruud van Nistelrooy . The former Dutch striker scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for the “Red Devils” when he was still playing football. Now, in a new role, Van Nistelrooy is expected to help the club’s strikers improve their finishing skills, which have been quite poor.

When Van Nistelrooy appeared on the training ground and on the field in the US, many “Red Devils” fans chanted his name as they did when he scored on the Premier League pitch. Van Goal’s appeal has not changed.

Man United’s training method has also changed compared to previous friendlies. In each session, Ten Hag divides the squad into 3 groups of 8 players, each with orange, black and yellow shirts. The first exercise is to overcome the opponent’s tackle by coordinating with the team. Next, the players will practice passing and overlapping the ball together, then find the fastest way to get the ball into the penalty area.

Van Nistelrooy requires the players to maintain the same speed from the beginning to the end of each small exercise, not allowing any reduction in intensity. In the first two days in the US, the player who left the most impression on the training ground was Marcus Rashford. “Doctor” easily passed people and scored sharp goals. He showed positive spirit and physical condition after a summer of complete rest because he did not play in EURO 2024.

Not only Marcus Rashford , many other names also showed excitement such as Scott McTominay, Amad Diallo, Antony and Jadon Sancho. They are all players who were doubted after a season with many events, but now all that remains are smiles and excitement to work together towards the 2024-2025 campaign.

In addition to Van Nistelrooy, Ten Hag also appointed a new member of the coaching staff, Jelle ten Rouwelaar. Ten Rouwelaar replaced Richard Hartis as goalkeeping coach. Commenting on the new member of the coaching staff, Tom Heaton said that the goalkeepers really like the new coaching style of the 43-year-old coach. It brings many unique features, never seen before. In particular, joy is what Ten Rouwelaar prioritizes as much as professional exercises.

After deciding to continue with Erik ten Hag, INEOS, headed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, showed no reluctance. They focused all the conditions for the Dutch strategist to do his best job. A difficult new season is ahead and it is not known how far Man United will go. However, everything is looking good for now.