ERIK TEN HAG says Manchester United’s players were simply not looking after themselves properly before his arrival.
The Red Devils boss was surprised at how standards had slipped at a club that once dominated the Premier League.
AFPRonaldo has defended United’s training ground facilities from critics – chief among these being Cristiano Ronaldo[/caption]
And that was the first thing he had to address as he began to reawaken the footballing giant.
Ten Hag said: “I think in general when I came in at Man United, the standards were not right. That’s true. I demand the highest standards in sleep, recovery and nutrition because that makes the difference if you can perform every third or fourth day.
“That is the demand for every top football player, so at Manchester United we are demanding the highest standards.
“It was about recovery, sleep and nutrition. And we had to improve.”
It is clear that Ten Hag keeps an eye on how the players lead their life off the pitch to make sure they perform well on it.
The demanding boss recently said how Marcus Rashford needed to watch his attitude and lifestyle if he wanted to improve again on his 30 goals last season.
He said: “Everything has to be right. First his basis, foundation, like lifestyle, attitude etc. To give every training his best, but also to work on his game. Work on the way of play for himself but in the team.
“For all the players, you have to live the right life.
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“Professional football is tough. Top football is tough nowadays, 60 games a year in club football, 10 international games. 70 games means that every third or fourth day you have to match the highest physical levels. When you’re not living the right life, you get killed.
“So when you ask me about Rashford, the same counts for Rapha Varane and every player. You will not reach the levels when you don’t do the things right.”
While he felt United had let things slip in some areas he clearly disagrees with those who believe the Carrington Training base has fallen behind other big clubs.
The training facilities were notably questioned by Cristiano Ronaldo when he sat down with Piers Morgan to discuss his exit from Manchester United.
Ronaldo claimed Carrington had fallen behind the times and barely changed since he departed in 2009.
He said: “Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed.
“He [Ferguson] knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be. He knows. Everyone knows.
“The people who don’t see that… it’s because they don’t want to see. They are blind.
Responding to people’s criticisms of Carrington, Ten Hag said: “There are also many conditions that are very well organised at Manchester United but, yes, in certain areas we were short. But in other things, for instance Carrington, is a great facility.
“When you have the opportunity to get around Carrington it’s absolutely top facilities the club constructed. So there are also many things that are very right.”
United’s training ground has gone under a major revamp this summer, with a wellness suite added to the training ground in order to aid player recovery.