Ten Hag: Modern Football Schedule Is Too Torturing

Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag (photo: x @manutd)

JAKARTA - Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, stated that high-end football had "passed the players' ability." He said this while preparing to go through six critical days for his club.

United have made their worst start in a season since 1962 as they head for an away game at Fulham on November 4, with eight defeats in their opening 15 games in all competitions. This is due to injuries continuing to seize the momentum and balance of Ten Hag's team.

Ten Hag believes the team are now on track upwards after winning the game at Fulham and their next Premier League game at home against Luton, to leave them with four wins from five in the league.

They are now facing a very tough test, where an away game against Everton on Sunday 26 November was soon followed by a decisive trip to Istanbul to face Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday 29 November and another tough Premier League match against Newcastle at St James' Park on Saturday 2 December.

Ten Hag believes that modern football's workload is too heavy, with a worse situation coming as UEFA prepares to expand its club competition starting next season. "Every manager complains about the schedule," Ten Hag said.

"On Thursday I heard a statement from Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel, every manager, but they still added the game to schedule. Next year they added two more matches (in the new Champions League format) and the limit is... we have reached the limit. I think we have crossed the players' limits," he said.

And then what we see now in the first 12 Premier League games, the physical standards are even higher than last year. You have to make a choice. Do you match it with training and preparation, or do you give up," he said.

"So it's a decision that every club has to make, every team has to make, every individual has to make," he added.

Ten Hag declined to reveal how he made it through. You have to do it smartly. Every team knows you have to suffer and sacrifice. If you want to prepare yourself for the game, then at some point you have to go to a certain physical level if you want to match those standards, and that standard is not determined by us, but determined by the opponent," he said.

Three away trips represent a real character test for the Ten Hag squad, and he believes his players are able to win a physical battle against their opponents.

"We emphasize (to the players) in recent matches, 'first to enter the fight'," he said.

When you don't have a left-back, when you don't have the right-wing, when you have to swap your team and maybe your routine doesn't work 100 percent, make sure you get the bottom up by getting into the fight," he explained.

Make sure you run harder than your opponents, cover each other, (have) a quick reaction, and that gives you a basis because our players are very good. They have a lot of skills, they have a lot of skills," he said.

"So football is always there. Once we have a clear and bright mindset and we are in a fight, we will find moments where we can do extraordinary things because our players are able to do it," said Ten Hag.

"And I think we've seen that in the last few games and that's why we've won four (of) five games," he added.