Erik ten Hag’s small changes could make a big difference for Manchester United vs Barcelona

Cars lined the road leading up to the first team car park at Carrington. In the adjacent Jimmy Murphy Centre, there were three times as many chairs laid out in the press room as there usually are.

Such is the fascination with Manchester United and Barcelona and the scrutiny they generate, the capacity will be significantly reduced for Erik ten Hag's press conference prior to the League Cup final on Friday.

For United staff, the gathering would have been held in the more spacious No.7 suite at Old Trafford. However, Ten Hag insisted on Carrington and a press conference punctuated by lengthy translations lasted less than 14 minutes.

Also read: Why Van Persie was at Ten Hag's press conference

Ten Hag's childhood friend Leon ten Voorde told me in April the United manager is a "control freak". They would cycle to school together and Ten Hag was always late. At United, the players are late at their peril.

When Ten Hag was informed there would be League Cup final media commitments, he asked how soon could they be completed. They were conducted more than two weeks ago.

For those of us who observed Ten Hag at work during the pre-season tour and spent a little time with him, this is typical of his approach. He eschewed post-match press conferences from Bangkok to Perth, via Melbourne.

Sources said at the time Ten Hag has a "laser focus" on football. Previous United managers often gave players the day off after matches. Under Ten Hag, recovery is non-negotiable and starters are always back in at Carrington the morning after a match.

Ten Hag held court with the British and Spanish press at 12pm and United were scheduled to train at 1.30 but the players emerged just before 2pm. However inconvenient it was for staff who had to