'Intense' - Inside Man Utd boss Ten Hag's first week of pre-season

The description one of Manchester United's senior players reached for was "intense - not just on the body but the mind. He wants you to think, think, think."

Erik ten Hag's first week on the grass with his new team has left quite an imprint on the squad and staff, while providing a detailed sketch of what he expects going forward.

The biggest changes multiple United sources have noted are how immersive the manager is during sessions and time spent with the ball during drills.

Ten Hag leads every element of training, which is a departure from recent history at Carrington. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would watch on as Kieran McKenna, Michael Carrick and Mike Phelan conducted the workouts.

The nature of them was tagged as "basic" and "giving too much freedom with little correction."

Chris Armas orchestrated sessions under Ralf Rangnick, which were "very jargon-heavy and focused on what to do without the ball."

Neither manager would regularly stop drills to ensure it was being done correctly, and for differing reasons, the authority of both was never concrete.

Those with an inside view of Ten Hag's first week of pre-season have flagged how he contrasts with his predecessors.

Assisted by Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren, there has been a heavy concentration on what to do in possession for a start. Ten Hag's deep analysis of United highlighted an issue of fear and uncertainty when on the ball.

The team could counter to devastating effect under Solskjaer, but there were no defined sequences and structure for build-up play.

Rangnick was obsessed with defensive work and how to manage a game when the opposition have possession, with less emphasis on constructing attacks.

Ten Hag is determined to have players comfortable on the