Questions raised over Erik ten Hag's 'old school' punishment amid Manchester United struggles

A former Manchester United player says he is not sure whether Erik ten Hag’s decision to put the squad through a sweat-drenching training session as punishment for Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Brentford was the right course of action.

The Reds boss instructed players to come into work the day after the defeat - on a day they would usually rest - to endure a brutal session in the heat as a punishment for the awful display against the Bees. He allowed them to have Monday off.

Supporters are split on the decision. Some say the players deserved the extra workload while others are worried that it could have had an adverse effect on some players.

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Former Old Trafford midfielder Luke Chadwick said he is uncertain whether Ten Hag’s decision was wise given the culture of the modern game. "I’m not 100% sure about it – it’s quite an old-school way of doing things," he told Caught Offside.

"The game has changed. The individuals playing it are very different, and of course, the world in general has changed a lot over the last 25 years or so."

Chadwick worries about how his former club will fare this season, underlining that their display against Brentford was unforgivable. He added: "You do hope that the players understand that the performance wasn’t anywhere near acceptable, whether there’s a punishment or not.

"It seems like a real poisonous environment at the club, all the way through, from the top level to the team that’s playing. You sort of wonder how they can now put it right.

"You can’t change the whole squad with just a few weeks left of the transfer window. And the other underlying issues will take a long time to sort out."

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