Erik ten Hag made an impression Manchester United“The squad’s hands-on approach and positive preseason signals so far are just the beginning,” said Luke Shaw.
United scored eight times and conceded once in their first two friendlies for the season, beating Liverpool and Melbourne Victory along the way.
But while results don’t necessarily matter at this stage of the campaign, the way United’s roster has adapted to their new manager’s methods does.
Ten Hag wants to transform United’s style of play by converting the team from a counter-attacking unit into a strong team that controls possession.
There are promising signs that the players adopted Ten Hag’s methods in the first two games, particularly in the way the flanks have pressed as a unit and the way the fullbacks have provided consistent width.
Shaw could be one of the main beneficiaries of Ten Hag’s appointment and the full-back says United’s squad have been impressed with the Dutchman since his move to the club.
“The manager is demanding more and we have to get better and better,” Shaw said.
“He has talked a lot about the team, the structure and the way he wants to play. It’s a lot of details, but details win matches and with his philosophy and the way he wants to play, we have to listen.
“Last season was very disappointing, not only as a team but also individually for me.
“It was not what people expected or what I expect and I think this season is another start. Now it’s time for me to maintain consistency and deliver higher performance week after week, which I’ve already talked to the manager about and that’s what he wants.
“It’s not where the club should be and we know the levels have had to take a huge step in terms of higher intensity and what we should be doing. I think it’s definitely a big improvement from the start of the last two weeks, especially in training.
“Even in the games, I think you can see things that you probably haven’t seen before, so I think there are things to look forward to. The manager knows what the team needs, he has his own style and how he wants to manage and all the players have handled that well.
“He is very hands-on and takes care of a lot of the sessions. He is very involved in it and if he sees people not meeting the standards he wants during training he will make sure they know. I like that because he keeps the bar high. There is much more to come from us and this is just the beginning.
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