Tired Man Utd stars ‘blame Erik ten Hag overworking them in pre-season for 2023-24 struggles’
MANCHESTER UNITED players think their slow start to the season is down to tiredness.
The Red Devils sit sixth in the Premier League, have already crashed out the Carabao Cup and are in danger of not making it out their Champions League group.
Poor form has seen manager Erik ten Hag come under increasing pressure.
He has to contend with an injury crisis that has been brought on by the tiredness players are supposedly feeling.
The Guardian report that they were “overworked” in pre-season.
They also claim that several senior squad members are now “disconnected”.
No Man Utd players have raised the issue with Ten Hag and he believes all remain 100 per cent committed.
The Dutchman upped pre-season intensity in the hope it would help his side mount a title challenge but it has not worked.
United played eight friendlies prior to the start of the campaign in Norway, Scotland, England and Ireland – either side of their US tour.
While in America they had matches across three different time zones in New Jersey, San Diego, Houston and Las Vegas.
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This came after the effort of a mid-season World Cup last year.
And there were huge commercial demands on the team that took up plenty of recovery time.
There is no let up for the tired stars with a busy festive fixture list on the horizon.
Man Utd play Everton this Sunday before a crucial Champions League tie at Galatasaray on Wednesday.
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