Manchester United's manager punished his players with a 14 km run the day after embarrassing Week 2 loss. He joined them to prove a point.
- Manchester United collectively ran 13.8km less than Brentford when it was beaten 4-0.
- To teach his players a lesson, United manager Erik ten Hag made his team run the distance the day after.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag made his players run 13.8 km (more than 8.5 miles) the morning after a heavy defeat as punishment, and he joined them to prove a point.
That's according to The Mirror, which reports that Ten Hag dragged in his squad on their day off to complete the grueling distance following its 4-0 defeat to Brentford.
During the loss, United's players had collectively run 13.8km less than the home side, according to The Athletic.
"The players were raging when they discovered their punishment for the no-show at Brentford would be an 8.5-mile run," a United source told The Mirror.
"But the moans ceased when it became clear that the manager was planning to do the same as them."
Ten Hag, 52, was left "physically shattered" by the run, but his participation "made a deep impression" on his squad, according to The Mirror.
"He didn't have to tell anyone why," the source added. "It was clear that he wasn't going to let his players take all the blame for the performance. Ten Hag also felt he had to show that he also felt culpable.
"It was a tough run for the players, but it was even more grueling for Erik, and they were impressed."
Ten Hag's unorthodox punishment seemed to work, as United put in a stellar performance on Monday to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford.
During the win, United's players ran a collective 19 km more than they had against Brentford, according to SportBible.
Speaking at United's training ground on Tuesday, Ten Hag said his players must be willing to hurt to achieve this season.
"If you accept that you have to hurt yourself, you have to suffer to finally get the best level out of you," he said, according to the club's official website.