Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confessed he is prepared to use Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous hairdryer treatment on his squad if required.
Ten Hag was left particularly frustrated after United’s exit from the Europa League, having watched his side fall to a humiliating 3-0 defeat – after already throwing away a 2-0 lead in the first leg.
Ferguson, the club’s most iconic manager, was never afraid to dish out what became known as the ‘hairdryer treatment’ – screaming in the face of his players to get his points across – and Ten Hag admitted he is not averse to doing the same.
“Sometimes yes, I can go strong in certain situations,” the Dutchman said.
“It’s a tool [to deploy] but it’s about the timing. You need to know when to use it. As a coach, you can pick many communication styles, and this is one of them.
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“[On Thursday], you could tell I was really mad. For me, it was so unacceptable. You can make a mistake, but you have to carry on. If you play in the quarter-final of the Europa League, you have to give everything and we didn’t.
“For any club in my view, that is unacceptable. As a manager, I cannot accept that my team is not giving its best. I would never accept it and the players were made aware of this. They didn’t match the standards of a professional team I manage.
“I’ve heard from many experts and the fans that we’ve made progress and developed. We’re a different team now, but we know we have steps to go. That’s quite clear. It’s how we deal with setbacks in a game. We have to stick to the plan.”
There’s no respite for United as Ten Hag’s side will travel to Wembley on Sunday to take on an in-form Brighton side in the semi-final of the FA Cup.
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