'Ten Hag Ball' Was In Full Flow In Manchester United's 4-0 Thrashing Of Liverpool
Manchester United fans are getting excited after seeing Erik ten Hag's philosophy in full flow during the 4-0 hammering of Liverpool.
Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pellistri were all on target as United began pre-season with a bang in Bangkok.
It was a winning start for Ten Hag, who lifted the Bangkok Century Cup at the end of the game.
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While most United fans won't be getting too carried away given it was only the first game of pre-season, already there were immediate improvements to the style of play.
Ten Hag has been working his squad hard in training, first at the AON training complex and now in the Thailand capital during open sessions.
In terms of drills, plenty of focus has been on quick and sharp passing combinations in a bid to put a new imprint on the team's way of playing.
And United fans were enthused by one specific passage of play at the Rajamangala National Stadium.
— 🎟️ (@SackOIe) July 12, 2022
34 minutes into the game and with United 3-0, they decided to play short from David De Gea's goal kick.
Both Raphael Varane and VIctor Lindelof split and the Spaniard passed it out to the latter, who was stood six yards out from goal.
The ball then made its way up to Luke Shaw, who fizzed the ball into Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese playmaker is set to be a key part of Ten Hag's ideas and provided a penetrating pass for Jadon Sancho to latch onto after darting down the right.
Then Diogo Dalot came charging up the flank and was fed in behind the full-back by Sancho. He could have squared for Marcus Rashford but instead chose to take on the shot and smacked an effort against Alisson Becker's near post.
It would have completed a breathtaking piece of football but nonetheless United fans loved sequence:
I know it’s a friendly but we genuinely just look better. This is literally just because of coaching. And it’s basic too ffs https://t.co/H9BnWDxHgs
— E (@ReaIDBCooper) July 12, 2022
Now give me Martinez, Frenkie, Eriksen and whoever and we start to see a team https://t.co/iaenb84S3f
— Ibrahim H. Mo (@mhibrahim237) July 12, 2022
That’s the best football I’ve seen United play in 3 years https://t.co/7YYr8Chaqf
— Zac (@zacfleming_) July 12, 2022
Yall see my boys playing from the back??!!!!? 😭😭😭 https://t.co/jdn491EdUw
— Baba Wezengani (@psychopathicli5) July 12, 2022
The way we beat their press here!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 https://t.co/yJ8LUgVvBo
— Shimi Mrakes (@ShimiMrakes) July 12, 2022
Building from the back 🔥🔥🙉 https://t.co/epBbZjlmbQ
— Tebogo Mokone (@DaRealProff) July 12, 2022
Honestly, I don’t think we’ve played football like this since Lockdown 2020 Ole ball https://t.co/kIOKLlymAf
— Jackrudd12🏴 (@Jackruddd12) July 12, 2022
United's fourth goal, scored by Pellistri, also caught the eye after Eric Bailly made a vital interception on the edge of his own box and then proceeded to maraud up the pitch.
He dusted Thiago Alcantara with stepovers and moved the ball on as he continued to gallop.
Pellistri put the ball in the net after an assist from Amad Diallo but the move was all about Bailly and says a lot about Ten Hag wants his team to play.
The next stage of United's tour will see them travel to Melbourne and Perth for games against Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
They will then play last season's Champions League round of 16 opponents Atletico Madrid, before completing their pre-season schedule with a game against another La Liga outfit in Rayo Vallecano, at Old Trafford on 31 July.
Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Ajax, Liverpool
Josh Lawless