Erik ten Hag has implemented a strict new dress code and mobile phone ban for Manchester United players and staff during the club's pre-season tour in Bangkok. The manager's meticulous approach extends beyond the pitch, with staff required to wear specific coloured shirts each day so he can easily identify them.
Staff receive a daily message in a WhatsApp group informing them whether to wear a black or white shirt bearing the United crest. On Monday, female staff wore white shirts while men wore black, as per the directive. A United source described it as 'just another measure of his attention to detail'.
Ten Hag has also banned players from bringing their mobile phones to meal times – breakfast, lunch and dinner – to foster togetherness within the squad. The ban applies to all meals during the tour.
On the training ground, Ten Hag has been equally hands-on, barking instructions and demanding urgency. During a session at the Bangkok National Stadium, he split the 31-man squad into two groups for drills focusing on first touch and speed of thought. At one point he exclaimed: 'Bring an extra player in the middle, you can make triangles, that's football - always the same principle.'
The losers of the training game were made to perform press-ups in the centre-circle. United returned to their hotel where hundreds of fans were waiting, with one former player forced to abandon plans for a drink in the bar after being mobbed.
