How Erik ten Hag reacted to five Man Utd players hitting up Las Vegas nightclub ahead of pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund

The Athletic claim the unnamed United stars were spotted partying in Las Vegas last year during their tour of the United States. Ten Hag had reportedly given the players the day off before the friendly against Edin Terzic’s Dortmund side at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada. The five players went out to the famous Frai’s nightclub, and when asked about their late-night excursion and whether it would be frowned upon, they told a partygoer that they ‘wanted to have fun while in Vegas’.

The Dutch manager believed that letting the players know when their days off in advance would cause more such scenarios, and therefore he and his staff stopped notifying the squad of their training schedule in advance. This was not appreciated by some senior pros, who felt penalised for the fault of those who partied.

As the campaign went on, Ten Hag reportedly softened his stance and the club now notifies the squad of their schedule at least 10 days in advance. That notice period is still way off what former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer implemented, as the Norwegian’s staff updated the players at least a month ahead of time.

Another issue Ten Hag had was how much travelling the squad did during their 2023 pre-season trip as they toured almost the entirety of the United States. This year they will only tour the West Coast before a game in South Carolina, after which they head back to the United Kingdom.