McTominay delivers early verdict on Ten Hag and his Man Utd coaching staff

Scott McTominay has been impressed with the way Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff have got their message across.

The new Manchester United boss has inherited a squad, bereft of confidence, which finished sixth last term. He's tasked with turning around their fortunes and was hired in the summer ahead of the likes of Mauricio Pochettino. Ten Hag has wasted no time in making it clear what he expects.

And McTominay is buying into what the Dutchman wants from the playing group and has expressed optimism ahead of the season opener against Brighton and Hove Albion. United, who have jetted off for their pre-season tour, welcomed Steve McClaren and Mitchell van der Gaag as Ten Hag's assistants and they've made a positive impression.

"Now is the time to be optimistic," McTominay told United Daily. "We're really looking forward to what's to come because the way the coaches have presented their ideas to all the players and all the staff is very promising for sure."

The Scot has been a regular at the base of midfield in recent seasons, often playing alongside Fred. Ten Hag though is seeking to add new faces this summer after the likes of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic left. Frenkie De Jong has been a major target which could shake-up the first-team picture.

United's players have had very little time off but McTominay insists he remains in strong condition ahead of what is expected to be an intense pre-season with new rules being implemented by Ten Hag. He said when quizzed on how long it took him to get back up to speed: "To be honest, not a lot in terms of the off-season. Maybe five or six training sessions.

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"But we only had two and a half weeks off so you can't go blowing the gasket too quick. You need to make sure you've had enough rest and make sure you've got enough time in the legs to properly recover, but obviously there's a chance to make your body stronger.

"I feel good, I feel refreshed, I feel fit and getting over the time difference here, we're looking forward to a good week in terms of the games that we've got coming up and the training as well. I think all of the players are more than locked in to do their jobs for the new coach, for sure."

The changes enforced by the new United boss involve players being dropped should they be late, a ban of private chefs and a demand that sees individuals raise issues with Ten Hag himself - not their agents or through the media.