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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Samuel Luckhurst

Erik ten Hag claims Manchester United got a 'big win' from training week

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag warned the players have to "step up" after their friendly defeat to Real Betis but felt the training camp in Spain marked a "big win" for some of the youngsters.

United fielded 22 players in the 1-0 loss to the sixth-placed La Liga side, who procured a breakthrough via Nabil Fekir's classy finish from a free-kick routine early in the second-half.

Ten Hag likened the timing of the goal and its manner to the start of the first-half against Cadiz on Wednesday night when United conceded twice inside the first 13 minutes.

Also read: Ten Hag confirms United want to sign a forward in January

Again, Ten Hag accused United of a lack of discipline in defence but stressed he is satisfied with the "progress" made during the winter training camp in Jerez.

"We make progress," Ten Hag told MUTV. "If you see we are again a really young team, they have an experienced team, so first-half was okay, we had also some good attacks but you see there are no routines in this team.

"But we were better than in the game against Cadiz, also from the intensity, so I was quite happy with the first-half. Second-half, bad start, indisciplined and it killed us against Cadiz and now again. We really have to step up.

"When you all calculate in the end, I think we had a good week. There was a good spirit, the lads worked really good, really hard.

"The main objective was better fitness, I think we did it, we made progress there. Also, integrate some young lads, integrate them in the way of playing, in the way of intensity, so the step up with some of them I was quite happy. So that is a big win for the future."

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