Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has warned his players that they will have to "suffer" in their efforts to achieve success this season.
The Dutchman made the admission after watching his team pick up their first victory of the season against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Monday evening. Goals either side of the half-time interval from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford inspired the Reds to a 2-1 win.
It was the best performance that United have produced in months, ensuring that the gaping wounds that were created by the 4-0 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium a little over a week ago have started to heel. Ten Hag's decision to make four changes to his starting line-up, all of which were bold and brave, paid dividends.
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It was a performance that proved United's players are capable of producing excellent standards when they are up and at it. And Ten Hag has now challenged his players to maintain that same level of energy and desire each and every day, both in matches and on the training ground.
"What I demand is that players bring the top spirit every day," Ten Hag told MUTV. "Every day, they have to bring it to the club.
"It has to be a way of life and I hope they understand. It's only working - high performance, high level - if you have that spirit and have that focus. If you accept that you have to hurt yourself, you have to suffer, to finally get the best level out of you."
Ten Hag will be determined to see a similar kind of performance when his players make the long trip south on Saturday lunchtime to face Southampton. Rashford and Sancho will no doubt be eager to add to their respective strikes on Monday evening.
And after getting up and running for the season, Ten Hag is confident that the pair can continue to play a key role for the club, adding: "I'm convinced they can be really a threat, really a weapon against every opponent. As long as their focus and energy is there with them, it is very difficult to stop them.
"So it's about the team getting them in the right situation and also about themselves, with the right approach, right focus in the game and battling, defending, pressing. But also dribbles and combinations and runs in behind."
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