Former Manchester United star Phil Jones has admitted that he struggled to ‘comprehend’ what Erik ten Hag was saying during his only training session under the Dutchman. The defender trained for the final time on what happened to be Ten Hag’s first day at Old Trafford.
Jones struggled with injuries throughout his time at United, but they became particularly bad during his final few years. Speaking on the High Performance Podcast earlier this season, he revealed that pain experienced in his right foot prompted him to pull out of Ten Hag’s first session in 2022.
In a new interview, the 32-year-old says he struggled to understand Ten Hag’s demands. Jones believes the now sacked coach grew frustrated by questions over his ability and resorted to pointing out that he had won two trophies in two years.
“I literally went out on the grass and I knew that was my last training session anyway, so it's very difficult for me to even comprehend what he was saying,” Jones told Planet Premier League.
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“So he obviously outlined exactly what he wanted to do and his staff, and I think he's very proud of what he did at Ajax and I think he backed himself to make good decisions. He was confident in making bold decisions.
“I don't think he's too bothered about what people think in terms of decisions he's making. But then again, you look and I'm only looking - like you guys are looking - from the outside towards the end of his tenure at United.
“You think he probably got a bit irritated by people questioning him and hence his response every time about winning the two trophies and it was difficult for him.”
A frequent retort used by Ten Hag during his final few months in charge was to argue that he had won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in his first two campaigns. The 54-year-old even repeated the argument during his final press conference.
Speaking after United were beaten 2-1 by West Ham in Ten Hag’s final game, he said: “Definitely, it’s about trophies. I don’t want to go into this debate again, but I think it’s the truth that there are not so many trophies you can win.
“If you win a trophy in pro football, that is most important because that is what the fans expect and what we expect, to win a trophy. We have had five opportunities, one we missed and that was the first in the Community Shield, with still four to go.”
