Chelsea news as Manchester United have imposed a surprise ban ahead of their fixture with the Blues, following a tumultuous week for Erik ten Hag's side
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Manchester United have banned several media outlets including the Manchester Evening News and the Mirror from attending Erik ten Hag's press conference in the build-up to hosting Chelsea on Wednesday. It comes in the aftermath of yet another disappointing week for the Red Devils as pressure begins to grow on the manager.
United are still seventh in the table with 24 points - five more than 10th-place Chelsea - and were the form team in the league before a poor performance and defeat at Newcastle on Saturday left them on the brink of Champions League elimination and with little to boast about. Now, with reports suggesting that Ten Hag has lost the confidence of his players, the club have responded.
"We're taking action against a number of news organisations today, not for publishing stories we don't like, but for doing so without contacting us first to give us the opportunity to comment, challenge or contextualise," a statement from United read. "We believe this is an important principle to defend and we hope it can lead to a re-set in the way we work together."
On Tuesday morning the MEN, a sister title of football.london, reported that Ten Hag had begun to lose the confidence of those around him including players and staff with his methods being doubted. United have already lost ten games this season, the most at this stage of a campaign since relegation in 1973/74.
United insist that the issue is not the story itself but that the club were not approached on a multiple-sourced story. They had already handed out a ban last month to another newspaper after it was written that Ten Hag was 'on thin ice.'
The MEN article goes on to state that a dressing room source described the situation as 'so bad' while senior players 'expressed concern at the direction of the club.' It has also been claimed that some players are 'startled' by the signings made by Ten Hag including that of young striker Rasmus Hojlund.
The former Atalanta attacker is yet to score a league goal but does sit joint-top of the charts in the Champions League having proven to be a bright spark in an otherwise calamitous season so far. Ex-Chelsea midfielder and Cobham academy graduate Mason Mount is also one of those supposedly being doubted alongside Antony and Wout Weghorst.
The article continues that Ten Hag himself has been blamed with tactical shifts and serious worries emerging over the motivation of players. Marcus Rashford and Antony Martial have been specifically mentioned as those who are harbouring concerns.
MEN wrote last month that some players had started to doubt Ten Hag but that did not warrant such a ban. The club informed the relevant parties of the ban via communications director Andrew Ward, with the Mirror also banned.