When the Man United manager enters the dugout at Old Trafford on Sunday, he will do so from a different perspective.
Erik ten Hag requested that Manchester United switch dugouts at Old Trafford.
Prior to Sunday’s home friendly match against Rayo Vallecano, United has complied with Ten Hag’s request to move the home dugout to the west section of the stadium.
United has occupied the east section of the dugouts since they were erected with step access in the early 1990s, and they are moving after 30 years.
United will be closer to both the substitutes warming up on the west touchline and the Stretford End, where United’s singing section is situated.
The south-east corner of Old Trafford houses the away fans, making the away dugout more accessible to them.
In order to give himself a tactical advantage, Sir Alex Ferguson had the stadium dugouts renovated in the early years of his leadership. In the 1990s, Ferguson used to watch the opening period of away games from the directors’ box.
When he was first introduced to the media in May, Ten Hag made his first-ever trip to Old Trafford. John Murtough, the director of football for United, gave Ten Hag a tour of the facility.
The home and away dugouts have been permanently moved, United said in a statement, so that the manager, staff, and substitutes will now sit in the seats to the west of the midway line, the dugout that was previously held by the opposing team.
Erik gave his approval for the change after first visiting Old Trafford in May and observing how near the old away dugout was to the tunnel and the side of the field where replacements warm up.
