Manchester United’s dressing room was allegedly bugged before their match against Aston Villa, with a recording of Erik ten Hag’s team talk being captured.
According to The Sun, the culprit “tricked” security at Villa Park by entering the visitors’ dressing room and placing a recording device out of sight. The device is said to have been a mobile phone from China, capable of recording audio when a call is made to it. The culprit reportedly called the device when they knew Ten Hag and his players were inside the dressing room and even returned to retrieve the device later that week.
This incident occurred as Ten Hag has been pushing for enhanced security measures at Manchester United’s training ground in Carrington, including installing privacy screens to ensure tactical methods are not leaked.
An anonymous source told The Sun: “This is a shocking security breach, and there will be serious questions about how this was allowed to happen. Fortunately, nothing harmful came of it. It was just a prank by a Manchester United fan, who foolishly wanted to hear what was being said behind closed doors. However, there’s real concern about how they managed to get into the dressing room of one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, just days before the game.”
This unwanted distraction comes at a time when Ten Hag has been under pressure, with Manchester United holding talks about his future during the international break. The Dutch coach has faced immense pressure after a poor start to the season, but his position appears more secure after a six-hour board meeting in London on Tuesday. This boost offers some relief for Ten Hag as United prepare to face Brentford next weekend.