As the Premier League season approaches, fitness and effort are top of mind for Manchester United.
Over the summer, clubs have doubled down on data and technology to gain an edge, and United are no exception.
The fitness demands in the Premier League have never been higher, with managers needing every player firing on all cylinders.
Teams now rely heavily on advanced sports science to keep players fit and catch any signs of fatigue or underperformance early.
Manchester United have introduced cutting-edge tech that tracks player movement and effort in real time, a move that promises to reshape training and matchday decisions, as per The Telegraph.
Ruben Amorim has made it clear this week that any United player not pulling their weight in training will be publicly called out.
“If you don’t train in the right way, I have footage to show you,” said the manager.
“And I show you in front of everybody.”
Amorim expects players to push each other and reach a standard where he doesn’t have to intervene.
His backing of Bruno Fernandes, who labelled the team “lazy” off the ball after their recent 2-2 draw with Everton, highlights his no-nonsense approach to effort on the pitch.
Behind the scenes, Amorim is not just relying on his eyes.
Manchester United have invested in the latest STATSports Apex 2.0 GPS trackers, which players wore during their US pre-season tour and will now use regularly at Carrington and Old Trafford.
This comes after United renewed their long-term partnership with STATSports, the leading GPS performance tracker supplier.
This technology provides real-time kinematics, delivering five million data points per 90-minute session.
Coaching staff receive live updates on players’ total distance covered, sprints, accelerations, decelerations, and crucially, their “dynamic stress load” — a key predictor of injury risk.
Paul McKernan, managing director of STATSports, explained the huge advantage of this system.
“You can make decisions on the players based on data you see in front of you, not waiting until after the session.”
This means that Amorim can immediately spot if a player is underperforming or overexerting and intervene accordingly.
The tech also helps predict when a player may be heading towards an injury, allowing the medical and coaching teams to adjust workloads in real time.
United had a particularly injury-hit 2023-24 season, losing 1 620 days to 45 separate injuries.
The Apex 2.0 system aims to reduce this by alerting staff when players enter “red zones” of fatigue.
Ed Leng, United’s head of physical performance, believes this tech will be a game-changer in protecting players and optimising their readiness.
In short, Ruben Amorim now has no excuse for poor performances or injury crises.
With video evidence and live data feeding straight into training decisions, every United player is under the microscope — but they’ll also benefit from more personalised, smarter management to keep them on the pitch longer.
This is a bold step forward in modernising United’s approach to player fitness and accountability.
