Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Fred outlines importance of Man Utd having ‘strong coach’, as midfielder lifts lid on Ten Hag hopes

Fred during a Manchester United warm up

Manchester United midfielder Fred believes new manager Erik ten Hag can bring the unity the club need to get back to a level they should never have fallen from.

Fred is about to embark on his fifth season as a Manchester United player. He is yet to win a trophy with the club, which puts their recent struggles into context. However, with the appointment of Ten Hag this summer, it could be a new dawn at Old Trafford.

The former Ajax coach will be bringing his own methods to the club, which helped his previous employers in the Eredivisie win several titles. For Fred and his teammates, it could represent a fresh start.

In fairness, the Brazilian midfielder – once a source of scrutiny – was one of the few players who could hold his head reasonably high for his performances for Manchester United last season.

But he knows there are levels to go through and wants the squad to stick together in the hope of restoring former glories.

“We have to be united,” Fred said while on pre-season duty.

“All aspects of last season were difficult, which is hard. This season with a new manager, with new rules already, we’ll look to unite and stick together as that’s how our team must be.

“We have to be strong, and to be strong we have to be united. We hope we can be focused and strong. Erik can help us to continue being united.

“For some years now we haven’t won any trophies. Obviously something has to change to achieve success.

“If it’s not working you have to aim to succeed. I’m certain Ten Hag is aware of this and will do his best to help Manchester United return to the top, from where they should never have left.

“It’s really important for us to have a strong coach who has the last word alongside us. It gives us security and helps us a lot.

“He’s very detailed in his work, he has his own fine details. All the day-to-day details. It’s really good for our daily work. Everyone on the pitch has to give their all to help the team.”

Fred sheds light on training under Ten Hag

Fred, 29, is currently training with United in Thailand. On Tuesday, they will play Liverpool in their first fixture of pre-season.

According to the former Shakhtar star, United can use this time to put their 2021-22 struggles behind them – and he assures Ten Hag has them working hard to do so.

“Last season was difficult, but that’s in the past now,” Fred explained. “We know it wasn’t good, it wasn’t what we wanted. I’m certain that Erik is here to do great things, he’s here to win things.

“We really hope he can do a great job here and are fully behind him. We’re looking to achieve a lot, great things, and I’m sure we’ll achieve this.

“He’s a great coach. Training is good, intense. We’re aiming to put what he says into our daily training.

“I hope we can win things in the future. It obviously won’t be easy, it won’t happen overnight. We’ll look to be doing our best as soon as possible.”

Pogba departure analysed by midfield teammate

There have already been a couple of changes in Fred’s midfield position at United. For example, Paul Pogba has gone back to Juventus on a free transfer after his contract expired.

Fred accepts that squads will always be dynamic and therefore wishes his former teammate well for his new challenge. On an individual level, though, he hopes to keep giving his best for United – with whom he hasn’t given up hope of winning silverware.

“Pogba was a great player here, unfortunately he moved on. We wish him all the best,” Fred summarised. “There will always be competition. We’re a big club, one of the biggest in the world.

“Players joining us will be looking to play, and those of us already here want to play, so there will be competition. It’s been a great four years for me here. It’s been really important for me, a club that has both embraced and helped me a lot.

“I hope to continue giving back in games, I have to do my job on the pitch. It’s been an excellent four years for me, I want to continue developing more every day and I still want to win a lot of trophies with United.”

Fred has made a total of 156 appearances for United during his time with the club.

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