“He brings the right quality” – Erik ten Hag pays tribute to Fred’s ability at Manchester United

Manchester United head coach, Erik ten Hag, has attributed Fred’s mentality and quality off the bench with setting the example for the squad moving forward.

With three wins from three in the Premier League since the return of league football following the World Cup, Manchester United look to be a different animal heading into the second half of the season.

Emphatic wins against both Nottingham Forrest and Bournemouth displayed not only the attacking potency United fans had been crying out for but a level of game management that has been absent from the team in recent years.

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While there is a certain Brazilian midfielder many United fans will accredit with making the difference for the club across these games, there is another who has been a lynchpin in the recent performances in a far more low-key role.

Fred has often seen his ability and role in the side met with staunch criticism throughout the past two seasons, but there has been a notable change this season, with the Brazilian seeing his role change under Dutch boss, Erik ten Hag.

The 29-year-old has been used off the bench in each of the Premier League games since the World Cup, with the midfielder making a noticeable impact with his introduction on each of these occasions.

The tenacity and agility offered by Fred has been crucial in cutting out opposition attacks at their root before they gather momentum, whilst also allowing for the effective transition of the ball from defence, allowing United to go from defence to attack in a matter of seconds.

Ten Hag highlighted Fred’s quality in a conversation with Manchester United club media, where the head coach said, “Every time when he’s coming on, he’s ready. He’s front foot and he brings the right quality to the game.”

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“That is great to have that as a team and as a manager.”

In addition to highlighting Fred’s quality specifically, Ten Hag made a point to emphasise the wider quality of the squad as a whole, “everyone has to battle for his position but there’s good competition in the squad to play and to get into the starting XI, but, once again, we need those players coming from the bench and giving impact to the game.”

Alejandro Garnacho is another player who is having a somewhat significant impact off of the bench for United. The Argentine winger has a G/A contribution every 93.2 minutes on average for United this season.

With Manchester set to face Everton in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday evening, Fred could be set to feature from the start and demonstrate his quality from kick-off. This match could also see the returns of Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez following their cameos against Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Manchester United face Everton at Old Trafford on Friday evening at 20:00 GMT.