The ways in which Erik ten Hag intends to develop and improve Manchester United’s playing style are evident after as few as three pre-season games. Individually, Fred could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Dutchman’s arrival.
In theory, and judging by the past, the less time on the ball the better when it comes to United’s Brazilian midfielder. Fred has technical ability in abundance, but decision making has often proved to be his Achilles’ heel.
Under Ten Hag, however, the key decisions are not frequently in the hands of those playing deep and in charge of simply retaining possession.
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Bringing the likes of Frenkie de Jong or Ryan Gravenberch into this argument is redundant because Ten Hag himself explained how the way he asks his teams to play heavily relies on the personnel available. Clearly, the 52-year-old is aware that his current engine room chiefs’ best strengths are not on the ball.
For example, per FBRef, Fred is just above average when it comes to his pass completion clip per 90 with 85.1 percent and eerily similar when it comes to progressive passes with 4.47.
He is well below average when it comes to progressive carries (35th percentile), however, and Ten Hag has added all of the above up and taken it upon himself to simplify the game for the Brazilian while they work on that.
Despite Fred having some bright moments on the ball in the first three pre-season fixtures, the 29-year-old has done by far his best work in recovering possession and keeping things ticking in midfield. Historically, those have always been his areas of excellence.
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Fred was in the 92nd percentile in pressures per 90 last season (24.56), an aspect of his game that fits seamlessly with Ten Hag’s idea of proactive football. The Dutch boss wants his players to always be on the front foot and never let the opposition be comfortable in any sector of the pitch. That’s Fred’s forte.
In addition to the above, Fred was also in the 83rd percentile when it comes to tackles per 90 with 2.96.
This relatively small sample size of statistics shows that Ten Hag has clearly instructed the midfielder to play to his strengths. United’s No.17 can be seen nipping several counter attacks in the bud over the last 270 minutes with aware challenges in the middle of the park.
The next phase of Fred’s development will be positional awareness and predicting where danger could come from. Ten Hag’s system and the high line he opts for his teams to play require someone in the middle to read the game and sniff out the danger early.
Fred has all the tools to become a terrific central midfielder next season. Even better than last, and that was by far his most outstanding campaign in Manchester’s red.
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Ten Hag is still keen to improve upon his midfield options. But, just as much, he will want to develop the players that he already has at his disposal. Fred figures to be one of them and it certainly does help that he seems very coachable and is a team first type of character.
In the games against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, and Crystal Palace, Ten Hag’s instructions have been ever so apparent in Fred’s game.
The Dutch manager wants his full backs to get involved in the build up in midfield and create overloads to break the press. This allows the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay to keep things simple and utilize their teammates who are always showing for the ball.
For Fred, this has been a godsend as instead of trying to perform samba magic to resist the press himself, he can pass and move, using his speed, agility, and athleticism to evade danger and take opponents out of the game as a result. This frees up space for United’s chief creators to get on the ball and do their jobs.
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Ten Hag has a wonderful understanding of football and there is no doubt that a number of current Reds -- who are certainly not as bad as last season’s performance would suggest – will improve under his guidance.
The signs of progress in Fred have already shown. Many will say that the highlight of his pre-season was the sensational goal against Liverpool. As far as highlights go, that may be the case. However, his most complete game was by far the most recent outing against Palace.
Although the Londoners were forced to field a largely inexperienced side, Fred controlled things from the start – all the way until Ten Hag allowed him to rest. Simple passes, always scanning his rear-view mirror, making the correct reads and decisions before receiving the ball.
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Outside of keeping the ball moving, Fred was also expertly executing the more complex things. His passing range was on show with clever switches of play and he was more willing to receive on the turn and break lines, particularly into the left channel where Marcus Rashford and Tyrell Malacia were operating.
When a manager instructs you to do certain things, he expects you to execute them at a high level and if not, you can be assured that he at least believes you can. That breeds confidence, no matter the level. Ten Hag is trying to re-instill that mindset into the likes of Fred and Anthony Martial, to name a few.
However, the above are all things that kept Fred out of the side after he first signed for United in 2018. It took the former Shakhtar man a moment to adapt and since then, the progress has been gradual and the trajectory constantly upward.
Fred has since become a stalwart in United’s midfield but as far as the combination of talent and relentless hard work go, he definitely has another gear to shift into. Ten Hag could unlock the remainder of his potential as Fred enters his athletic prime.
The Brazilian has energy for days. He covers every blade of grass. The problem in the past, however, has been that without creators and structured patterns of play, United wanted Fred to do more than he is qualified to do.
Now, with Ten Hag drilling his ways into the current personnel and external help on the way, certain players will be allowed to become stars in their roles. Fred is one of them.
Fred has entered the last year of his contract at United with 156 appearances in all competitions under his belt. That may be another source of motivation towards an increased level of performance next season. The midfielder seems to love Manchester and the red side of it loves him right back.
The No.17 is well on his way to becoming a cult hero at the Theatre of Dreams. As a matter of fact, his status in the club’s folklore may already be cemented. But the best part is that Fred certainly has more left in the tank.
With four goals and six assists in all competitions last season, it was by far Fred’s personal best since putting pen to paper at United.
It was also a campaign in which he showed a different, more assertive side to his game. He frequently joined in with attacks, contributed to more goals, and showed that he can be a catalyst from deep.
Whoever Ten Hag may recruit to bolster United’s midfield; it will likely be to line up alongside Fred.
The Belo Horizonte native has been flashing the true Canarinho in him with a lot more frequency of late. And now, playing under a manager that knows exactly what he wants every player to be doing at all times, Fred will be poised to continue his rise.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Fred, Erik Ten Hag, Football, Premier League, Anthony Martial