This article forms part of our Last Time Out feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player fared against his team’s next opponent the last time the two sides faced off.
While Manchester United’s 1-0 win over rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg was futile in the end, there were still plenty of positives for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take away from the game. And one of those positives undoubtedly included Fred.
The 27-year-old put in arguably one of his best performances in a Manchester United shirt that day and Solskjaer will now be hoping for the same again when his side welcome Pep Guardiola’s men to Old Trafford later today. Looking at statistics on WhoScored, it was quite the complete midfield display from Fred.
He won six tackles, the most on the pitch, and also made the most interceptions with three. What made it a complete performance, though, was the fact that Fred was also a threat when going forward.
When it came to key passes made, the Brazilian registered three. Once again, no player in red or blue managed to produce more. Indeed, it has been quite the turnaround for Fred this season after coming under heavy ridicule in the previous campaign.
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“He [Christian Eriksen] won’t make Manchester United better, but having said that Man United bought Fred,” were the words of Red Devils legend Roy Keane as he discussed his former club’s interest in the ex-Tottenham midfielder, aiming a jibe at the Brazil international in the process (Sky Sports via Daily Mail).
Fast forward to now, though, and Fred is no joke. And if he can match that performance at the Etihad this afternoon, then the Old Trafford faithful could see Solskjaer get the better of Guardiola once again.
Manchester United fans, have you been impressed with Fred’s improvement this season? Let us know in the comment section below!
