Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has compared Erik ten Hag ’s authoritarian approach to management to that of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp with the Dutchman having staged an impressive turnaround in fortunes at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag was appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ’s permanent successor at the club this summer after Ralf Rangnick's underwhelming spell as the Red Devils’ interim boss.
Following a miserable start to the campaign in which Man Utd lost their opening two matches of the campaign to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, the Dutchman has now led the club to four consecutive league wins.
A huge reason behind that, according to Fernandes, has been the former Ajax schemer’s approach to discipline - something he believes was lacking under previous regimes and also a feature that has brought Guardiola and Klopp huge success at Manchester City and Liverpool respectively.
As quoted by The Athletic, the Portuguese playmaker said: “First of all, he has an idea. He has a style. You have to follow his rules. He is strict on that. And I like that. He has brought discipline, which is something I think we missed in the past. Everyone must be on the same page.
“That is what Pep (Guardiola) and (Jurgen) Klopp have been doing for years, because they have stability in the club and in the way they choose the transfer market and build the team, which is really important for them to get the rewards.
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“I saw the manager say in a press conference that we do not want to bring players just for the sake of bringing them; we want to bring the right players for what we want to do. It is something the club needs.
“We still have a margin to improve and he needs time to get the most out of us with his idea of playing. I believe we will get to the point with him where we are established as a team and everyone is on the same page.”
Fernandes has so far struggled to find his best form this season having accumulated just one goal and a solitary assist in his first eight appearances of the campaign in all competitions.
This is certainly a far cry from the scintillating form that the now 28-year-old showed after completing a move from Sporting mid-way through the 2019/20 campaign as he spearheaded a late push into the Champions League places.
The Red Devils currently sit fifth in the Premier League standings but saw their most recent game against Leeds United at Old Trafford postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
