With talks stalled over the signing of Frenkie de Jong, Manchester United could be left with just three recognised defensive midfielders going into the start of the season. Fred could be the key to adding some balance to United’s often unbalanced midfield.
Frederico Rodrigues de Paula Santos, better known as Fred, joined the Reds in 2018 from Shakhtar Donetsk and has gone on to make 104 appearances during his time at Manchester. Throughout his United career, he has often been paired with Scott McTominay in the midfield pivot.
The partnership has gained a cult following and has been dubbed McFred due to how they compensate for each other’s defensive limitations. The pair rose to notoriety during the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reign and were the first names on the team-sheet during the ‘big’ matches. While McTominay is an excellent carrier of the ball, it was always clear that Fred was the more natural number 6.
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When Ralf Rangnick took over as interim manager last season, the 29-year-old midfielder's key attributes shone. Fred has bundles of tenacity, aggression, and energy but arguably his main skill is winning the ball back from the middle of the park.
Fred’s ability to be a lone defensive midfielder has improved over the last 12 months thanks to a tactical shift within the team structure. He has excelled in a pressing system especially when he has played further up the pitch as more of a box-to-box midfielder, making tackles in the opposition's half and using his pace to track back and win the ball from deep.
Fred, however, has his limitations, particularly when in possession of the ball and despite his outstanding off-the-ball work, his inability to dictate the tempo from midfield is one of his biggest weaknesses. Another area of concern in Fred’s game is his lack of press resistance. He often panics when receiving the ball under pressure, forcing him into making a sloppy pass.
During United’s pre-season tour, we have seen glimpses of Fred linking up play with his teammates and being more composed in the deep-lying midfielder position. He has been the outstanding feature of United’s engine room and it is obvious that Fred can adapt to Ten Hag’s demanding style of play even at this early stage.
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