Erik ten Hag saw it as the perfect time to round on Bruno Fernandes' critics, calling the condemnation of his ability as a captain "crazy", but perhaps more interesting for the remainder of this season was his explanation of the role he played in Manchester United's win against Aston Villa.
The censure Fernandes received for his leadership came following the 7-0 defeat by Liverpool, but Ten Hag clearly hasn't forgotten. After playing through the pain barrier this week he was praising his energy, leadership and toughness.
It was Fernandes who scored the only goal of the game against Villa at Old Trafford but he did so from the right-hand side of the front three, having been picked to play in that role for the seventh time this season. With Antony and Anthony Martial on the bench, this was clearly a tactical ploy from Ten Hag.
