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.
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That one of the previous occasions he used this approach was against the same opponents in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford suggested the Dutchman sees specific games as being ideal for Fernandes' skillset out wide, rather than in his central playmaking position.
His record from that position is good, with two goals and four assists, but the Portuguese playmaker offers so much more than just pure numbers when he is fielded on the right.
"He can play several roles, from that perspective you need players like Bruno to be successful," Ten Hag said at the weekend. "We have seen against Everton he can play from a deeper role and he brings passes. As a 10 we know what he can do, but also from the side he’s a very good presser, he understands the moment when to close down, and when to put an opponent in trouble,
"He knows when to track back and close passing lines, to close opponents, even if our press gets beat he knows when to get back. He can play in between lines and give the pass but also for himself he can get behind the lines. He has so many skills and it’s a pleasure to work with players like him."
Getting behind the lines was certainly something he sought to do against Villa, with United exploiting their high defensive line by regularly looking to find runners from slightly deeper positions, such as Fernandes or Marcel Sabitzer, or those with pace, like Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
The praise Ten Hag offered for Fernandes' defensive work on the right also felt instructive given at least one of his previous starts in that role this season. In mid-January, he was preferred to Antony on the right in the win against Manchester City.
When Martial came off injured at half-time, Fernandes remained in the front line, and it wasn't until the final 18 minutes that another winger - Alejandro Garnacho - came on. It was after that point that United turned the game around but with Fernandes out wide they had contained City relatively well.
The 28-year-old started that come back when back in a central role, but again he made that run from deep to get in through the defence, although there was controversy over his equaliser.
The decision to select Fernandes in that role on that day is instructive given United were ripped apart at the Etihad in a more conventional set-up earlier this season. Ten Hag and Pep Guardiola will now do it all again at Wembley on June 3 when the stakes could be enormous.
So the question has to be will Fernandes once again reprise his role on the right of attack for the FA Cup final? Given Ten Hag's praise for the intelligence of his pressing and his understanding of when to get back if the press is beaten, there has to be a good chance that will be the case.
If he played in that position against this version of City, he is likely to be up against Nathan Ake, but could also be important in stopping Rodri, given Guardiola has shifted to a system that sees the Spaniard alongside John Stones in defensive midfield.
Ten Hag opted for a man-marking approach in midfield against City in January and Fernandes might be needed to tip the balance in terms of numbers centrally. The way City play has evolved since then, but it might make the option of using the versatile vice-captain out wide even more appealing.
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