Fred made his Premier League debut on Saturday against Leicester City. He recently came from the Ukranian football team, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, and his performance against the Foxes has already endeared him to the fans.
Manchester United were able to secure a 2-1 victory over Leicester in the first game of the season and Fred was an important factor in claiming the win. He was pursuing the ball everywhere and was tireless as an engine. He tried to create a lot of chances for the team and played some really great short passes.
He moved the ball well and created quite an interplay in the midfield, alongside Paul Pogba and Andreas Pereira. When defending, Fred was pressing the opposition and was trying to retrieve the ball as much as he could. Although there were a few mistimed tackles, the Brazilian had a really good debut at Old Trafford.
Fred completed 33 accurate passes in the first half vs. Leicester, more than any other Manchester United player.
Solid start. ???#MUFC pic.twitter.com/Tk0Rkg6ayG
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 10, 2018
While playing, Fred gives an attacking edge to the team and this is the way United should be playing. After scoring the first goal, United were playing defensively and Leicester had far more possession, but by having Fred, Mourinho’s men were able to create a few more chances. By acquiring Fred, Mourinho may just have filled in the void of a play-maker who is able to create chances in the final third.
It is exciting to see such an addition to the squad, and it lets United rack up the goals rather than just parking the bus after scoring one. There were a few moments where Fred was unable to win the ball as he did not have the physical strength to overpower the hefty players from the Premier League, but with some training and experience, he will able to get used to the English game and fit right into the squad.
Fred is an exciting prospect and shows a lot of promise. If he is able to consistently perform well in every fixture, he can prove to be one of the most essential players to the squad and will be crucial in helping United win titles this season.