Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has given a brilliant description of Red Devils midfielder Fred after his man-marking performance on Frenkie de Jong in Thursday night’s 2-1 win over Barcelona.
Fred carried out his duties perfectly, working hard to keep Barca ace De Jong quiet at Old Trafford, with Ten Hag describing the performance as being like a “mosquito” all over his opponent.
See the quotes below from Fabrizio Romano as Ten Hag made it clear just how happy he was with the way Fred handled De Jong…
Erik ten Hag: “Antony is brave, fearless. Running behind, dribbles, and of course his goal. He is brave and he will go for it. I had no doubts”. ??? #MUFC
“Fred? His role was to stop Frenkie de Jong, he was like a ‘mosquito’ all over him — he did it” ? pic.twitter.com/8R9TVDlskO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 23, 2023
Fred hasn’t always been the most impressive performer at United, but he seems to be showing signs of improvement under Ten Hag, as have other players like Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Luke Shaw, and others.
The Brazilian certainly had an important role tonight and he did the job that was asked of him when it mattered most.
De Jong, meanwhile, was trolled by MUFC fans with a jokey chant at the end of the game, as they singled out the Netherlands international who rejected them in the summer.