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“Best ball-winner”- Rangnick singles out Man United midfield general for praise after Tottenham win

Fred dropped an excellent display vs Tottenham. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Fred dropped an excellent display vs Tottenham. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Ralf Rangnick delivers verdict on Manchester United star Fred after excellent display in 3-2 win vs Tottenham Hotspur

Ralf Rangnick delivered his verdict on Manchester United midfielder Fred after his excellent display in their 3-2 win vs Tottenham Hotspur yesterday. His side fought their way through a difficult challenge posed by the visitors to get the win in the Premier League fixture at Old Trafford in a highly scintillating contest.

The Red Devils saw off Antonio Conte’s side with the help of a hattrick from Cristiano Ronaldo. That being said, it was far from a one-man show as this victory was one of the games where the entire team played a role towards the win. The likes of Jadon Sancho, for example, played a crucial role in the league clash to get the better of Tottenham. Fred was another of those players who stood out from the rest, having dropped arguably his best performance of this season.

Speaking after the game (h/t Manchester United official website), Rangnick declared Fred to be “the best ball-winner” alongside Scott McTominay following the Brazilian’s performance against Spurs. The boss was adamant that the midfielder played one of the best games under him against the North London club. Not to mention, the coach also lauded him for his overall performance on and off the ball.

Ralf Rangnick delivers verdict on Man United star Fred after his excellent display in 3-2 win vs Tottenham.
Ralf Rangnick says Fred is the best ball-winner alongside McTominay. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)

“He [Fred] is probably, together with Scott McTominay, the best ball-winner. The best player when the other team is in possession but he also showed today in quite a few counter-attacks and transitional moments, that he is also able to play, the number of balls he gave and an assist. It was also one of his best games since I was here.”

What a game!

Fred arguably enjoyed his best performance of this campaign- he was everywhere on the pitch during yesterday’s victory and it was a proper box-to-box performance from him. There were several moments when he helped us recover the ball and quickly spray passes to generate a chance.

Perhaps, one could say the balance in midfield was key to getting the best out of the 29-year-old. Nemanja Matic was deployed as a holding midfielder while Paul Pogba was operating centrally alongside Fred, giving the Brazilian some freedom to strut his stuff when he had the chance.

Fred was one of Man United's best players vs Spurs. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Fred was one of Man United’s best players vs Spurs. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

That being said, the German manager’s hands are tied since Matic cannot play every single game. The Serbian star isn’t getting younger and perhaps, the club should look at the win against Antonio Conte’s men yesterday and understand how having a solid defensive midfield can help the team see out important games..

Fred has been one of those players in the team who endured a lot of criticisms even when the claims were not valid. This display could be a sign of things to come as it shows that under a proper system, our players can certainly perform at a different level to what we saw in the past few years or so.

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While club captain Harry Maguire was again pretty unimpressive yesterday, Fred, the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk man, is one of the shining lights under Rangnick’s short reign.

Written by Rijo Sam Daniel

A football enthusiast who is madly in love with the game

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