Fred praises Michael Carrick for expert midfield coaching at Man Utd
Manchester United midfielder Fred has praised the role of coach Michael Carrick in helping him overcome a slow start to life in the Premier League.
Fred joined United in the summer of 2018 for £52m but has since disappointed at Old Trafford, often looking off pace and out of sync with his teammates.
Fred’s United struggles: Five things to know…
- Fred joined Manchester United from Shakhtar Donetsk for £52m in 2018.
- He has made 33 appearances across all competitions so far.
- The Brazilian has come in for a lot of criticism for failing to adapt to English football.
- But he put in a decent performance in United’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday.
- And Fred has hailed coach Michael Carrick for his encouragement on the training pitch.
The Brazilian has made 33 appearances for United across all competitions so far, eight of which have come this season, with the midfielder starting each of his side’s past two Premier League games.
Fred put in a decent display in United’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool, which saw the Red Devils end their rivals’ hopes of a record-equalling 18th straight win, as well as bringing an end to their perfect start.
And Fred has hailed the impact of former United midfielder Carrick, who has been encouraging the Brazilian on the training pitch.
“I’m learning day by day,” he told reporters. “I feel like I’m getting better. I have a big heart. I will play better.
“I like Manchester. My family are here and they like it too. They are speaking English. I’m having English classes, too, but it’s not possible all the time because we travel a lot but we speak lots of languages here.
“I have a good relationship with the manager and the coaches. I speak to the coach [Mike Phelan] every day. And to Michael [Carrick] and Kieran [McKenna].
“Michael played in my position – he knows what he is saying. They are always encouraging me and I feel the support of fans, too. And I thank them for that.”
Despite the positives surrounding the draw with Liverpool, United dropped slightly to 14th in the Premier League and are without a league win in their past four games.
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Fred optimistic about United future
Despite the slow start to life in England, Fred remains optimistic that he can become a success at Old Trafford, finally beginning to adapt to the Premier League.
“My first season was difficult but that is normal when a footballer changes league,” he added.
“The Ukrainian league isn’t as strong as the Premier League. It’s faster and more physical here.
“You need to start games strongly and finish them strongly. It’s the full force for 90 minutes, but it takes time to adapt to English football when you come from Ukraine, even though I was playing against some of the best teams in the Champions League, but I believe I am adapting.”
