Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s trust in me has made the difference, admits Fred
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Manchester United star Fred has revealed that his considerable improvement this season has been all down to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The 25-year-old arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer in a ÂŁ52 million move but failed to find his footing under either Jose Mourinho or Solskjaer last term.
With a £52 million price-tag on his shoulders, big things were expected from Fred after the move from Shakhtar Donetsk but the midfielder failed to impress. He struggled immensely under former manager Jose Mourinho and couldn’t find his footing under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Norwegian’s first six months at the club. However, with a proper pre-season under the former Molde manager and injuries giving him a chance, it looks like Fred has found his feet.
The midfielder has started the last five games for the Red Devils and the club has gone on to win all but one game. Not only that, the Brazilian looks like the imposing midfielder that Manchester United believed they first signed and Fred went on to admit that it’s all thanks to Solskjaer. The Brazilian further added playing regularly has also helped him find a way back into the team.
“I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt since moving to England. All I ever wanted was to play regularly and now that I’m doing that, there’s no doubt my confidence is higher and that helps any player. The trust from the manager is important and I feel I have this,” he told the Athletic.
“I just want to continue doing what I’m doing, playing well and starting the games — but I want to score, too. I came close [against Brighton] and hit the bar but I’ll keep working until this happens. I’m very happy, firstly because we won but also because we’re getting some rhythm and we’re doing well in the cups. But we needed to do better in the league. We just have to carry on fighting so that we reach the Champions League.”
With club football taking a break for the international week, Fred is among the many players not called up by Brazil in a list that includes Andreas Peirera, Dani Alves, Lucas Paqueta and many others. But the 26-year-old hasn’t played in almost a year for Brazil and yet he’s hopeful he finds his way back into the national team in the near future.
“I always think about this and if I carry on doing well, then I’m sure there will be opportunities. I’m not preoccupied but it’s better if I’m playing for this team and we are winning,” concluded Fred.
