Manchester United midfield star Fred Rodriguez has revealed the real reason behind last season's poor performance. The player, who joined the Red Devils ahead of the 2018/2019 season, has attributed his tough spell to personal issues in his private life.
Before the commencement of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, United secured the service of Fred for £52million from Shakhtar Donetsk. Despite being tipped as the ideal candidate to fix the midfield woes of the Reds, the 27-year-old Brazilian performed below expectations and was met with massive criticism.
Nevertheless, the tale has been different this season, with Fred seemingly putting his woes behind him. So far, the player has been among the top performers of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side this term and has cemented his place in the starting lineup. Prior to the suspension of the Premier League as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the player featured in 22 successive games.
Having now settled in at Manchester, Fred has admitted that his first season at Old Trafford was not good enough. He then revealed that his shortcomings were as a result of personal issues.
″I believe the first season was very difficult for me. There was the process of settling down here, but also other personal things that were happening in my life, such as the birth of my son," Fred told the AP news agency.
"So I believe it was a mix of reasons that made me have an awful first season. I'm definitely settled in every aspect now.
"I've been enjoying some good performances and the chance of playing a great sequence of games. That was also helpful. I'm delighted with this season.
"I'm now playing well, and hopefully, I can keep the momentum if the league returns. I just want to give my best for this club, trying to be a key part of the team."
