Manchester United have been heavily criticized for their long-term strategies, or lack thereof one, over the past few years, with the Premier League giants gravely deteriorating as a result. However, this time around, one of their own players has slammed the club over this shortcoming.
Than man is none other than Fred, the polarizing midfielder who has endured an unceremonious career at Old Trafford so far. The Selecao international spoke to TNT Sports Brazil ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions League round of 16 showdown with Atletico Madrid, which will see the English giants travel to the Spanish capital for the 1st leg, with the player making some honest observations.
The South American took issue with the appointment of Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis, echoing the sentiment of many Manchester United fans in the aftermath of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking. After the Norwegian was let go, several supporters were left unhappy by the stopgap decision made by bringing the German on board until the end of the season.
That move has thus given birth to uncertainty at the Theatre of Dreams, with some pundits arguing that there is a lack of jeopardy for the unmotivated players as they know another manager will arrive in a few months, which will leave everyone with a clean slate.
"It's a bit strange," Fred admitted in his TNT Sports Brazil interview, as per the Guardian.
"I know in football it's important to get good results as soon as possible but it's also important to have a long-term plan. I think it's a little bit bad for us not to have one. At the moment it's all about the short-term goals. We don't know how it's going to be after the end of this season."
It's no secret that despite being appointed on a short-term basis, Rangnick does not prefer to take the two-year consultancy role as initially agreed. Instead, the former RB Leipzig man has his eyes on the permanent managerial role.
While the 63-year-old has reportedly impressed the Manchester United higher-ups, he still appears destined to leave once the current campaign ends, with either Ajax's Erik ten Hag or PSG's Mauricio Pochettino set to be offered the permanent job.
Fred, who is not the most loved player at Old Trafford, also sent out a message to his critics, stating that while he is nowhere near being the best Red Devils player, fans can rest assured that he will give 100 percent every time he's on the pitch. Additionally, the Brazilian went out to praise Atletico Madrid, whom they will face on Wednesday for the 1st leg, arguing that the Liga giants are a top team regardless of their form.
"Even when not playing well, they're a hard team to beat," the midfielder added.
"Their manager is Argentinian, so they're warriors, defend really well. They like a bit of a fight on the pitch and play collectively as a unit. So it really doesn't matter if Atlético is going through a bad moment. It's a match for players that have balls – pardon my French. They're the most South American team in the Champions League."
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