Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, will have been under pressure after his team’s unexpected FA Cup victory in May. He will be looking to silence his critics this season in order to establish a solid foundation for success under the new INEOS regime.
Change takes time for a team that is maybe still in the dreaded “transition,” but the United administration would have preferred better after the team decided, rather belatedly, to retain the Dutchman in the position, given that the team was already six points behind rival Manchester City in the Premier League.
Ten Hag’s situation hasn’t even improved since joining the Europa League; on Wednesday night, the former Ajax manager watched his team lose to FC Twente, the team he loves, 1-1, a result that will only put more strain on the 54-year-old.
The truth is that the seasoned coach needs his main players to perform better in the upcoming weeks. Two of the more well-known players who have had a difficult start to the season are Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
The form of Fernandes and Rashford in 2024–2025
From the outside, it seems like both men have had a good start to the season; through eight games across all competitions, they have each contributed four goals.
However, their recent form has been somewhat clouded by that comeback, with Fernandes in particular struggling to leave his mark following notably inconsistent performances against Twente and Crystal Palace over the past week or so.
With the exception of the EFL Cup victory against Barnsley and the Community Shield, which is essentially a glorified friendly, the Portuguese playmaker has only really contributed one assist this season and has only produced two “big opportunities” in the league.
With three goals and an assist in his last four games, Rashford has undoubtedly improved recently. However, the fact that three of those goals were against League One opponents begs the question of whether the Englishman is really “back.”
If United are to have a successful season, those goal and assist totals will need to be significantly higher by the end of the campaign, as one former player now outperforms the other two away from Old Trafford.
Fred’s early years in Turkey
To start this part, let me state with caution that Ten Hag and company were probably right to let go of polarising star Fred back in the summer of 2023. The Brazilian was not without his problems during his five-year stay in Manchester, though.
Capable of both mind-boggling and magical moments (such as his incredible goal against Barcelona in the Europa League), the former £47 million signing was let go by Roy Keane last summer and joined Fenerbahce, a Turkish powerhouse, for a meagre £13 million.
What are they doing now that your best player or biggest flop has left the team? This piece is a part of the Where Are They Now series on Football FanCast.
Moving on from the 31-year-old did seem inevitable, but with doubts hanging over United’s current crop of midfielders, including Casemiro, maybe there was still room for him in Ten Hag’s ranks, especially since, in Ralf Rangnick’s words, he would “give his last drop of blood for the team.”
Currently, Fred’s move to Istanbul appears to have been a wise one, as the former Shakhtar Donetsk player has 16 goals and 16 assists in just 42 appearances for the Super Lig team.
Fenerbahce form of Fred – Super Liga statistics
So far this season, the small prodigy has flourished under the guidance of his former United manager, Jose Mourinho. He has scored three goals, all of which came in the same game, and provided two assists on both fronts.
His five goal involvements thus far are considerably better than what Rashford and Fernandes have accomplished back in Manchester, demonstrating the influence he has had in his new environment.
Few will regret letting Fred go, even though United is having difficulties right now. However, the fact that even the Fenerbahce player is outperforming Ten Hag’s main players offensively does highlight their problems.
Let’s hope the Belo Horizonte native isn’t wearing his shooting boots when the two teams play later in the Europa League this season for the benefit of United.
| Fred’s Fenerbahce form: Super Lig stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
| Games (starts) | 25 (24) | 4 (4) |
| Big chances created | 7 | 1 |
| Key passes | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Pass accuracy | 84% | 82% |
| Tackles | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Interceptions | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Balls recovered | 6.3 | 5.5 |
| Total duels won | 50% | 48% |
| Possession lost | 12.9 | 13x |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||