Manchester United midfielder Fred was told by the Brazil coaching staff to ignore instructions given at Old Trafford last season, according to South American football expert Tim Vickery.
Most of you will know Tim Vickery’s work from the BBC. He is one of the very best when it comes to football in South America, so to hear him discuss United players is always intriguing, even though we already know a lot about Fred as it is.
Fred has struggled for game time under Erik ten Hag and has thus far been afforded four Premier League starts since the beginning of the season. Moreover, the Brazilian has just 575 minutes on the clock in all competitions.
However, Vickery understands that Fred was told to go against tactical advice given to him by former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he linked up with his national side. The journalist believes Fred was told specifically by Tite to get forward more often.
Vickery told GIVEMESPORT: “The Brazil coaching staff told me that Fred was saying, maybe under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that the instruction was to hang back because he had to cover and free Scott McTominay.
“That doesn’t make a great deal of sense to me and the Brazilian coaching staff said to him ‘don’t. Run, burst and go forward because you will show the coach that you are more useful to the side if you do that’.
“I think that was hard for him because he’s an unselfish player and he does what you tell him.”
It’s one thing telling a player to ignore the instructions he receives at his club, but it’s another when two managers have different ideas for a player.
Vickery makes it sound like Solskjaer was rubbished by Tite, however, I don’t think that is the case when I am sure he was happy to see the midfielder finally getting game time at Old Trafford.
Fred isn’t the first player to be asked to carry out different roles for club and country, plus he won’t be the last.
Fred is fully expected to be in the Brazil squad for the World Cup this month.
