During his first season at Manchester United, Fred gave little evidence he was worth the money paid for him.
The only real bright spot was his performance away at PSG, which offered hope that there is a quality player there.
This season he has been improving since coming into the team in September and is gradually making himself undroppable.
Against Tottenham Hotspur last night he was excellent, and he finally showed signs of why United paid £47 million to sign him in June 2018.
Of course his best game in a United shirt came up against the manager who signed him. Jose Mourinho didn’t come close to getting the best out of Fred, and showed little patience to try.
Consistent improvement
Fred sent a message last night to everybody that he can still justify the money paid for him.
He has been growing into his role at United in recent weeks and has been building a strong partnership with Scott McTominay.
United’s midfield has found it tough without McTominay in recent games, but Fred has not let his own performance drop.
With the young Scot returning last night, Fred’s game went up a level.
He touched the ball 86 times, more than any Manchester United player.
Fred created one chance, while winning two tackles, three interceptions and making two clearances.
If he could just start adding goals to his game then he would be on his way to becoming a complete midfielder, but he is getting there. It’s clear he is growing in confidence and enjoying the appreciation of the fans.
There was one bad moment. He was involved as Dele Alli scored a magnificent equaliser. While he can’t be absolved of blame totally, it wasn’t down to him. Ashley Young was ball watching out of position, while United had several chances to clear the ball before it even got to Alli.
He’s owed some apologies
Fred has been harshly criticised since joining United and much of that relates to his price tag. Gary Neville has been a repeated critic.
The Star reported in early October how some fans blasted Fred as the club’s worst ever signing following the defeat to Newcastle.
He didn’t have a good game that day at all, but his response has been brilliant, returning after the international break for the Liverpool game like a different player.
Fred still has work to do. He can improve offensively, he can help United be more dominant in keeping clean sheets, and he has to keep up his consistent level of performance.
What United have with Fred right now is a player who is tenacious, and who wants the ball all the time.
He is a player who is quickest to every loose ball, who is quick at shifting possession and releasing attacking players, and he is gaining confidence in his ability and his standing within the team.
When he plays like this, you can understand a bit more why United paid £47 million to sign him. The club’s decision makes more sense in this moment than it ever has done previously.
Another big performance against Manchester City at the weekend will go a long way to solidifying Fred as a player who United cannot afford to leave out.
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