Fred has become a constant figure for Man United fans to bash this season, and his performance in the derby certainly hasn’t helped his standing.
On March 6, ‘The Red Devils’ sustained a woefully embarrassing defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals Manchester City. Having previously only lost one league game under Ralf Rangick, United supporters were upbeat going into the game.
They hoped their side could give their neighbours a run for their money. But the contest became uncomfortable to watch due to its one-sided nature.
The away side’s showing – so bad it had Roy Keane claiming ‘five or six’ players should leave the club – couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start.
An unmarked Kevin De Bruyne gave City the lead after just five minutes. But despite the woeful opening chapter of the game, Jadon Sancho curled in a lovely finish from the edge of the box to put his club right back in the game.
But it didn’t take De Bruyne long to bite back and put ‘The Cityzens’ back in the lead. A second-half corner then landed at the feet of Riyad Mahrez, who hammered the ball into the back of the net with stunning precision. To put the final nail in the coffin, the forward slipped past the defence to find his second goal of the game.
The pitiful showing from United has attracted a mass amount of criticism. Their rivals bossed them in every single department.
City accumulated 70% possession, and with 24 shots compared to the away side’s four, they produced more than five times as many efforts at goal.
But while fans exchange their opinions on who’s to blame, this footage shows one man who should be asked questions.
Read: Fred reveals the influence Sir Alex Ferguson still has during training
Fred tracking is a massive problem for Man United
Although the Brazilian does have the odd great moment, supporters constantly name him as a weakness in their side. Regardless of whether he deserves a place in the squad or not, this piece of play against City is unforgivable.
The video shows Fred standing back and letting De Bruyne run past him and score his second goal. The midfielder watches the Belgian sprint into the box and makes no effort to chase him. Had he done his job and followed him into the box, he could’ve prevented the outcome. But instead, the finish ended up being the catalyst for City to completely take over the game.
United supporters have also criticised Victor Lindelöf for sitting on the edge of the box and watching the event unfold. The two men certainly have a lot to answer for. There’s no doubting that Rangnick will have had some choice words with them.
If they hope to retain their place in the team at the end of the season, they’ll have to seriously get their act together.
Featured Image Credit: Getty