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Bruno Fernandes explains the one major difference Erik ten Hag has made at Manchester United that was missing

Bruno Fernandes explains the one major difference Erik ten Hag has made at Manchester United that was missing

Bruno Fernandes has explained the key difference Erik ten Hag has made at Manchester United since the manager joined the club.

Erik ten Hag's start as Manchester United manager has seen mixed but generally positive results.

After opening defeats to Brighton and Brentford, Manchester United beat Liverpool in the Premier League and since then, results have been overwhelmingly encouraging.

One key change under Erik ten Hag since the Brentford defeat was the dropping of club captain Harry Maguire and awarding the on-field responsibility to Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes, speaking to the Athletic, has commented on Ten Hag's managerial style and likened him to some of the world's best managers.

“First of all, he has an idea,” Fernandes says about the Dutch manager, with the italics highlighted in the original interview.

“He has a style. You have to follow his rules. He is strict on that. And I like that.

"He has brought discipline, which is something I think we missed in the past. Everyone must be on the same page."

Fernandes then mentions how his style draws parallels with what Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool do at their respective clubs.

“That is what Pep and Klopp have been doing for years, because they have stability in the club and in the way they choose the transfer market and build the team," Fernandes continued. "Which is really important for them to get the rewards."

Klopp and Guardiola have seen incredible success in recent seasons, with the two managers between them winning an incredible number of trophies while in the Premier League.

The league title has been battled and decided between the two clubs for the last half a decade, and has been a wake-up call for Manchester United, showing just how far behind their rivals they currently are.

Erik ten Hag has always been very open about what he wants from the club and the players, especially when he talks to the media during his press conferences.

“I saw the manager say in a press conference that we do not want to bring players just for the sake of it, we want to bring the right players for what we want to do," The Portuguese midfielder explained.

Erik ten Hag in a pre-match press conference ahead of Brentford away. (Man Utd)
Erik ten Hag in a pre-match press conference ahead of Brentford away. (Man Utd)

"It is something the club needs. We still have a margin to improve and he needs time to get the most out of us with his idea of playing."

One man Erik ten Hag was incredibly keen to bring in was Frenkie de Jong, however the move never materialised due to both the financial situation in Barcelona and De Jong's desire to stay in Spain.

However, United brought in six players during the summer window, with four of these currently in the starting XI that has won four Premier League fixtures in a row.

"I believe we will get to the point with him where we are established as a team and everyone is on the same page," concluded Fernandes.

Manchester United's next fixture is against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, a fixture which shall commence once the September international fixtures have concluded.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Bruno Fernandes

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