During Manchester United's 2-2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur in midweek, the Brazilian midfielder, Fred, who is divisive, may have contributed to the team's late capitulation because he struggled after coming on as a substitute.
The 30-year-old is undoubtedly not one to be found wanting in terms of effort and enthusiasm—his former manager Ralf Rangnick said he "would give his last drop of blood for the team"—but as Thursday's deadlock once again demonstrated, the experienced enigma too frequently falls short in terms of his quality.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk player, who Roy Keane once said was "not good enough" for the Red Devils, lost control nine times from just 31 touches against the Lilywhites and only won two of his seven total duels as a sign of his general struggles.
According to Sean Walsh of 90min, the £120,000-per-week asset appeared to "bring no stability to the midfield battle and behaved without composure," which may be why the diminutive playmaker has not made a league start since the 7-0 loss to Liverpool. His match rating of 6.1 was the joint-lowest of any player for either side.
This lack of regular participation coincides with rumors that manager Erik ten Hag may be planning to let go of the 32-cap failure at the end of the season, and that departure would occur amid a sizable summer purge.
The 18-year-old Dan Gore may be the ideal asset the former Ajax manager already has in the academy ranks as he searches for a new midfield player for the upcoming season in light of Fred's potential exit.
According to Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston, the talented kid first caught the public's eye after being "superb" as part of the team's FA Youth Cup victory last season. Since then, he has occasionally participated in first-team training this term.
In contrast to Fred, the young Englishman seems to flourish both in and out of possession. Youth coach Mark Dempsey praised the player's defensive ability, saying that the player "smashes into people" because of his persistence.
The priceless gem, who Dempsey also called a "proper player" and a "leader," can match that amazing work ethic with quality on the field. Railston called him "technically brilliant" after Friday's Premier League 2 tie with Spurs.
The same cannot be said of Fred, though, as the left-footer's struggles in possession are shown by the fact that, despite ranking in the top 5% for made tackles, he only ranks in the bottom 37% of his European counterparts for pass completion.
Gore, who earns £1.4k a week, has been hailed as "one of the most talented youngsters" in the club's academy, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig. Ten Hag would thus appear to have an asset on which he may base his midfield in the future.
After five years at the Theatre of Dreams, it may be time for Fred to move on to greener pastures, but if young Gore is given the chance to shine in the senior setup, Fred's departure could be sped up. Fred is just 5 feet 7 inches tall.
Gary Neville reacts
Because of Fred's skill with the ball, according to Gary Neville, the midfielder for Manchester United has lost the manager Erik ten Hag's favor.
The Brazilian international has recently started only as a substitute; his previous start came during the second leg of the series against Real Betis in southern Spain. When Fred played for Ten Hag, he was a regular starter who helped United advance against Barcelona in the Europa League and win the Carabao Cup after defeating Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium.
Additionally, Christian Eriksen's comeback from injury and Casemiro's disciplinary problems have subsided at the same time that Fred has fallen from grace. Neville points out that the former was involved in the reorganization of the midfield.
Looking ahead to the FA Cup final versus Manchester City, the player-turned-pundit predicts the potential make-up of United's midfield before offering an insight into Fred's omissions.
"I just think if we set up in such a way… I’m hoping that we go into the game with Bruno Fernandes on the right and that we stiffen up the midfield with Scott McTominay [holding] and Casemiro and Christian Eriksen or Marcel Sabitzer," Neville said on The Overlap. "And we go a bit more sort of thoughtful in the game."
"Doing what Arsenal did with the three in midfield that were attacking [was the wrong move]. We need to be a bit more [defensive]."
"Erik ten Hag doesn’t like doing this, he likes to dominate the ball, he likes to control the ball."
"He’s left Fred out for the last few months because he wants Eriksen. I’ve got a little bit of an insight into why Fred’s not playing, Sabitzer is playing because he can hold [the ball]."
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