Fernandes reveals private discussion with Ten Hag

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes said he was called into the office many times by coach Erik Ten Hag to talk about his performance and attitude.

"The manager called me into his office two or three times," Fernandes told BBC Sport on June 2. "He said, 'Look, we have to change this. I think you can do it in a different way.' This season, we've had a lot of those conversations."

Ten Hag and Fernandes exchanged during the Man Utd - Newcastle match on October 16, 2022. Photo: Reuters — Ten Hag and Fernandes exchanged during the Man Utd - Newcastle match on October 16, 2022. Photo: *Reuters*

One of the topics of conversation between Fernandes and Ten Hag was the Portuguese midfielder's attitude on the pitch. Fernandes caused controversy by repeatedly waving his arms to signal teammates, or asking to be substituted. "The coach knows I care about the team," Fernandes added. "That's why sometimes you do things you shouldn't do. But I never do anything that makes the team worse, makes my teammates worse, or something that is not good for the team."

Fernandes is also pleased with the way Ten Hag respects, trusts and protects him when needed. That motivates him to respond with good form and attitude.

This season, after 58 matches, Fernandes has contributed 13 goals and 15 assists. He has created 32 chances for his teammates, the most in the 2022-2023 Premier League, but has only eight assists. Man Utd have had difficulty converting chances into goals. They have only scored 58 goals in 38 Premier League matches in 2022-2023, the lowest in the Top 6.

This season, Fernandes also won his first title with Man Utd, when he beat Newcastle 2-0 in the League Cup final in February. If he wins against Man City in the FA Cup final on the evening of June 3, the Portuguese midfielder will have his second title.

In addition to the possibility of winning the domestic double, Man Utd also finished the 2022-2023 Premier League in third place. Ten Hag brought the team back to the Champions League in his first season in charge.

Before joining Man Utd, Ten Hag managed Ajax. He won three Dutch championships, two Dutch Cups and one Dutch Super Cup. He also led Ajax to the semi-finals of the 2018-2019 Champions League.

Thanh Quy (according to BBC Sport )

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