Fred’s 2019/20 season has been one of the biggest plus points of Manchester United’s campaign.
He has a real shot of winning the club’s player of the year award after a fantastic season in which he has proved he is a United calibre player, after entering the campaign with huge doubts surrounding him.
Now it is not unthinkable to say Fred is the best Brazilian player in the Premier League on current form.
Let’s look at his compatriots
Liverpool have a trio of Brazilian players, but none of them have played at Fred’s level of consistency for the last three months, despite their ranking at the top of the table currently.
Roberto Firmino has been an enigma all season and his record of eight league goals in 29 games is poor for a striker. He should be able to do better.
Fabinho was tremendous last season but he has missed time with injury since late last year and has not yet looked like the same level on his return.
While Alisson in goal is solid, he has also missed crucial games with injury and has not had a vintage year like his opening season for them.
Manchester City have a couple of top Brazilian players themselves, Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus.
Veteran Fernandinho has done well out of position in defence, but he has hardly showcased his best, while Jesus remains only a second option rather than outright starter at The Etihad.
Arsenal have young talent Gabriel Martinelli, along with veteran defender David Luiz. Both have had their moments but have lacked consistency, which you would expect from an emerging player and one that is into his 30s.
Chelsea’s Willian and Everton’s Richarlison make up the top Brazilian contingent in England, without catching the eye on a week to week basis.
Fred is the one
There is no Brazilian player in the Premier League who has played better than Fred with the same consistency as the United star over the past three months.
It seems remarkable to say this considering Fred stands at no goals and no assists in the league this season, but he is outperforming all of them. You only have to watch him in action.
Fred is a key cog in United’s midfield, and he has got even better in recent months since Nemanja Matic started playing regularly, giving him more license to drive the ball forward after winning it back.
In recent Europa League games he has really come out of his shell, with two goals against Club Brugge and two assists against LASK. He is growing in confidence and showing what he is really capable of.
Fred undoubtedly has work to do, he has to build on his recent performances and transfer some of his Europa League productivity into a cutting edge in domestic competition.
For those of us watching him for 90 minutes each week, his impact is clear, and the improvements in his game are clear to see. While there is a lot more to come from him, he has a big impact on the team.
He has started every single league game for United since the start of October, usually playing midweek in cup competition too. It’s about time he got the credit he deserved.
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