Ralf Rangnick's Manchester United tenure has officially started, after Michael Carrick ended his period as caretaker manager with a 3-2 win over Arsenal on Thursday night.
The German will quickly look to make his mark on his new group of players, who have the chance to impress and benefit from a clean slate at Old Trafford.
One of the team's top performers against the Gunners was Fred, who could become a key figure under the new boss due to his specific qualities.
Rangnick watched proceedings against Mikel Arteta's men from the stands. He witnessed Fred win a penalty, register an assist and contribute on the defensive side of the game throughout by breaking up Arsenal attacks.
Fred made the joint-most interceptions of any United player during the contest, as well as posting the most pressures in the match by some distance, with his 26 dwarfing the next-best total of 16, shared by Jadon Sancho and Gabriel Martinelli.
In fact, of all the players in the current Red Devils squad, Fred averages the most pressures on a per-90 basis based on those who have played at least 500 minutes in the Premier League this season.
Considering Rangnick is widely understood to represent a proactive playing style which involves pressing and counter-pressing without the ball, Fred could be one of the surprise beneficiaries from his appointment.
“In football, it’s all about control," said Rangnick during his first press conference on Friday morning. "If you want to win games you have to have control no matter if the other team has got the ball or you are in possession of the ball yourself. This is probably one of the major targets in the next couple of weeks.”
He has been criticised by the likes of Roy Keane in recent months, but Fred could be central to how Rangnick establishes balance and control in Manchester.
The 28 year-old regularly performs as a solid contributor for Brazil alongside Casemiro, and his form for his national team could become commonplace at United under the new regime.
"Fred brings a great energy to the team, I like him a lot," said Carrick before he departed from his temporary role in charge. Rangnick will be keen to harness that energy as he tries to instil his fast and intense brand of football.
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