Manchester United are in a strange position. Their last title was nearly a decade ago but, despite this, season on season, the fanbase expects the players to be on the level of those they enjoyed watching during the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
It's one thing to want the team to be better but it's another to demand that the players instantly recapture something that has been lost over the years due to mismanagement and a number of failed projects since Ferguson's departure.
This desire to return to the good times partnered with the rise of social media has led to many United players being on the receiving end of increased criticism and sometimes even comments of an abusive nature on Twitter and Instagram for their performances.
However, in an interview with Sky Sports, Fred showed the mentality needed to fight through such a wave of negativity. He said: "There are people who can say things, people in the media, and people who talk about subjects they don't really understand, so you have to prove them wrong.
"But motivation doesn't just come from others. For me, it was more about doing it for myself. I already know when I can better, so I just needed to stay focused. I grew, I learned a lot and that's what has got me where I am today, doing very well here. Now I can get with things calmly and do my work in a relaxed way."
Fred also spoke about how everyone in the squad holds the ambition for silverware but knows it will be difficult with the competition they need to face to achieve it, saying: "Whoever is on the field always does their best and the most important thing is that we start winning games and winning trophies. We're still in with a shout in the Champions League and we need to be in the best position possible in the Premier League."
The Brazilian was substituted during the midweek 2-0 win over Brighton to sarcastic cheers after enduring a difficult evening at Old Trafford upon his return from a bout of Covid-19 - something supporters would do well to remember when jumping to hasty conclusions on players - but despite appearing to become something of a scapegoat with some supporters, this interview is a well-timed response and proves he will not allow the outside noise to affect his performance levels.
With the fanbase fractured, this is the 'elite mentality' that more players will have to adopt as it seems no player is immune from having a single mistake clipped up and posted on social media to fuel an agenda or to try and explain why another member of the United squad should be starting ahead of them.
Either ignore the comments or use the criticism to fuel you, don't let it bog you down and, ultimately, if you're still in a competition, you have a chance of winning it regardless.
And then hopefully the results will follow and United can take steps towards getting back to a place where the fanbase can start to heal and support the team as one.
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