Bruno Fernandes praises Erik Ten Hag's 'clear' philosophy and management as Manchester United excel in pre-season
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Updated 22/07/2022 at 15:34 GMT+1
"He explains really well what he wants and he demands that so anyone not doing what he demands they know they will be punished" - Manchester United's critics have argued the club has lacked a philosophy since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure but Bruno Fernandes says new manager Erik ten Hag has made clear how he wants the side to play.
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Bruno Fernandes has praised Erik ten Hag's 'clear' philosophy and management as the club continue their tour of Australia.
After labouring to sixth place with uninspiring football last season, United have looked rejuvenated under their new manager thus far in pre-season.
While little weight is given to friendly games, the transformation on show by the Red Devils and results have been good, with 11 goals scored in three games.
And Bruno Fernandes, who also endured a season to forget, was quick to praise Ten Hag's management.
"He wants his rules, he demands a lot from us and he wants everyone on the same page doing the same things," he told Sky Sports.
"Everyone knows they have to be pushing to the same side and if not, they will be out of the team. That's a good thing because if you want to be successful as a team you have to be always in the same way.
"He brings discipline but he also gives players the freedom to make choices. He has his own rules we have to follow, but he also wants to give some responsibility to the older ones.
"He's strict, he's tough, but at the same time, he's a nice and easy guy to chat to.
"The main thing is following what he wants because I think he has a straight line that he wants to have with the team and I want to follow that straight line because I think we can be successful that way.
"If everyone understands that we have to follow the rules, follow what the coach demands and what the team demands, everyone will be on the same page, so that's what will make the team successful.
"I think everyone will be happy at the end of the season if we can do everything he wants us to do."
United have come under fire over the past few years for their lack of a football 'philosophy' as managers have come and gone after struggling to instil any consistent style of play at Old Trafford.
Fans who remember Sir Alex Ferguson's relentless attacking football were frustrated by the conservative methods of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's philosophy remained unclear throughout his tenure, while Ralf Rangnick failed to install his high-pressing game.
But Fernandes says Ten Hag has come in with a clear way of playing.
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"I think it's clear. He explains really well what he wants and he demands that so anyone not doing what he demands they know they will be punished," added Fernandes.
"So I think when you talk about discipline, it's about that. He's very clear, so there's no way you can escape from that. Even if you don't understand English you can understand the way he wants to play, so I think that is really important for us.
"Nobody can get away with anything with him and the senior players have to play their part too, making sure that everyone is on the same page."
United have signed Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez this summer, and remain in the hunt for Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong.
They go up against Aston Villa in Perth on Saturday before friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano back in Europe.
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