Bruno Fernandes has cited the stability and discipline bought in by Erik ten Hag as a crucial change at Manchester United.
The playmaker has been a regular since the Dutchman arrived with the Red Devils looking to mount a top four charge after a poor start to the campaign. Ten Hag was hired in the summer and tasked with restoring success to Old Trafford as the club aimed to take a long-term approach.
Fernandes is already working under his third different manager since moving to Manchester in 2020 having previously seen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick take charge. Both men were heavily criticised for different reasons - the former for his lack of experience whilst the latter hadn't coached in recent years.
Ten Hag though arrived following success with Ajax and has proved to be a hard taskmaster with his methods clearly impressing Fernandes. He told NBC Sports : "You enjoy it when you win games, if you are winning, everyone will be more happy. The strikers want to get their goals, their assists, those kind of things are always important for everyone.
"I think the main thing for us, because we've been in difficult moments with the changing of coaches, so we find now a coach that gave us stability, that was really important and something that was missing, and big disciple. That, for me, was something that was massive on our team that we need.
"I think in our team, we were missing a little bit of that and I think now everyone understands that you do whatever you have to do or you're out." Solskjaer had previously called out his side's ill-discipline, but was unable to address it before his sacking last season.
His replacement, Rangnick, was then hired with a view to a consultancy role, but that was scrapped following Ten Hag's arrival as the club changed their strategy once more.
United have now won nine of their last 13 league games, which leaves them one point off Tottenham in fourth with a game in hand as Ten Hag continues to take the team forward. The Dutchman has been handed a four-year deal in Manchester as he aims to end a trophy drought that dates back to 2017.
Those on the red half of the city have seen their local neighbours and arch rivals Liverpool dominate in recent years but Ten Hag was adamant upon his arrival that no era lasts forever and there would eventually be a changing of the guard.
He said: "I admire them both. They play, in this moment, really fantastic football, both Liverpool and Manchester City. But you will always see that an era can come to an end. I am looking forward to battling with them and I am sure all the other clubs in the Premier League will want to do that."
