Bruno Fernandes believes the discipline Erik ten Hag has instilled at Manchester United has been one the biggest changes made since the manager took over at Old Trafford.
United are enjoying a resurrection under Ten Hag and could bring their long wait for a trophy to an end on Sunday when they take on Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final. It would mark the remarkable progress the Dutchman has made with his squad in such a short amount of time.
Plenty has changed this season but Fernandes believes Ten Hag's no-nonsense approach and how every player is treated fairly, regardless of how big a name they are, is one of the most important. In an interview with Rio Ferdinand, he pointed out how Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and even Marcus Rashford have all been taken out of the team this season when they weren't meeting the manager's standards.
Also read: Why Van Persie was at Ten Hag's press conference
"I think he first arrived and we went on tour and the training sessions that we had and here after that and everything, he demands, he demands from people and you do it or you won't play," Fernandes told BT Sport.
"So everybody was a little like in the beginning: 'whoa, he will do that or not? If a big player doesn't do what he wants he will pull him out or not?' And he did it. He did it many times. He did it with Cristiano [Ronaldo], he did it with Jadon [Sancho], Marcus [Rashford] also. In the big moments like Marcus was probably in the best form against Wolves, he did something wrong, the manager pulled him out and everyone was like 'whoa.'
"In the first moment, all of us were like: 'wow, he (Rashford) has been our main man and we need him' but in the second one I sat with David [de Gea] and I said to him: 'This has to be the case because if not the younger ones, they will think if he does nothing to him the next one he will do nothing to me too.' So he demands there from Rashy, like you have to be consistent in everything - not only in your game, in your goals and your performance, but off the pitch also.
"Obviously Marcus, in the beginning of it he was angry because he wants to play but he did wrong, he accepted, he went to the game, came on, scores and wins. End of the story. Him and the coach together smiling, laughing, it's the way it has to be. I'm a parent, you're a father too, sometimes you have to make some rules at your house, if not they will go over you and in a short period of time they will be owners of the house."
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