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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Casey Evans

'Deserves to wear the shirt' - Manchester United fans hail underrated gem Fred after display vs Leicester

Manchester United are in a rut and their fans do not have a lot to celebrate. There was a sense of apathy throughout the stadium during the team's 1-1 draw with Leicester City which will likely now continue until the end of the season unless there is a serious upturn in results.

United looked like they were out of ideas against Brendan Rodgers' side and their issues weren't helped due to the lack of a striker for the majority of the match. When Marcus Rashford came on, however, he didn't seem to make much difference bar a late chance which saw him collide with Anthony Elanga.

Many fans were hopeful when Ralf Rangnick replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that United would be able to salvage something from the season, but when you consider that the team were even playing badly in the matches they won under the Norwegian, it might have been misplaced optimism.

READ MORE: Fred admits mixed feelings as he reacts to Manchester United result vs Leicester

One of the bright spots in the German's tenure has been the unlocking of Fred. Many fans had pointed out how for Brazil the midfielder looked like a completely different player and it seems Rangnick has found how to harness his skills fully at Old Trafford.

Rangnick has played Fred further forward, instead of in a defensive pivot like he was under Solskjaer, and the Brazilian has been able to press higher up the field, winning the ball back and then creating for his teammates and also even scoring for himself. In the Premier League, he has four goals and four assists which is his best return in a United shirt.

Fred always shows a willingness to fight on the field, a trait that resonates with the United fanbase, and he has quickly gone from bemoaned in the 'McFred' partnership to a fan favourite. This is shown in how the fans speak about him on social media:

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