In the press conference after the 1-0 win over Fulham in stoppage time thanks to Fernandes’ goal, Ten Hag said that since he was given the captaincy, the Portuguese midfielder has maintained the same playing style as before. “He always plays hard, puts pressure on opponents, moves without the ball, always wants to receive the ball and create opportunities,” the Dutch coach said. “Fernandes is still the team’s role model, and he always takes responsibility for himself, both on and off the field.”
After Man Utd lost the Manchester derby, former captain Roy Keane said he wanted to strip Fernandes of the captaincy. Keane cannot accept a leader who always complains and argues on the field. When asked about these statements, Ten Hag said: “I can’t understand it. He is still too important to us.”
According to Whoscored, Fernandes has received an average of 7.31 points per match since the beginning of the Premier League season, the highest in the team. But compared to the entire tournament, he only ranked 19th, when James Maddison (Tottenham) led with 7.72 points. Fernandes has played 990 minutes since the beginning of the season, scoring three and assisting two goals. No player has scored more goals than this midfielder, but when Man Utd did not play successfully, he immediately received a lot of criticism.
Not only Ten Hag, former Man Utd midfielder Juan Mata also defended his former teammate after the win against Fulham. “Professional, dedicated, humble, diligent, talented, decisive, leader, respectful, and… imperfect, just like us,” Mata wrote on Instagram on the evening of November 4 about Fernandes.
Mata is playing for Vissel Kobe, and he posted the article when it was midnight in Japan. Ten Hag also had the same thoughts as Mata, when he said: “No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. Fernandes is still the key to victory for Man Utd.”
Ten Hag also praised midfielder Harry Maguire for not only defending well in this match, but also many times making long passes and changing direction to the ball accurately. He revealed that he told the English midfielder that if he maintained his form, he would continue to play.