Manchester United have enjoyed a good start to the pre-season under new manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman has worked quickly to implement his philosophy and has high standards for the squad.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Bruno Fernandes has discussed what life is like under with Ten Hag.
He wants his rules, he demands a lot from us and he wants everyone on the same page doing the same things. 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 played three games so far and have won all three, including two against Premier League opponents Liverpool and Crystal Palace. Fernandes has said the difference is our style of play is already obvious to see.
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. 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.
