Fred Reveals What Erik Ten Hag Said To Manchester United Players During Halftime Against Barcelona

Midfielder Fred admitted that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag told his players during the half-time interval of Thursday night’s 2-1 win over Barcelona at Old Trafford that they were not playing their usual game..

The Reds were 1-0 down at halftime after Robert Lewandowski’s 18th-minute penalty and had struggled to gain a foothold in the game, leaving them 3-2 down on aggregate. They found a way back into the game just two minutes after halftime, however, when Fred fired a low shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen from inside the penalty area..

The midfielder’s equalizer gave United the boost they needed, so much so that they appeared to be the more likely team to score the next goal from then on. Half-time substitute Antony curled in a brilliant left-footed effort for his sixth goal of the season and most important in United colors so far with 73 minutes on the clock.

United were much better after the break, as evidenced by their ability to turn the game on its head, and they limited Barcelona to few chances throughout the evening..

Antony’s introduction at halftime in place of Wout Weghorst had an undeniable impact on the game’s pattern, but Fred hinted that Ten Hag made it clear that they needed to improve their performance levels at the break.

“He said in the first half that we didn’t play like we [usually] do,” Fred explained to BT Sport. “But we were much better in the second half, starting well and scoring early.

We had a good conversation with the coach at halftime, changed our minds at halftime, and the second half went very well.”

Fred, who was selected to replace Marcel Sabitzer in midfield, was outstanding in the second half, earning Man of the Match honors.

Throughout the second 45 minutes, he was tenacious and energetic, and the fans sang his name at the final whistle..

“It’s great to hear my name from the fans,” the midfielder added. “We played a good game today, and we need to keep it up.

“We have the final against Newcastle United on Sunday; we need to rest and then change our minds about going to the final.”