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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has made it clear that the captaincy function won’t change Bruno Fernandes in any respect and the midfielder will nonetheless stay the identical particular person he was.
Throughout United’s pre-season tour of the US, Fernandes was formally confirmed because the membership’s new skipper.
Harry Maguire was stripped of the armband after failing to nail down a daily beginning berth below Ten Hag because the Dutchman’s arrival final summer time.
Maguire is now inching nearer to an exit away from Previous Trafford, with West Ham his nearly sure subsequent vacation spot.
The Peoples Particular person lined a report which acknowledged that the England worldwide could possibly be appointed West Ham captain by David Moyes if he joins the ranks on the London Stadium.
Ten Hag spoke to Premier League Productions and backed Fernandes to be his consultant on the pitch.
He stated, “I feel that’s the reason he’s captain, as a result of he has an excellent character. He’s a personality and he desires to contribute in his strategy to the group. And it doesn’t change when the function is modified, as a result of he’s now formally captain: final yr, for many of the video games, he was sporting the [arm]band.”
“I feel each participant at all times can enhance and in addition Bruno. One in every of his nice expertise is emotion and soccer wants emotion. If you wish to carry out, you want that emotion within the recreation to win video games – and high soccer is just about successful video games.”
Ten Hag added, “However some moments you’ve got to pay attention to it. It’s a must to management it, to maintain the technique within the recreation and suppose steadily. Yeah, [he] positively could make a step, however I feel, final yr already, he was on the best way to creating an enormous step in that respect.”
The 53-year-old coach warned that regardless of his newfound tasks, Fernandes’s main goal is to stay impactful on the pitch and give you the products.
In keeping with the United supervisor, he expects the Portuguese to excel in urgent, counter-pressing, attacking transitions and in executing key actions in entrance of aim by registering targets and assists.
Ten Hag additionally acknowledged that Fernandes’ perspective is such that he’ll solely get higher and extra refined as he ages.
The playmaker will lead his group out for the primary time because the official captain on Monday when the Pink Devils face Wolves at Previous Trafford for his or her opening Premier League tie.
