"Only player that makes me nervous" "Ruined the lineup" - Manchester United fans lose their minds as out-of-form midfielder starts against Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United fans are worried about Fred starting their clash with Tottenham Hotspur on October 19.
The Brazilian midfielder has not been a regular starter under Erik ten Hag but he came into the United XI for the injured Christian Eriksen against Newcastle United last weekend.
Fred has made 11 appearances this season and is yet to score or assist.
His performances in the two opening defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion (2-1), and Brentford (4-0) drew much criticism.
Yet, Ten Hag has decided to start the midfielder against Tottenham off the back of a woeful display against Newcastle in a 0-0 draw.
The Brazilian will need to be at his best against a side that boasts a stacked midfield including the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojberg and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Meanwhile, David De Gea starts in goal, with Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw in defense.
Ten Hag has paired Fred with his Brazilian compatriot Casemiro and Portuguese attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
Manchester United fans will be hoping Fred and Casemiro can replicate their form on Brazilian international duty against Spurs tonight.
Cristiano Ronaldo drops to the bench with Ten Hag going with a front-three of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony.
United supporters are having reservations over Fred starting in midfield and here are some of their reactions from Twitter:
Fred against Hojbjerg, Bissouma and Bentancur in the midfield battle tonight https://t.co/ohW8CwQRxY
How does Fred keep his spot...
Fred starting the rumour. Must mean Eriksen failed the late fitness test? Still would have started McTominay
I genuinely can’t believe Fred has survived THAT performance against Newcastle. Eriksen back or not.
Ronaldo benched, Fred is still making Manchester United first. Long night probably
Really hope Fred has a better game than he did on Sunday, only player that makes me nervous but hope he proves me wrong.
Fred ruined the line up. McTominay should have played if Eriksen isn’t ready sigh
Manchester United need to prove a point against top-four rivals Tottenham
Manchester United need to bounce back from their unconvincing 0-0 draw with Newcastle United last weekend.
The Red Devils struggled against a Magpies side without their star forwards Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak.
They are up against a Spurs side who beat Everton 2-0 last time out and did so with an impressive second-half performance.
Kane's contentious penalty and Pierre-Emile Hojberg's strike did the damage, with Antonio Conte's side staying strong in their top-four pursuit.
It was Manchester United who came out on top the last time this fixture was played.
Ronaldo scoring a memorable hat-trick in a 3-2 win over the north London outfit back in March.
Red Devils fans will be hoping for a similar result in tonight's game, although Tottenham will be enthused by their performance in that defeat.
If it weren't for Ronaldo's excellence, they likely would have come away with the victory.
The outcome of tonight's game could go a long way in determining which of the two succeed in their quest for a top-four finish.
Manchester United are currently fifth, sitting on 16 points after nine games played. Meanwhile, Tottenham are third with 23 points after nine fixtures.