For the first time in quite a while, there's some positivity surrounding Manchester United.
Last Sunday, the club made it two Premier League wins from two by beating Leeds United 4-2 at Elland Road.
Goals from Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Anthony Elanga secured a much-needed victory for Ralf Rangnick's side in the Yorkshire rain.
But while that win gave the club and its fans a morale boost, there's no getting away from the fact that there are still a number of issues that need to be resolved at Old Trafford as soon as possible.
One of them is the manager situation, as Rangnick has only been hired on an interim basis until the end of the 2021/22 season.
Who knows who United will bring in on a permanent deal in due course and that level of mystery is clearly having an impact on the players, judging by Fred's latest interview.
Speaking to TNT Sports Brazil, per Daily Mail, the former Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder was critical of the fact the Red Devils don't seem to have a long-term plan.
Fred on Man Utd's lack of a long-term plan
“It’s a bit strange,” Fred replied when asked for his thoughts on Rangnick's temporary role at United.
“I know in football it’s important to get good results as soon as possible but it’s also important to have a long-term plan. I think it’s a little bit bad for us not to have one. At the moment it’s all about the short-term goals. We don’t know how it’s going to be after the end of this season.
"Every player that comes to this club wants to win titles. It's the same with me, Bruno (Fernandes), Alex (Telles), Cristiano (Ronaldo), (Jadon) Sancho, all of us. We want trophies, but it's been a long drought.
"With all due respect to Villarreal, it was our job to win that Europa League final and we failed. It's about having a better football planning at the club. If you don't want to win titles, you don't deserve to play for Manchester United."
Wow. When the players are making feelings like that public knowledge, you know the football club is not in the best of states.
Fred went on to talk about his own individual performances, making it very clear that he's aware of the criticism he receives at times.
Fred on himself as a footballer
“It’s a mixed bag: some fans like me and others don’t,” the Brazil international added. “It’s all about the results and they will dictate the supporters’ mood. But sometimes even with good results you’ll be criticised as well.
“I’m not the best player, the most technical, but I give my blood and life every time I’m on the pitch. As we say in Brazil, I carry the piano for the artists to play. It’s been nice to play lately more as a box-to-box midfielder. It’s my favourite position – I’ve been creating chances and even scoring. It’s similar to the position I play internationally for Brazil.”
Fair play, Fred.