Bruno Fernandes can say he knew. It was the tip of Erik ten Hag’s second week at Carrington – the primary with the internationals returning to the coaching floor after a summer season break – when the midfielder flagged to senior team-mates: ‘we’re proper now, we have now him, and he provides us the best requirements.’

Manchester United are the one membership in Europe’s high leagues alive within the combine for 4 trophies. On Thursday evening, they vanquished Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in scenes that noticed trophy-laden Raphael Varane and Casemiro have a good time play-off victory within the continent’s secondary competitors as if it have been prime silverware.

It isn’t about what it was, however what it means and the place it reveals the membership are going. First, to Wembley to contest the Carabao Cup last towards Newcastle however one thing particular – one thing sturdy – is brewing below Ten Hag.

It all circles again to the beginning, to these excessive requirements, to a supervisor unwavering in his ideas and unquestionable in his authority.

In an unique interview with Sky Sports News, Bruno Fernandes invitations us on a journey into the Ten Hag course of.

Bruno, from the surface Manchester United seems like a totally completely different membership below Erik ten Hag. Give us an understanding of that from the within…

He introduced his concepts, the self-discipline through the coaching classes, through the week, through the video games. Obviously I feel an important change is the outcomes and confidence is far increased now at this second. We imagine that the method that we’re going by means of is the correct one. I feel everybody has the correct perception. Everyone is following the concepts that the coach has dropped at the membership, to the workforce.

You discuss his concepts, there’s additionally been what seems like a change of tradition when it comes to self-discipline and better requirements and gamers taking larger accountability…

He calls for so much from us. He is aware of what we’re able to doing and that is why he calls for. So I feel everybody understood that it’s a must to be in his line. You need to observe his guidelines. If not, it is not going to be good for you. So I feel everybody understood that straight from the pre-season. He was actually sturdy together with his phrases. There in Thailand, in Australia was actually robust coaching classes. No one might give up from working, nobody might cease. And I feel everybody understood the requirements that’s set for us. And, and from there on, we have now to observe that.

You discuss calls for and the strictness, however is it enjoyable to be a United participant once more? To stroll by means of these doorways?

No, it is at all times enjoyable to be a Manchester United participant. It’s at all times a pleasure, however clearly while you get the outcomes, it is at all times higher. You include a smile to the coaching floor. Obviously now we’re in an amazing run with the outcomes, nice outcomes. It’s it is improbable to be within the place we at the moment are and clearly for everybody, it is a lot simpler while you win video games. I feel the insecurity final season was fairly seen in everybody. And now you’ll be able to see that everybody is fairly assured everybody that performs and even that does not play. The ones that come on, they’ve been an enormous distinction for us. So I feel the ambiance clearly is a lot better due to the outcomes.

You’ve highlighted this stronger United dressing room and the boldness within the workforce – every part looks like it is come collectively on the proper time to create this?

Straight away within the pre-season, he confirmed us the route he needs to go, the principles he needs us to observe, the concepts of soccer, I feel all that make us immediately, give a step ahead from the pre-season. The first two outcomes wasn’t those we we needed, however after that I feel was a extremely large enchancment from the workforce. You get that incredible victory towards Liverpool with the large ambiance on the stadium and also you perceive the push of the followers, the assumption of the followers. You can really feel now how a lot the followers imagine in you, how a lot they – even throughout video games which can be extra robust to attain objectives or it is tougher to attempt to get our possibilities – they at all times imagine till the final second that we are able to win.

And and it is one thing that we, we have now constructed as a result of it is tough for followers like final season. We understood as a result of for us it was actually irritating. We perceive the followers’ facet and clearly this yr we are able to really feel and we are able to perceive how a lot they’ve perception in us. How a lot they perceive the method, how a lot they need to keep on with this. Even in robust moments, prefer it was once we went to the Emirates and we misplaced towards Arsenal, you can really feel that the followers weren’t upset. Disappointed with the end result clearly, however actually pleased with the method and actually having an amazing perception that what’s coming might be actually good for us. So I feel it is one thing that’s now within the membership with a greater surroundings and ambiance. The perception between gamers, membership, employees and the followers is being constructed and is even a lot greater now.

You can undoubtedly really feel it, however you referenced there, these two heavy defeats initially of the season – have been there any doubts or anxiousness and the way did the workforce and the supervisor take care of that?

In the primary recreation towards Brighton, we had the primary possibilities to attain. We did not rating. Brighton goes there one time and so they had the aim and you can really feel the ghosts from the previous. You know, like we’re enjoying nicely, however rapidly we concede the aim from nothing. That first recreation was actually robust to have. I feel greater than Brentford, as a result of Brentford, we all know we did some errors particular person ones, some group ones, different ones. You know, the, the intention, the depth was not there. The need, the eagerness, that they had all that greater than us. But the Brighton recreation for me was the one which hurts probably the most. Like you had that feeling that you just’re enjoying good, you’re within the good second and rapidly, you concede a aim.

But I’ve seen this, I’ve seen this many occasions. I feel the turnaround of our season is the Liverpool recreation. The ambiance was buzzing. I feel the primary sort out of Licha [Lisandro Martinez] makes straight the followers go up and you can really feel immediately there that everybody understood it needs to be our second. That it needs to be our turnaround, to be the sport that we win and make issues change. And I feel from that recreation on we did a fairly good run till City – clearly we had that unhealthy end result. But after that it was unbelievable till Arsenal. We know the way robust is the Premier League and we have now misplaced towards the 2 groups which can be in entrance of us. So we have now beat them and we have now misplaced towards them. We need to win each video games towards them, however was not attainable. At dwelling we confirmed that we’re a unique workforce and we are able to beat them.

Did you anticipate this transformation to occur so quickly below Ten Hag?

The course of continues to be on and we have now to grasp that it is nonetheless a great distance for us as a result of we need to obtain a lot greater issues and clearly the supervisor calls for that from us. I’ve been speaking with him typically and he is at all times saying that he has the identical need as me. He isn’t proud of being behind anybody. So that is factor. He introduced that tradition that we won’t be pleased to be behind anybody and every time we’re in entrance, we won’t be pleased to be with a smaller hole. I feel that is an amazing factor to have as a result of we won’t be glad enjoying for Man United and never profitable trophies and never being within the place of profitable trophies.

But as I stated it’s a course of. It’s six or seven months now and issues are going fairly rapidly – I feel from exterior in all probability extra as a result of folks by no means thought that United might be on this place right now as a result of all of the adjustments, as a result of the brand new supervisor, as a result of the outcomes at first… But clearly it is as much as us, as much as our qualities, as much as what we have now been doing very well and so is is about us now to hold on as a result of it is simple to neglect the great outcomes we have now accomplished everytime you lose a recreation. So it is us about us to hold on in doing our greatest as a result of we do not need folks to neglect how good we’re.

You discuss how good United are and the qualities of the gamers which were added – Casemiro, Martinez… – have actually helped with that…

When somebody is available in, he at all times brings one thing new, he brings one thing completely different as a result of all of the gamers are completely different. I feel with with that two gamers that you just talked about, they introduced mentality, high quality. Obviously I feel Christian (Eriksen) was additionally enjoying very well, however I feel part of those that got here in can also be in regards to the ones that step ahead and did a step to grasp that we aren’t reaching our ranges but. So we are able to do a lot better. I feel everybody this season is being a lot better than we was final season, beginning with me. I feel everyone seems to be being just about extra assured, extra performing sensible, extra constant and doing what is required for the workforce to win.

Because typically it’s a must to undergo, typically it’s a must to run extra, typically it’s a must to contact much less the ball. And that’s the additionally the calls for from the supervisor. The depth he needs, the runs he needs, the thought of soccer he needs. I feel he introduced the folks he understood that can slot in his concepts and I feel everyone seems to be becoming very well. So everyone seems to be fairly glad for the second, however we aren’t pleased but as a result of we did not achieved nothing but. So it is nonetheless an extended solution to go, however I feel we’re in a great way.

The supervisor has been fairly clear in saying he needs you guys to focus simply on the soccer no matter no matter off-field distractions are taking place and there have been a couple of for United. How do you guys try this?

For me it is not tough as a result of I attempt to concentrate on my recreation. I attempt to concentrate on no matter I can do contained in the buildings right here, contained in the stadium, contained in the pitch, as a result of it is every part that we are able to management is ourselves, it is the very best we are able to do. So we all know the environment, we all know the voices. It’s not possible to not know at this second. We are in a spot the place it is simple to speak about United as a result of we all know it makes loads of noise speaking in regards to the membership. But I feel should you preserve doing the correct issues, should you preserve the momentum, should you preserve the outcomes, it’s going to at all times be much less and fewer the noise. So it is about us doing our job, doing our greatest, and attempting to maintain the outcomes as as they’re.

We speak about Manchester United in a last, however then Newcastle have waited even longer to succeed in this level. What have you ever fabricated from your opponents thus far this season?

Oh, I feel everybody is aware of that Newcastle is being in all probability the most important shock of the season. Not due to their qualities, as a result of the standard has been at all times there, however as a result of final season they battle to remain within the Premier League and this season they’re doing very well. So I feel everybody is aware of that it a fairly sturdy and intense workforce. They have not conceded many objectives this season. I feel in all probability the very best or the second greatest in Europe with much less objectives conceded. But it is extra about us. It’s extra about what we are able to do towards them, what we are able to we are able to do in our depth ranges, ardour ranges and quality-wise. Because we all know that we’ll be a fairly tough last whoever the opponent might be. It’s at all times tough as a result of it is a last, the need, the eagerness to win a trophy is at all times on the highest.

Watch Man Utd vs Newcastle on Sunday, stay on Sky Sports Football from 3pm; kick-off 4.30pm