Think the point of this thread has been missed slightly, think the OP is alluding to the fact that Fred in CM alongside McTominay releases Pobga to have free reign and influence the game in both the middle third and the final third without the defensive duties, which is a part of his game which is questionable.
I am sure that Fred will not become our most important player this season, but often a players most important contribution can be the work done to compliment the more talented players in the team. While the jury is still out on Fred, would rather see him in the starting 11 than Pereira. Bar his assist, he looked out of his depth against a poor Chelsea squad, as he did for a lot of games last season too.
I hope to be proven wrong on both players, but it just further highlights the need to strengthen our midfield.