Way too early to call. And didn't van Gaal green-light the purchase? I like him, I think he'll improve quickly given a run of games, and he did set the tone for expectations in pre-season when he bossed his first game IIRC. Were we to acquire Strootman we'd finally have actual quality competition for places in midfield (and a midfielder enforcer). Top quality center back has got to be a priority though.
21
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
Way too early to call. And didn't van Gaal green-light the purchase? I like him, I think he'll improve quickly given a run of games, and he did set the tone for expectations in pre-season when he bossed his first game IIRC. Were we to acquire Strootman we'd finally have actual quality competition for places in midfield (and a midfielder enforcer). Top quality center back has got to be a priority though.
Im becoming a bit of a fanboy tbh (hes quite likable to be fair).
I just think when he plays we look more fluid and have better movement in general.
Even when hes not having a particularly good game (like monday) i think his presence leads to better play from us.
I cant remember us playing really well in a game that didn't involve him (though the draw against chelsea was impressive in a sense I suppose).
I think our midfield is just badly balanced basically. Its hard to get 3 midfielders in that'll cover everything you want / need.
Di Maria being our only source of pace and being far better in midfield than elsewhere along with rooney having been better playing in midfield exacerbates the problem too.
Fellaini being our only real physical presence makes him pretty necessary and then you need a dm on top of that so its kind of impossible to fit all of them in.
Damn. I like him and would like him to do well here but being Ander's Mad Winger would take serious amount of work and dedication.
herrera's attributes:
as a spanish he is a natural good passer;
he possesses good fundamental ball sense;
he is tall, which should allow him to cover up big area in midfield with relative ease;
his weaknesses:
his balance is not ideal, this is especially obvious when he makes twist;
he is relatively physically weak, he might want to gain some more weight to play in the premier league;
and the last is, his attitude and mind towards a game
from numerous interviews herrera has stressed on how much he wants to play in the no 10 role. however, despite he is a good passer but he still don't have the precision to make acute and agile passes in a small area within extreme fast speed. this is a very critical quality that a prolific no 10 needs to possess. in addition of his body balance is in question, i doubt he can excel in a no 10 role for us. he might be able to play there for a mid table club, but for a elite club whose always wants to build up an invincible squad, i'm afraid herrera will not be an ideal candidate.
in pre-season herrera was quite settled in a pure midfield role. but after the season kicked, he tried quite hard to prove himself is a no 10. we observed he had moved himself too up front and had exposed our midfield for opponents to counter. so, right now how he thinks he would be a player for united is quite essential in his play and his future here.
herrera has his quality. but i don't think he will become a pillar like keano. the best i can rate him is to put him into the same class as flecther, carrick alike. if he settles with a pure midfielder role, i see him as a quality addition to our squad. otherwise, he might let himself even to be a liability. nani is a good example how a quality player depletes.
he has just joined us for less than half a year. as lvg once said, there was competition inside our dressing room to build up a new hierarchy. i won't blame him for his ambition. but the earlier he can realize where his future lies, the better for him to settle in united.
i won't be too pessimistic about his future.
as a spanish he is a natural good passer;
he possesses good fundamental ball sense;
he is tall, which should allow him to cover up big area in midfield with relative ease;
his weaknesses:
his balance is not ideal, this is especially obvious when he makes twist;
he is relatively physically weak, he might want to gain some more weight to play in the premier league;
and the last is, his attitude and mind towards a game
from numerous interviews herrera has stressed on how much he wants to play in the no 10 role. however, despite he is a good passer but he still don't have the precision to make acute and agile passes in a small area within extreme fast speed. this is a very critical quality that a prolific no 10 needs to possess. in addition of his body balance is in question, i doubt he can excel in a no 10 role for us. he might be able to play there for a mid table club, but for a elite club whose always wants to build up an invincible squad, i'm afraid herrera will not be an ideal candidate.
in pre-season herrera was quite settled in a pure midfield role. but after the season kicked, he tried quite hard to prove himself is a no 10. we observed he had moved himself too up front and had exposed our midfield for opponents to counter. so, right now how he thinks he would be a player for united is quite essential in his play and his future here.
herrera has his quality. but i don't think he will become a pillar like keano. the best i can rate him is to put him into the same class as flecther, carrick alike. if he settles with a pure midfielder role, i see him as a quality addition to our squad. otherwise, he might let himself even to be a liability. nani is a good example how a quality player depletes.
he has just joined us for less than half a year. as lvg once said, there was competition inside our dressing room to build up a new hierarchy. i won't blame him for his ambition. but the earlier he can realize where his future lies, the better for him to settle in united.
i won't be too pessimistic about his future.
We play the possession game so much better when Herrera plays in a deeper role. He's a natural at the pass and move game, perfect combination with either Carrick/Blind.
Like its been pointed out already in the thread, he loves to push forward a lot and seems like he fancies himself as a #10 but I think he's so much beter carrying the ball out of defense and offering a quick short passing option..
Like its been pointed out already in the thread, he loves to push forward a lot and seems like he fancies himself as a #10 but I think he's so much beter carrying the ball out of defense and offering a quick short passing option..
I think he's done fine up until now and will get better as the season progresses.
He's technically very good and does lift the tempo of our play but sometimes his over eagerness does result in giving the ball away alittle too much. But I don't believe that's gonna be a problem once he fully settles into his new surroundings and adapts to LVG's philosophy.
He's technically very good and does lift the tempo of our play but sometimes his over eagerness does result in giving the ball away alittle too much. But I don't believe that's gonna be a problem once he fully settles into his new surroundings and adapts to LVG's philosophy.
Do you think you're up to the job?
Doesn't start again. No Di Maria or Herrera and our midfield looks bang average.
Agreed. We're playing Mata at RCM ffs.
i really dont like Fellaini starting ahead of him. Granted against physical sides i can make a argument for it but against Liverpool i would have preferred Herreras ability on the ball. It seems LvG prefers to have left sided players play in the central left position which means either Mata/Di Maria and on the right position its Fellaini/Fletcher/Herrera.
And it seems LvG prefers Fellaini having opted to use Herrera at the tip of the diamond. Oh why cant we have Herrera and Mata swap roles!
And it seems LvG prefers Fellaini having opted to use Herrera at the tip of the diamond. Oh why cant we have Herrera and Mata swap roles!
He should be starting every game. Disappointing.
I love the lads to bits already, gutted he doesnt start again. His tenacity and willingness to chase everything would have been a great help vs Gerrard.
I would drop one of Mata or Fellaini for him. Mata in CM really makes no sense.
What does he have to do to start ahead of Mata? More creative, works harder and increases the tempo of our play. Very disappointed.
Agreed. We're playing Mata at RCM ffs.
More likely Rooney at LCM I think. LVG will want to bully them in the middle with Carrick, Fellaini and Rooney controlling it and Mata in a free role behing the strikers.
Very disappointed he isn't starting today - we need someone in midfield with legs and energy against Coutinho and Lallana and I think without Herrera we're gonna get over-run in midfield.
Might be another philosophy hard-on. Mata and Wilson are the only left footers. Our LCB and LB are both right footed. RvP too.
I would have rather had him instead of Mata in midfield.
He should be dropped more often. Gets better and better each time. If Van Gaal makes him sit out the next few games we'll have the best CM in the league on our books.
Likewise with Fellaini after every 6/10 he plays, eh?
Stirring. What use would it be if we dont play him anyways?
Nobody here says he has been perfect, but to drop him for Fellaini and Mata who have been terrible most of their games? It's just stupid.
I wonder what LvG thinks of him.
He's probably been faulted for our bad end of games performances pre Leicester.
Fellaini hasn't been terrible in most games though.
By his usual standards.
You really do hate him, don't you?
By any standards, to say he was is clearly wrong.
He's actually the only impact player we have in midfield.
Liverpool are going to have some very tired legs in there around the hour mark. Herrera's energy could be a fantastic addition around then.
EDIT - In fact I actually think this will be his role. On for Mata around then and he will be a breath of fresh air and everyone will ask why he didn't start, oblivious to the benefit of his perfectly timed fresh legs.
Liverpool are going to have some very tired legs in there around the hour mark. Herrera's energy could be a fantastic addition around then.
EDIT - In fact I actually think this will be his role. On for Mata around then and he will be a breath of fresh air and everyone will ask why he didn't start, oblivious to the benefit of his perfectly timed fresh legs.
We finally get a centre midfielder that can play a bit and we're still playing Rooney and Mata in there with Fellaini.
Why do you hate him?
Why do you hate him?He's been much better than his usual standards.
Possibly, but midfield is the hardest place to be an impact sub. If Fellaini's shit then we might have lost the midfield battle by then and there's not always much a sub can do to change that. Look at the Southampton game; we slightly improved when he came on, but it was too late to resurrect an actual good team performance.
This is my only real gripe with this lineup. Fellaini was utterly shite against Southampton, and with no big strikers to defend against from set-pieces, I'm not sure that he offers enough to be in there ahead of Herrera.
Not really, his usual standards were always good for Everton too. Last season was the exception, not the norm.
On the basis of the Southampton game Fellaini offers more accurate passing.
/devilsadvocate
I still can't get my head round what it is he does worse than the rest of our midfield. Sloppy passes and mis-controls. Really? Fellaini and even Rooney aren't exactly blameless there.
What he does better than the rest of our midfield is keep the ball moving and make himself available. I'm not sure what the philosophy is if Herrera doesn't suit it. Hopefully it's just a form or fitness issue and not something more profound.
What he does better than the rest of our midfield is keep the ball moving and make himself available. I'm not sure what the philosophy is if Herrera doesn't suit it. Hopefully it's just a form or fitness issue and not something more profound.
His best season at Everton wasnt in CM. At CM, he was decent, not the player he was in his last year there.
Man Utd 3:0 Liverpool
Surprised that mata got the nod ahead of him in what seems to be a more natural position for Senior Ander
Well, it took 3 minutes for Fellaini to make this look ridiculous.
Feel really bad for Ander, and given his exuberant personality and profile in La Liga as a dynamic young-ish midfielder evidenced by his performances for Bilbao, I am a bit biased towards the guy. This is actually the kind of central midfielder we've been crying about for years. Always on the move and creates space for his team-mates, is a bit of a leader, plays in an adventurous up-tempo style with plenty of intricate ball rotation, isn't risk averse and hounds the ball-carrier like a terrier.
Yet he inevitably finds himself on the bench for the most crucial of matches, either due to earlier fitness concerns or us reverting to a 3-5-2. Maybe Van Gaal sees some flaws that us mere mortals can't but surely, he would offer more in terms of technical and tactical dexterity than Fellaini, who I'm definitely not a fan of and sorry, just can't cut his mustard against top opposition where his weaknesses become magnified or even Wayne who's best position is in forward areas.
That said, if dropping him in favor of others gets us positive results (which should be of primary importance this season) I'm all for it.
Yet he inevitably finds himself on the bench for the most crucial of matches, either due to earlier fitness concerns or us reverting to a 3-5-2. Maybe Van Gaal sees some flaws that us mere mortals can't but surely, he would offer more in terms of technical and tactical dexterity than Fellaini, who I'm definitely not a fan of and sorry, just can't cut his mustard against top opposition where his weaknesses become magnified or even Wayne who's best position is in forward areas.
That said, if dropping him in favor of others gets us positive results (which should be of primary importance this season) I'm all for it.
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