He's one of the few players in our squad now who can play the perfectly weighted and angled pass. He a real technical footballer. Looking forward to him starting more games. Needs to bulk up though.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 5
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- 6
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He isn't really (top quality) number 8 material although I would still give him games there until we sign a Strootman like player that can perform box to box, the other central midfielder (assuming diamond with Carrick or Blind holding) should really provide width to help stretch teams and at the very least have di maria's taking people on qualities because we need that.
For me, his best position is probably in a 4-3-3 as the most advanced central midfielder performing the advanced playmaker function but also he can work in a diamond with two ahead of him as the 10 especially since his pressing high up the pitch is insane and what a position to win the ball back.
He is competing with Mata and Rooney for this, that's the problem, although I think he could be better than both in those mentioned positions, Rooney and Mata will be better as the number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 with only one striker ahead.
To play as an 8 it's not just bulking up but he needs better positioning for that position and also he needs to know when to join the attack, i don't think he has the balance like a strootman, he is more attacking.
For me, his best position is probably in a 4-3-3 as the most advanced central midfielder performing the advanced playmaker function but also he can work in a diamond with two ahead of him as the 10 especially since his pressing high up the pitch is insane and what a position to win the ball back.
He is competing with Mata and Rooney for this, that's the problem, although I think he could be better than both in those mentioned positions, Rooney and Mata will be better as the number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 with only one striker ahead.
To play as an 8 it's not just bulking up but he needs better positioning for that position and also he needs to know when to join the attack, i don't think he has the balance like a strootman, he is more attacking.
To be fair, in Bilbao, especially under Bielsa, it wasn't as if he was so cavalier and free in his game. I remember, in the matches against us, de Marcos, Muniain, and Susaeta were the really free attacking players in the team. Javi Martinez was the energetic midfielder in the side whilst Ander Herrera was the main playmaker in the team. It wasn't as if Javi Martinez was doing all of the defensive work all by himself, either. Ander was also useful defensively with de Marcos being very free and aggressive in his game.
It's only from his Zaragoza loan spell and his last season at Bilbao when people thought that he is a #10 sort of player who plays with too much freedom for a central midfielder. If that really was the case, he should have more goals and assists to his name than he has in his time in Spain.
Well if he can do the job of Strootman then we've got nothing to worry about but I suspect he isn't that type of player.
In the diamond with Full Backs ferociously attacking down the flanks, there will be left the goal keeper, the two centre backs and the 6, the number 8 has to be solid defensively whilst supporting the offence otherwise we risk being exposed.
It's one thing doing the job at Bilbao but if we want to compete with the best club as is Louis van Gaal's ambition then either he is of the highest quality as an 8 or he isn't, from what I have seen of him he looks to be that quality slightly more advanced because even the advanced central midfielder needs to contribute much more defensively than your 10 in the 4-2-3-1.
Louis van Gaal will know whether he can perform the role I'm talking about, perhaps in a 4-3-3 he could play as the 8 due to the wing backs having more support down the flank but I still think in the diamond with Carrick, Herrera, di Maria, Rooney, RVP, Falcao (my guess on LvG's preference) we are too attacking.
EDIT - In my initial post you would see me refer to him as an advanced central midfielder, not your 10 like Ozil, but in a 4-3-3 with carsick anchor and two ahead, I would see his best position as alongside a strootman like player as the most attacking of the three but still contributing much defensively so the wingers can do less.
He's going to destroy Yeovil if he starts today.
Okay, I see your point now that you've clarified it a bit more. I thought you were talking about him playing a very free role in central midfield like Iniesta did for Barcelona. However, I agree with you in that you can't expect him to have a great reading of the game from central midfield. Strootman definitely offers that, but Herrera, for an advanced central midfielder a.k.a. #8, has pretty good defensive reading of the game thanks to Bielsa and Valverde. I do agree with you that him alongside Strootman with Blind behind him would be the best approach as you can't expect Herrera to read the game from midfield excellently. However, I would say that he's a better option there than Rooney and Mata whilst reserving di Maria for a winger role under van Gaal's system.
Yeovil 0:2 Man Utd
He better book his ideas up, otherwise he'll be strapped to the bench.
He's had a couple of nice touches, but hasn't been influencial enough. Still, a lot better than Rooney who cant find a teammate and Fletcher
erm...
He's not really the kind of combative defender to easily handle the situation. And its certainly a new experience for him. However, if Yeovil tire a bit, he should come into his own more. I think the fullbacks have been the bigger issue in the game though.
Now I know why he always finds himself on the bench, absolutely invisible so far and I didn't even know he was playing until later. Carrick/Blind and even Fellaini just offer more right now, he needs to pick it up second half, we all know his qualities and what he is capable of/
Not been nearly the worst player for us today. And he's still been pretty average overall. Shocking team performance.
He won't be ready for the first team for another year , he's miles of the pace, but he's got a great pass in him
What a goal!!
What a beauty...will do his confidence a world of good
Peach of a goal and some lovely touches earlier on. Him and Wilson the only two United players impressing today.
Gif that shit!
Only if he starts the next game!
Its been my only major annoyance with LvG this season that he hasnt started more games... outside the whole 352 business
Excellent strike but I don't think his overall performance has been anything special - he seems to be playing almost like a #10 when we really need someone linking the defence and creating from deep.
Great goal though, lovely tekkers.
Great goal though, lovely tekkers.
Best player on the pitch today. Midfield ticks so much more smoother with him on.
You have to be kidding nothing has ticked for our midfield today. Him and Rooney has been very poor they are constantly to far up the pitch when our defenders have the ball. Time and time again when our defenders had the ball there was just a big empty hole in the middle because Rooney and Herrera was stood to far up the pitch.
I like Herrera as a player. He works hard for the team and wins back his fair share of possession. He looks to move ball forward quickly and play the attacking pass. But he's sloppy in possession and gives the ball away too often. Fr a possession based side like LvG is trying to turn us into, that's a cardinal sin. I'm not sure if he'll be a regular if he can't cut that out of his game.
O I'm not saying it was a good midfield performance, for from. But what I meant that Herrera's control and forward passing makes us look a lot more positive. Plus Herrera was getting stuck in and winning challenges, good to see.
You have to remember the midfield had Darren Fletcher in it, which might as well be a big gap anyways, any central midfielder would struggle next to him.
Sloppy at times but still a good performance. I really like him.
He had plenty of good pieces of play, but also gave the ball away too much and had too little influence in the first half. The goal was a piece of magic and overall he was clearly our best midfielder, but things to work on
very average performance riddled with mistakes, masked by a world class goal.
HE is still adjusting to PL football and perhaps LVGs expectations and philosophy.
HE is still adjusting to PL football and perhaps LVGs expectations and philosophy.
He was average but his midfield partners were crap.
Looked better when Mata and Di maria were on the pitch
Looked better when Mata and Di maria were on the pitch
Can't believe how poor he was in the first half. Smashing goal though.
No chance.
Scored a good goal but otherwise he was thoroughly average. Invisible for most of the first half, he came into it a bit towards the end as did most of the team, as Yeovil started to tire, but that isn't a good enough standard.
I would like to see Herrera operating a bit deeper, he plays too much like a #10 and we have a team overloaded with attackers already, but that is up to LVG
Poor today for me.
He looks great when we're in top and he has space but much less so when we're under pressure or struggling to get into a game.
And he gives the ball away far too often.
He looks great when we're in top and he has space but much less so when we're under pressure or struggling to get into a game.
And he gives the ball away far too often.
Only watched the second half, great goal but I thought he was very sloppy today.
Wasn't great, as wasn't the rest of the team, but had a few moments of class that shows why he should be starting games for us. Goal was cherry on top.
He does not seem geared for that. He's not a Carrick. He seems to be competing with Mata for his place.
You have to take into account that everyone was sloppy and gave the ball away far too much. Rooney was just as guilty of it and Fletcher could only pass to the CBs
The best of a bad bunch. Not great at all, but I prefer to see someone attempting the trickier stuff rather than popping the ball off backwards and passing the buck.
Still hasn't really settled because of injuries, illness and criminal convictions or whatever but the signs are good.
Still hasn't really settled because of injuries, illness and criminal convictions or whatever but the signs are good.
You got it right after all!There seems to be this bizarre division between DM and AM at our club, either you have to be a Carrick or a Mata - what happened to just being a good old central midfielder? Look at Fabregas at Chelsea, he normally plays deep alongside Matic. That is the role I would like to see Herrera in, alongside Carrick or Blind.
ah yes, Chelsea should now be our template in all things. We don't have a Matic-style player, never mind trying to map Herrera to Fabregas.
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