Too late for that.Are you moving from thread to thread hoping nobody will catch you?
21
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
He's not a winger. He needs to be able to roam in order to fully utilize his positioning and ability to find space bth on and off the ball.
Semantics. I'm saying he doesn't do enough to help take the game by the scruff of the neck. I'm all for his direct passing and risk taking, I just don't think he gets a big enough grip on the game like other Premiership midfielders do. You can accomodate a player like him, for sure, but a player like him doesn't help accomodate player like Di Maria or Mata and that is what Van Gaal takes into consideration.
Di Maria doesn't relish the physical battle and takes risk with his passing too, it's understandable that he doesn't want two of those players at EPL level.
App: 17
Goals: 4
Asst: 4
Pretty decent return for a player who spends most of his time on the bench
Goals: 4
Asst: 4
Pretty decent return for a player who spends most of his time on the bench
Just hope he gets a good run now. Needs to beef up a bit I think. But so happy to see him out there tonight.
It is which makes him extremely useful.
Most of those appearances are surely has a substitute as well, should be starting more games he's not even had a proper run in the team I'd bet he can improve even further.
Grew into the game once we went behind and had to start attacking. Did better as did everyone when it was Rooney and Fellaini up top. Please don't drop him for RVP
imagine if he played centrally - he's smart put him in next to blind.
LvG will have to keep his word now that if someone plays well they keep their place. Rooney and Fellaini up top and Herrera in CM. If not he is a hypocrite.
Numbers don't lie.
Unspectacular and efficient for the most part, once he moved inside to a proper #8 position he had more influence on the game. First, scored a very cute goal to get us back in the game. Then, spotted and found the run of Valencia in the build up to Fellaini's goal. Not looking the same adventurous player he was early in the season, but having sat on the bench for so long his confidence can't be that high. If Van Gaal continues to give him a go in the side he'll continue to improve and be productive.
He looked much better once he moved central, him and Blind moved pretty smoothly in midfield I felt, I think we have to factor in how hard it is to get form and build confidence when you play so rarely, he's warranted another start IMO.
He is one of those players who as soon as the Ball left his feet makes himself available again. His movement is a bit like scholesy.
Opened up their defence with one through ball to Valencia on the right, some passing stuff we are missing without him.
Of course he still has to improve but he certainly brings quality to the team and deserves to start more regularly!
Opened up their defence with one through ball to Valencia on the right, some passing stuff we are missing without him.
Of course he still has to improve but he certainly brings quality to the team and deserves to start more regularly!
Was class in that second half. First was alright, a 6/10 performance, nothing wrong but just quiet. Second half was a lot better in the middle of the park. He'd be top class for us if we still had Fergie, exactly the player we needed for so long. Hopefully Van Gaal starts using him in a similar way as well.
Exactly my feeling as well. Everytime I see him I think of him as someone bought by Fergie - even though that's not the case! He just seems like Fergie's type of player.
But yes, he must start from now on. Don't care who needs to be sacrificed to make that happen.
He's a strange player. Doesn't have the consistency or range of passing you want from a CM but makes things happen all the same. If we can find a blend of players in midfield which accentuates his best qualities and covers for his deficiencies then he could be a really good player for us. We desperately need a conductor in central midfield and I don't think he will ever be that player. Could be a decent lead guitarist though!
Really tidy finish too. Which is getting glossed over by the offside controversy.
Really tidy finish too. Which is getting glossed over by the offside controversy.
Yeah, I thought he was going to be that guy too. He's not. Still vaguely disappointed tonight. Would still have him in for a run now. He's another one we seem to have beaten the spark out of a bit. It's a start, no more.
Ferguson had scouted him for some time and passed on the knowledge to Moyes who then took two months to realize, by then it was too late. I wonder how our season would have panned out last year if we had him in the team. He wouldn't have made that much of a difference because he clearly isn't that good to fully transform a team but given how much of a weakness our midfield and lack of creativity was we might have at least got an Europa League spot with him in the team.
He has a slight touch of the Andersons about him in that he gives the ball away inexplicably at times. I like him, though. Might be being generous but I think he'll improve a lot when the players around him start playing. He involves himself in so much.
He needs to start in a midfield 3 or alongside Blind/Carrick to get the best from him, can't be playing him on the edge of a diamond and expecting him to run the channels and still have an effect on the game.
4 goals and 4 assists despite only having 7 starts, says a lot.
4 goals and 4 assists despite only having 7 starts, says a lot.
he does run around like a headless chicken when we don't have the ball, and just seems to not read the game very well when having to defend. Going forward and especially when both Rooney and Fellaini pushed up, he looked much more comfortable and is much more of an instinctive player. I get why LVG don't trust him.
Get a prime Carrick in next to him in a midfield duo and I think he'd be the perfect partner. Blind I'm not sure if he's quite the right player to partner him in a midfield 2, though he's a very good player too.
agreed he needs either Blind and\or Carrick.
Only a slight touch, thank feck. Got a proper engine on him, which is nice to see. Still haring round in the closing minutes.
He reminds me of Frank Lampard.
Herrera surely will start against Swansea now. Him and Blind as a two makes sense.
Herrera surely will start against Swansea now. Him and Blind as a two makes sense.
Lets not go nuts.
QPR, Yeovil, Preston, Leicester.
I like him, but he doesn't get in my starting lineup. i'd have Mata in behing Rooney over him every time.
Would love to see us play with one striker up front in a 4-3-3 with Blind/Herrera/Di Maria in CM.
His first touch is also brilliant by the way. Seems to instantly control whatever is pegged into him. If people are disappointed in him, I think it's only due to expecting him to be a Xavi style player instead of what he is, an energetic, quick thinking player who makes things happen. He's a good passer, but I agree with others in that it's not like a controlled type of passing. He picks out the right option most of the time though and is class in tight areas unlike the others, and it helps a lot having the first touch he does. Put Carrick next to him for the control, defensive positioning and passing range, and Herrera provides the movement, increase in tempo, creativity and goal threat.
If you judged him on tonight I don't think him in a two makes sense at all.
I take your point but has he played vs anyone good?
I think he offers a lot more industry than Mata and more defensively. He's also more versatile. Don't see why they can't both play as long as the oppo aren't giants.
I like that he's constantly attempting to create something, it's refreshing to have in our midfield but I do think van Gaal considers player position and these lines to be more important than any individual. This is why I believe di Maria is the only player with complete creative freedom.
Why? One of the only proper midfielders we have who constantly wants to try to make things happen.
It's Swansea ffs, we need to stop being negative. Put out an attacking side, and go attack them.
Thought he played well. He needs someone with real composure next to him though, and Blind definitely wasn't that tonight.
He tries so hard to move the ball quickly and raise the tempo but its a waste of time when he's the only one doing it and the likes of Falcao and Fellaini are killing every move with bad touches and fouls. Atleast when we went a goal down others were atleast trying to up the tempo too.
Have you watched Swansea much? They'll pass rings round anything other than an extremely strong midfield two. BlInd is off form and Hererra a work in progress. They'll need help.
agreed, I think LVG prefers midfielders who retain possession at the expense of creativity.
Makes so much sense. Unfortunately, sense isn't something that comes hand-in-hand with Louis' selection policy this season. Hopefully that'll change this weekend!
- Status