Had a very good game once again, and looks to pass the ball forward rather than pick the safe pass backwards or sideways. Also his movement on the ball seems quite impressive. At last a midfielder that can actually move and dribble. However, he still needs to improve to reach the level we aspire to play at. I'm sure playing like this is good enough for Bilbao but if we are to challenge we need him to improve. He has all the potential to reach a very high level, he just needs to work hard. Also shows commitment to the club.
21
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
He's fantastic, not that there was any doubt. Valencia could do a lot worse than take tips from Herrera on how to improve his left foot.
Very tidy, should start every match.
A true CM and he needs to be our first choice there. I felt the players actually had confidence with Blind and Herrera in the middle which has been missing for a long time.
Why did you not do this months ago LvG?
Why did you not do this months ago LvG?
Herrera has to be one of the first names on the squad sheet from here on out, although we'll see what Louis does once Carrick is fully fit.
This is why Herrera shouldn't have been repeatedly left out of the starting XI in the first place. His all purpose dynamism and creative threat evidenced from the Zaragoza and Athletic Club days is invaluable, especially since the rest of our midfield-attack progression looks rather static and bereft of ideas at times.
Now that he's been reinstated, it's time to drum up the Mata and Rafael agenda. Both of those players should ideally be part of the starting XI when fit. Seems a bit discriminatory that certain players have a carte blance to step into the team and soon as they regain match fitness but Rafael is being completely frozen out.
Now that he's been reinstated, it's time to drum up the Mata and Rafael agenda. Both of those players should ideally be part of the starting XI when fit. Seems a bit discriminatory that certain players have a carte blance to step into the team and soon as they regain match fitness but Rafael is being completely frozen out.
Should have pulled the trigger quicker at the edge of the box a few times. Had opportunities to have a shot but took a touch or took an extra touch that weren't needed. I think having the winger out there helps him a lot too as he doesn't have to worry as much about to trying to cover all that ground and can focus more centrally. Glad he is getting played more.
Is he left or right footed?
right footed.
Once again showed how ridiculous it has been to not start him regularly. It's like Van Gaal was purposely sabotaging his own team's results for some sort of petty personal problem, whatever it may have been. Not that Van Gaal would ever let petty personal differences or his ego get in the way of a team's best interests...
Herrera is by far our classiest and most adaptable midfielder. He's clearly playing more contained and within himself at the moment, as is Van Gaal's wont, but you still see glimpses of his eye for a pass - something which few of our other players possess.
Herrera is by far our classiest and most adaptable midfielder. He's clearly playing more contained and within himself at the moment, as is Van Gaal's wont, but you still see glimpses of his eye for a pass - something which few of our other players possess.
He was very good today even though it was clear that he was a bit restrained. I think he has the potential to grow into a great little player if he continues to improve steadily.
I also liked his partnership with Blind and even though they look like they can be carved open with ease, they also have the ability to open up teams and pass them off the pitch. I would like us to try a trio of him, Blind and Carrick for tougher matches as a combination of the Blind-Herrera duo pressing higher up the pitch should tally with Carrick's positioning, sweeping and passing.
I also liked his partnership with Blind and even though they look like they can be carved open with ease, they also have the ability to open up teams and pass them off the pitch. I would like us to try a trio of him, Blind and Carrick for tougher matches as a combination of the Blind-Herrera duo pressing higher up the pitch should tally with Carrick's positioning, sweeping and passing.
There is also the possibility that he has worked on making Herrera a bit more diciplined so he can fullfill the requirements of the #8 role. I think he was much more involved in Building up from deep today than i have seen from him this season, hope he keeps this up.
Gave us a solid base along with blind, i can see van gaal sticking with them two for the forseeable future
Kind of limited him going forward and i still think hes probably more suited to a #10 position but the team as a whole looks better with him as a #8.
Kind of limited him going forward and i still think hes probably more suited to a #10 position but the team as a whole looks better with him as a #8.
The acquisitions of him and Blind are the best thing to happen to our midfield, the past 15 years
His movement, ability to hold the ball in tight spaces, and quick passing really helps Blind out in midfield. We were able to recycle possession much faster than we usually do and it actually wore Sunderland down, which is what LVG's tactics are designed to do.
They need a third player who is more defensive that can play at that pace to make us solid, but this should do for the rest of the season.
They need a third player who is more defensive that can play at that pace to make us solid, but this should do for the rest of the season.
For games where we're going to dominate possession a Blind - Herrera midfield will work really well, moreso now than that the start of the season where Herrera was taking a few too many risks with his passing and positioning. I'd still be slightly more concerned playing him in a midfield 2 against better teams who'll get more of the ball and attack more often but he's a great option for the majority of our games.
Like him a lot. Wouldn't look at of place in any top team in the world. We are only missing a player to compliment him and Blind.....
Yeah, though hes one played who I would definitely want in bigger games as well. Excelled in them for Bilbao and his energy and general quality would help, though I would have him in a midfield 3 with Carrick and blind or as the attacking midfielder for those games, rather then just being a central midfielder.
Definitely. It's not for lack of effort but he's not a player who you want to rely on too much defensively, better to give him a bit more cover and let him play his game. I can see him being very useful in a kind of Park-esque role in big games when we want a #10 who will also put in a shift or do a job on a deep-lying playmaker, with the bonus that he's better on the ball than Park was (not that he was shabby either at his best)
Yeah, he's not bad defensively or anything, for a creative midfielder he's pretty much as good as you can expect and is an excellent tackler. Just in big games, we need someone more like Carrick to hold his position and keep the defensive shape and organization, but herrera's pressing and eye for a through pass is also very important so he'd still be in. Our defence is very fragile of course, so we need the extra man in midfield like Carrick for when we don't expect to dominate possession. If we had Rio and Vidic at their prime, then we'd be okay with Herrera-Carrick or herrera Blind I think
Too easy.
I honestly can't believe he's spent most of the season on the bench, with Rooney playing ahead of him 
Its incredibly frustrating on so many levels.
Its incredibly frustrating on so many levels.
The bolded statement is a big reason Chelsea suffers with Fabregas and Matic in the middle. We cannot make the same mistake as they do. Blind and Herrera are quite aggressive off the ball, and both will get themselves dragged out with their aggressive style. For this reason, we can't go with Blind and Herrera unless Blind plays a much more disciplined defensive game (which he definitely can).
Still, though, I am happy to see Herrera prove that he isn't some defensive liability from midfield. When playing in central midfield, Herrera showed a great amount of discipline and provided good defensive support for Blind. He wasn't gung ho in his defensive approach, and he did a good job in recovering the ball as well as slowing down Sunderland. He does show some defensive awareness and a decent reading of the game ahead of him, but I don't think it's enough for him to play in a midfield 2 base against top teams. However, he can improve on this like Modric, Pjanic, Fernandinho, Rakitic, and Gundogan did. If he cannot do this, then he doesn't have the physical qualities to make up for that, which players like Nainggolan, Ramires, Fernando, etc., have.
More than capable of being the player who makes the team tick.
Hope to God now van Gaal keeps him in the side.
Hope to God now van Gaal keeps him in the side.
Him and Blind together might just be THE perfect pairing in midfield
I think they are good but I guess Blind is not on the same level as Herrera. I can see some strong pacy agile defensive beast midfielder next to Herrera who with his teammates upfront are creative enough to score tons of goals, some defensive midfielder who will shield the defense. Blind showed not for the first time lack of pace and strength today, not that he wasn't good overall but I really feel we must buy another better midfielder to complement Herrera. We don't need playmaker and Blind is not even a brilliant playmaker.
I guess someone like Matic would make sense but I wouldn't mind even Wanyama type of player. That would make our defense much more solid. That KOdogbia guy looked good against Arsenal in CL pacy, strong, not bad on the ball either..
Another very good performance, just what you want.
That was beautiful.
He constantly does little things like that, clever little touches or flicks, that largely go unnoticed. Such a clever player.
Another good performance, which hopefully means he's a regular starter for us now.
Fan favourite.
Fan favourite.
I'd also like to see a Carrick, Blind & Herrera MF trio. Think it would make us very solid in MF and we would control a lot of the games.
Tough to find someone with mobility and passing skills at the 6, though. But I agree. The big Sunderland chance Wickham had would have been prevented by a pacier DM.
We're in a good position here. You need 2 DM's in the squad, preferably that can play together when you want to sit with a double pivot deep in big games away or start 3 and win the midfield battle. Blind starts this year and the next with Carrick backing him up and then we buy another DM and let Carrick leave in the summer of 2016. Whether that's a younger player with potential or a proven starter depends on how Blind progresses over the next year and a half.
I have the same vision as you in terms of the 'agile, all action type midfielder' complementing Hererra in a 2 man midfield base. I do like Blind though who can play in a number of positions for us. I don't want to think of him as a mere 'squad player' but if we do get this B2B player then Blind may just become that.
I agree. Blind is good but I don't quite rate him as highly as I do Herrera. That's not a slight on Blind as I think they're both great acquisitions and it's not either/or between the two.
I still feel Blind at left back with that creative/combative/beast midfielder alongside Herrera could work wonders for our team.
This is what i want against Liverpool and Chelsea away and maybe against City at home. Solid midfield of Carrick, Blind and Herrera with two quick wingers and Rooney uptop. Mind you i think against lesser sides it's too defensive.
Yeah would be great to see in the big games, especially away from home.
Naturally you can be more adventourous when playing against a side in the bottom half.
I think this will be addressed in the summer rather waiting on Blind's progress. I hope so!
He has shown he can adapt. I reckon he will have great future here under van Gaal. Not so sure about Mata.
Some of you are wishing for a certain DM, but how many do have the distribution skills of Blind? When teams park the bus against us, Wanyame for example has no use. You need a player who can distribute the ball to the forwards, raise the tempo with forward passes and makes himself available for the midfielders to increase the amount of options. Look at Barcelona with Busquets, or Bayern with Alonso/Schweini. But which DM's are you lot thinking of, and dont come up with Carvalho or something.
Blind is not a problem against teams who park the bus against us though. I wouldn’t like to leave him on his own against better midfielders though.
- Status