Brilliant player.
Any midfield purchase we make has to be done with who would compliment Herrera in mind.
Any midfield purchase we make has to be done with who would compliment Herrera in mind.
21
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
we'd be winning the league if he'd been playing week in week out. why the feck has it taken this long for him to be first choice?
Wonderful player, loved him since day one, but watching him in pre-season I had a small feeling he may be more of a number 10, but his recent performances have been excellent, a real box to box midfielder, and his link up with Mata has been great. Also very impressed with his return, 7 goals is excellent, we've missed a goal scoring midfielder for a while.
Sadly I think Van Gaal will do the opposite and will bring in someone to take Herreras position and he will use Herrera as back up.
Why? He's bemoaned having too many AMs and not enough CMs who add balance all season. Fellaini is only a short term option for LVG.
I think it's too simplistic to say that we could have done this if he had played regularly and stuff , for me there has actually been a huge improvement in his performances from the start of the season to now . At the start we were so desperate for a midfield that his weaknesses were getting overshadowed , but he has worked on his game and become a better player
I just still feel he doesn't fully believe Herrera is the solution long term, I still don't think he rates him that much. I hope your right though. We know its one of Herrera of Fellaini who will drop out if we sign a CM that LVG wants in the summer, I just don't know which one it will be.
I do see what you mean. I think LVG might actually want to play something like this long term:
Rooney
Depay - Mata - Di Maria
DM - Carrick
Which would be tough on Herrera, but more understandable than dropping him and leaving Fellaini on the pitch, which would be mind-blowingly annoying.Depay - Mata - Di Maria
DM - Carrick
It doesn't fully matter if LVG rates him or not, he's not going to be here long term anyway. Herrera will be a big part of our midfield for years to come.
the problem for Herrera is that in the position where He could play are Busquets and Koke. Del Bosque could search space by removing some midfielder but seeing how conservative he is (the best example is de Gea/Iker) is going to have to do an incredible season.He won´t sit Iniesta and I'm sure that Isco, the idol of Madrid(and over protected for press) will play before Ander, even out of position. In any case I am sure he will go to the euro
It's really frustrating that he has taken so long to establish himself, but who's to blame, him or LVG ?
Herrera would even work in the DM position you have there though really. He is like a box to box CM, he puts himself about and can tackle. I don't think we need two Defensive mid and im classing Carrick as one.
Yeah, I think there's a level of composure and discipline that wasn't there earlier in the season. He's becoming better at those two aspects and LvG reward him with playing time. He's developing nicely lads, his time out of the squad probably spurred him in that direction
He's only started 15 games, all season; and they've been scattered all over. I might be wrong, but this may be the most consecutive games he started for us. He's not been able to establish himself as he really hasn't had the opportunity to do so, till now.
Well he's staked a claim, can't see him being left out for the City match, I like him as a player.
Is the correct answer
In fairness, he had several injuries up til Xmas, particular that rib injury that resulted in two fairly long spells out.
I don't think Del Bosque will let Herrera get a proper chance unless he has some proper long term success, it was just a response to a person who was saying who he would pick for Spain just solely based on form at the moment.
Herrera doesn't deserve to be there yet and we know that after he clearly should be starting Del Bosque will need another couple of years to figure that out. Isco has been very, very good too, I've repeated it through-out the latter part of the season that Isco-Marcelo-Ronaldo has been carrying Madrid.
Those LVG comments 
Absolutely in love with Herrera, we have the most likeable team in the league.
Absolutely in love with Herrera, we have the most likeable team in the league.
Crazy to think there were murmurings we were going to offload him.
He should be starting every week in a midfield three of himself, Carrick and Mata.
Blame the time it takes any footballer to learn what a new manager expects of them. Herrera has added a discipline (for which LVG and the staff can be credited) in his game that wasn't present earlier in the season, and he's now flourishing in LVG's system.
He will get a Spain call-up sooner or later, after all the likes of Suarez and Raul Garcia are getting them, too. But I doubt he will be in the Euro squad, at least not as long as Del Bosque is there.
Spain won't progress anyway with Del Bosque, Xaviesta in their prime were just perfect for Del Bosque's laid back nature and possession style, but there won't be another pair that good anytime soon and Del Bosque somehow seems incapable of changing things a bit or adapting their style.
Having said this, Koke and Isco are better than Herrera, that's not the issue. The issue will be that inferior or out of form past it players will get ahead of him as long as Del Bosque is there (like at the WC DDG/Casillas or playing Xavi/Iniesta/Alonso ahead of the best Spanish midfielder of last season in Koke).
Spain won't progress anyway with Del Bosque, Xaviesta in their prime were just perfect for Del Bosque's laid back nature and possession style, but there won't be another pair that good anytime soon and Del Bosque somehow seems incapable of changing things a bit or adapting their style.
Having said this, Koke and Isco are better than Herrera, that's not the issue. The issue will be that inferior or out of form past it players will get ahead of him as long as Del Bosque is there (like at the WC DDG/Casillas or playing Xavi/Iniesta/Alonso ahead of the best Spanish midfielder of last season in Koke).
His link-up play with Mata is unbelievable. He's looking like an excellent buy, prolific passer and can score goals from midfield which is something we've lacked for a number of years. Glad to have him and he should be a certain starter.
He's mental.
In the bad times (a couple of months ago) I opined that he and Mata were too lightweight for us.
Not much sign of that now. When quality football is played, with quick, accurate passing, good movement and plenty of options, size matters a lot less.
Not much sign of that now. When quality football is played, with quick, accurate passing, good movement and plenty of options, size matters a lot less.
Yep and while the leagues aren't really analogous the great Barca side wasn't physical at all and dominated heavily. Having Messi helped but I mean, the physical point stands.
Did he have to learn from the bench though?
There were a lot of times when Herrera would play as a #10 for Bilbao, or even act as a wide playmaker so I'm not too surprised by his omission from the senior squad. However now, with Xavi retiring, Iniesta generally ineffective, Javi Martinez injured and Illara's regression I would really hope that he's rewarded by a call up.
Nope. All that time Rooney was being wasted in midfield, so Van Persie and Falcao could look unconvincing up front, Herrera could have been playing. We'd have been much better for it too.
Wonder what Paul Scholes is thinking right now after getting annoyed that we didn't sign Kroos and signed Ander instead.
Yeah but Herrera was injured quite a bit during that time as were others and Rooney was the convenient choice for midfield while LvG was trying to make the partnership of RvP and Falcao work.
It didn't though and thankfully LvG has assigned Rooney back as our main striker with the midfield to match.
You can't really blame LvG, much.
He wasnt
They've only got Koke, Fabregas, Silva, Cazorla and Isco as alternatives. What a ridiculous set of midfielders they've had over the last 8 years
So, is it now acceptable to rate this lad and think it a complete travesty that he was benched for so long in order to accommodate RVP/Falcao upfront?
If we'd played him all season, and dropped one of the strikers, we'd have a good few more points imho.
If we'd played him all season, and dropped one of the strikers, we'd have a good few more points imho.
really impressed by Herrera since the US tour, he stood out against our other midfielders (only lacking Carricks passing range).....Anyone else think LVG is still a bit funny on him?
I know LVG made some strange comments about Herrera in the past and seemed to resist playing Herrera for a while.....
when LVG was talking about Rooney and Herrera after the game there was a contrast......he almost seems to find a way to ask that Herrera should improve even after scoring 2...
maybe a bit like Mata he seems to have reluctantly given these two their chance together....
I know LVG made some strange comments about Herrera in the past and seemed to resist playing Herrera for a while.....
when LVG was talking about Rooney and Herrera after the game there was a contrast......he almost seems to find a way to ask that Herrera should improve even after scoring 2...
maybe a bit like Mata he seems to have reluctantly given these two their chance together....
Okay so I can't be bothered reading all the pages but I am guessing I will just be agreeing with everyone. He was very, very good. I was uncertain about him earlier in the season but he has fit in really well. Without having to accommodate RvP and Falcao we have struck the perfect team balance, which Herrera is a huge part of.
Goals from midfielders this season
Goals from midfielders this season
- Status