He was. LvG had also been trying to get the Rooney / Di Maria partnership going and it worked for a bit and the team had gone on a winning streak and I believe that's why van Gaal wasn't playing Herrera and Mata. Herrera came back after the rib injury had a game against (if I remember correctly) Southampton but then hurt it again. He had one or two games until Christmas and even scored but Rooney and Di Maria were the selected midfield at that stage.
21
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
It was West Brom, was also before Rooney was playing CM.
Herrera was on the bench and fit for all the games Rooney started in CM. LVG came out and said he wasn't in the team because he needed to improve, and Herrera has come out and confirmed that too
Yet Herrera came on as a sub in a few games. I remember him scoring a lovely goal after coming on.
Probably not in my opinion, but I'm sure LVG had his reasons. We were on an impressive run of results, if not performances, without Herrera. I was screaming for him to play earlier as well, but I'm more happy it's worked out now.
Tbh, he (sadly) probably did need that bench time.
If he played his own/old game, and kept getting picked, he'd probably be far less likely to change it up.
He was dropped, told what he needed to do to get back to being picked, went and done it, never looked back. Excellent from him, and excellent management.
If he played his own/old game, and kept getting picked, he'd probably be far less likely to change it up.
He was dropped, told what he needed to do to get back to being picked, went and done it, never looked back. Excellent from him, and excellent management.
I have to agree with this. Yesterday was probably his best performance for us, and he had 96% pass completion. That's what LvG wants from his midfielders.
Cliché(not the mediocre fullback) an all that it's become, but the philosophy.....
I have to agree with this. Yesterday was probably his best performance for us, and he had 96% pass completion. That's what LvG wants from his midfielders.
Control and patience, not that I'm comparing with quality, but in style, we're closer to Barca than we've ever been. Dictating the game, right in the opponents face until they crack. Passing in their face, dropping to the CB's if nothing's happening and starting again. Ander was always far more direct and aggressive than that.
Personally, I'm a fan of more, umm, reckless, attacking football, but if the last few weeks results persist I won't complain.
I hope we don't change to that kind of line-up, I prefer the flexibility of the 4-3-3 we are playing and it would be crazy to drop Herrera just to play Mata centrally.
He's barely changed. The one change he's made since the start of the season is the one Ander tells us about, where he wanted to move to the ball and demand it - something a lot of players get praised for. LVG told him he wanted him to hold his position even if he's well away from the ball and wait for it to come to him. You can see that change in him, nothing else. He was winning the ball, scoring goals, mostly keeping the ball well (with an occasional poor pass, just like yesterday's pass back that completely missed Rojo) and the occasional killer pass - right from his first league games, where he, Blind and Di Maria were playing really well
Its pretty obvious he should have been playing for ages before he came back in as a starter. LVG was stubborn with playing Rooney and Fellaini and also incorporated Mata into the CM role instead of him instead.
When he kept doing well off the bench eventually LVG gave him his chance from the start again and we saw Rooney and Fellaini moved into forward areas and now Mata wide right. Which pretty much displays how poor the choice was.
Its pretty obvious he should have been playing for ages before he came back in as a starter. LVG was stubborn with playing Rooney and Fellaini and also incorporated Mata into the CM role instead of him instead.
When he kept doing well off the bench eventually LVG gave him his chance from the start again and we saw Rooney and Fellaini moved into forward areas and now Mata wide right. Which pretty much displays how poor the choice was.
Love this fellas celebrations, he really goes for it. Looks like today meant a lot to him.
He seems to be really kicking on in terms of creating an understanding with players alongside him in midfield. We've been screaming out for the kind of player than can help dictate play in the middle of the pitch but also chips in with a few goals. Going to be exciting to see this guy develop further.
He seems to be really kicking on in terms of creating an understanding with players alongside him in midfield. We've been screaming out for the kind of player than can help dictate play in the middle of the pitch but also chips in with a few goals. Going to be exciting to see this guy develop further.
He's our Vidal, which is why we didnt need to sign him in the summer.
What I noticed yesterday is that he has great vision and quick decision making to play a great pass.
Absolutely loveable and quality footballer.
Yep. He usually knows what pass he wants to play before he even get the ball. Great vision.
Van Gaal's desire to shoehorn three strikers into the first XI kept Herrera out of the team. Fellaini and Mata themselves have been victims of that, its harsh to blame them. Over the winter we saw good performances from Herrera, Fellaini and Mata, which were often rewarded with being put back on the bench so Falcao and Van Persie could play.
What you say about Herrera's performances being virtually unaltered I agree with though. Ander wouldn't have a goal, assist or key pass every 60 minutes to his name if he'd had a serious dip in form. Statistically, his output has remained strong all season. The only obvious alteration in his game is his positioning is more disciplined and his passing less ambitious. That's it. Those are minor tweaks to the game of a player who was always going to be huge for us.
Like Jones says, it was obvious three years ago that Ander Herrera was going to become a big player. Thank God it will be at Manchester United.
Herrera, Mata, and Blind are all really good at making quick deicisions when under pressure and still finding a pass. It's no surprise with those three (and Carrick) in the side we're looking much more composed.
Van Gaal's desire to shoehorn three strikers into the first XI kept Herrera out of the team. Fellaini and Mata themselves have been victims of that, its harsh to blame them. Over the winter we saw good performances from Herrera, Fellaini and Mata, which were often rewarded with being put back on the bench so Falcao and Van Persie could play.
What you say about Herrera's performances being virtually unaltered I agree with though. Ander wouldn't have a goal, assist or key pass every 60 minutes to his name if he'd had a serious dip in form. Statistically, his output has remained strong all season. The only obvious alteration in his game is his positioning is more disciplined and his passing less ambitious. That's it. Those are minor tweaks to the game of a player who was always going to be huge for us.
Like Jones says, it was obvious three years ago that Ander Herrera was going to become a big player. Thank God its for us.
I didnt blame them. They dont pick the team and have all done well in their recent roles and deserve to be picked
But LVG himself couldn't have been more active in keeping Ander out of the team, trying everything but him. And now he finally gets his chance and is playing brilliantly, there are posters who want to give LVG credit for that.
The change in his game is about positioning, holding his position and picking his runs. It might look very simple, but it's a big change that ensures we have 2 players in CM. Earlier in the season, Ander was still scoring, and playing well, but his positioning made it look like we were playing a one man midfield of Blind, we were too open at times, now, you can decide if you're better off having one or two in the middle. It's how LVG wants him to play and he has adapted to it, simple. Every decision that fans don't like they always interprete as the manager not liking or not rating the player or being stubborn, it's really not. Mourinho was not stubborn to bench Mata, Mata just couldn't fulfil a requirement Mourinho wanted of his #10 and he got benched.
We're also playing a different formation, with Young on the left who was our leftback earlier in the season.
We've used 4-1-4-1 7 times this season and I can remember when we used it before earlier in the season was when Adnan was getting his run of games. We had Mata and Fellaini in the 2 AM places and it may have been Blind in the DM position.
Thats why we arent as exposed when he's making runs forward, both the lineup and formations are completely different to when we were using the Di Maria - Blind - Ander 3 man midfield. Di Maria doesn't defend at all
We've used 4-1-4-1 7 times this season and I can remember when we used it before earlier in the season was when Adnan was getting his run of games. We had Mata and Fellaini in the 2 AM places and it may have been Blind in the DM position.
Thats why we arent as exposed when he's making runs forward, both the lineup and formations are completely different to when we were using the Di Maria - Blind - Ander 3 man midfield. Di Maria doesn't defend at all
This lad is great for these videos. Some players you would be lucky to find 8 minutes of highlights for their whole careers.
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
Thiago too. If he recovers well from his injury he's the leader in Spain's midfield. Everyone else can fight to play alongside him.
I would like to see him playing more balls into Rooney. It seemed like a lot of his passes were to Mata and Valencia yesterday.
Think you're focusing too much on the players and not enough on their roles and the systems they're playing in function of... At Sevilla and Athletic they were usually the main playmakers in the final third (though capable of playing more restrained occasionally), now they're being asked to play deeper and more as controllers in systems that rely far more on keeping possession than at their previous clubs. Additionally, Athletic under Bielsa were aggressive, intense and "non-stop", Ander's playing style just reflected that. Under Valverde they became more measured and he took on a more traditional AM role.
that interception at 3:30 was great, shame its poor cut, and 4:45, 6:44 highlights for me
arise Sir Ander
If LVG moves Rooney down in midfield again to make room for Falcao/RvP im going to be seriously mad. I would say hes out best CM hands down, and he is only going to get better.
Straight away.
Have used the profile data first time after seeing your post.. It is simply amazing.. Wow,what an awesome feature.. Can't believe i missed that till now.
My favorite player of the season before the last 3 game, was 'very angry and confused' when he wasn't started. Great to see a midfielder in this form, especially as an United fan.
If this lad was playing for another team he'd be rated twice as much right now.
Struggling to think of any other Premier League centre mid who I'd swap for Herrera in a heart beat.
The way rooney was playing yesterday I
Don't blame him
To be fair rooney was marked tight all game so it's hard to feed him, the space was always wide.
Spot on.
I have to agree with this. Yesterday was probably his best performance for us, and he had 96% pass completion. That's what LvG wants from his midfielders.
I use to post the gag with the Simpsons when I used to get so frustrated with the teams lack of tempo. You can have a possession game, but still have the tempo, now we are getting it and VG is getting. I look at united, we look more stronger than our rivals in the next few years to come, if this possession game starts to get to new levels, especially in Europe this asset VG is drilling into the team
But what I have loved about VG, is getting our players better technical on the ball. Even guys like herrera are thinking with they're brains now, and with this we are very good at just taking the sting out of games, like at anfield a perfect example. If we make the top 4, we left the CL a broken team, and we could re-enter it has a very unknown team for teams to work out, because we playing like a European team.
Herrera defiantly has played a part in the cog of this machine, and it is fantastic seeing us hold onto the ball, and try a gameplan that fergie tried to do in 2011 but failed at it
I struggle to think of one too.
I would like to hear (from someone who watches EPL a lot) who are the best midfielders in the league right now. Unfortunately I watch only United this season.
Depends what you regard as a midfielder I suppose. If we're talking strictly centre midfielders I'd plump for Fabregas, Herrera and Cazorla as my current top 3. Could also throw in Carrick and Schneirderlin but they may regarded defensive midfielders and I guess their inclusion would warrant 'number 10' players getting a look in as well such as Silva or Eriksen.
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