It was quite interesting reading through the Anderson thread, & taking note of a lot of the comments from United fans regarding the lad. This is just one of the many negative remarks after his performance against Arsenal a few months ago - 'Anderson in having a stinker away from home shocker. I really don't understand why he keep getting games away from home. I'd sooner have O'Shea in the middle' - That's not an isolated post, because there is a theme going back over 18 months in regards to his 'hot & cold' style of consistency. The thing that caught my eye though, is that there was a criticism from quite a few regarding his passing ability. Then after his 2 goals against Schalke, someone joked that The Germans must be shite if Anderson can score against them. So it got me thinking. If his passing ain't up to scratch, & he's not a prolific goalscorer ?. What exactly is it that constitutes the hype that some people on here seem to lap up ?
A lot of Manchester United fans have expressed their concerns over the past 2 or 3 seasons regarding the apparent weakness in the midfield area. Yet this is the area where your man is supposed to be making his own. I'd even go as far as saying that United's successes in recent years have come about, in spite of, as opposed to, because of, your midfield. Far too often, the attackers have bailed out your midfielders, in fact some of them could be accused of riding on the back of people like Giggs, Rooney, Hernandez, Nani, Berbatov, along with a solid back-four.
We paid a very modest fee for Lucas. In return, our expectations were very modest. Therefore, despite a turbulent couple of years in which the club has gone through something of a nightmare, he's come through, & more than exceeded expectations. In short, it was £5.5 million well spent. & unlike Anderson, Lucas has never really had the luxury over the past 18 months or so, of playing alongside players such as those mentioned above. That said, I'm very confident that with a settled management structure now in place, & better players around him. Lucas has it in him to take his game up another level. I suppose the big question is though. Will we be here in 12 months time talking about Anderson's potential, & saying how he 'could be' a great player ?. Or will the lad finally take advantage of the many great things he has going for him at Old Trafford, & become the player that so many on here want him to be - Whatever people might think of the differing levels of ability between the 2 players. Lucas has won the strength of character stakes hands down. It's now up to Anderson to show he's got the bottle to take on one of the toughest jobs in the world.
