I think Herrera can be very good in the position. Its a big ask of him tonight though as they have 3-4 players who will be looking to operate in and around that #10 position. A difficult thing for any #6 to handle, never mind somebody new to it. If shaw is fit, I would be tempted to use Blinds' positioning in the #6 tonight. Blind also brings clam which will be very important in the first 20 minutes. But then Herrera is a niggly fecker and could well get under their skin.
Herrera at Holding
- Thread starter Jacky Quacky
- Start date
Mobile, tenacious, tactically aware, good passing game, of course he can play holding.
He would be a major risk for a red card given how the Anfield hordes will be screaming for blood and they've tried to manipulate the referee already.
Need Blind or Carrick in behind Ander and Pogba tonight, screening the back four and with the range of passing to pick out the front 3. Ander and Pogba alone is suicidal in a game like this.
I agree. He should have been groomed to be Carricks natural replacement from the minute he signed for us. We have wasted him over the last 2 years.
That could be another option.....it would be harsh on Mata but those 3 make sense. Also gets pogba closer to Zlatan and their height gives the option to go long and totally miss out this press
He needs to have an excellent game today if he starts. Can see this thread being filled with either total praise or getting ripped apart. I think he will get found out today positionally. Will be his hardest game in this role and i can see him having a bit of a stinker, not just due to him but also if we line up wrongly in midfield, he will have no chance.
Would you prefer Blind or Carrick? Blind hasn't played midfield for us in ages. Also, that would mean benching Mata, which would be harsh.
I actually agree with this. Against City it was Fellaini, Rooney and Pogba (where Rooney wasn't actually too bad). There were many times where Pogba just left his position and lacked the discipline to track back. Wouldn't like to see him isolate Herrera today and would rather he was just given the number 10 role.
I agree we need another in there, but it will surely be Fellaini
Mou will rightly play his 4231 with Mata as 10. It's time we found our best formation and stick with it.
Herrera has energy and he's quick to do a job covering and tracking in that 6 role. It might still feel risky to some but we also have the benefit of boosting and attacking and creative front with that set up.
We aren't the only ones vulnerable to get hurt, the opposition also have to be worried of the same. It's not somme one way traffic or anything.
Herrera has energy and he's quick to do a job covering and tracking in that 6 role. It might still feel risky to some but we also have the benefit of boosting and attacking and creative front with that set up.
We aren't the only ones vulnerable to get hurt, the opposition also have to be worried of the same. It's not somme one way traffic or anything.
Not sure really, Carrick of 3 years ago maybe? Benching Mata would be harsh, but given his lack of pace and defensive contribution I can't see him starting with Pogba in this type of game.
Maybe, if we decide to push him and Pogba up and avoid the press as per LVG's gameplan. But I think Blind or Carrick will give us a better chance of retaining possession. It'll be interesting to see how direct Jose wants to go and how much of the ball he is willing to give up.
Love Herrera but he's a red card waiting to happen. I hope tonight isn't the night.
Somehwere in LA and Liverpool, Stevie G and Bob Loblaw cant wait to see this.
Good player but doesn't have the range of passing or consistency or discipline position wise to play at 6 for us. He needs to be in a 3 with a sitter behind him in big games in my opinion. Handy player though and very capable midfielder just doesn't have ideal skill set for holding.
So is Emre Can to be fair.
I agree, long term he's not the answer in this role.
I actually think Afro will play DM rather than pushing up but with Herrera alongside him - Pogba further forward. Well that's what I would do anyway
I dont mind Blind in midfield but cant see Jose giving him his first game there in ages at Anfield. For meCarrick hasnt played enough minutes to be thrown in here either.
Has been absolutely brilliant so far.
One of the highs of the season under Mourinho so far.
I think he suits the role perfectly as it turns out.
You can thank me later 
Immense tonight.
Won the ball 18 times - 7 tackles, 11 interceptions. Tracked back to cover attacks again and again. Couldnt have asked for more from him defensively tonight.
Not his best passing game, but overall our best player today
Not his best passing game, but overall our best player today
Absolutely fecking brilliant performance. Has to start every game for us, HAS to.
Absolutely incredible game by him.
He was good under LVG for about 4 matches, but he has really blossomed under Mourinho
Type of effect I thought Mourinho would have on Schneiderlin, but Herrera has been a fantastic surprise
Type of effect I thought Mourinho would have on Schneiderlin, but Herrera has been a fantastic surprise
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Didn't get to pay too much attention (had it on at work) but what I saw he was out MOTM
Played well. A player who was truly Van Gaaled.
Motm by a distance
Clear motm tonight. We've found his right position.
Our best player today by a country mile. He and Fellaini completely shut them down and he was one of the few out there who actually looked like he wanted to win today
It didn't help that LVG would drop him from the team for a considerable spell after any sort of poor or average performance. It's amazing how badly he managed certain players.
Jose trusting him ahead of Rooney (if LvG was here, he'd be here, so the captain shall always play...) is one of the biggest positives of Mourinho's reign so far. Passionate and energetic - just what we need in the middle of the park.
What a player
In the way we lined up today, I'd have preferred Blind over Fellaini, at least in the second half. Pogba was in the Mata role, so Mata wasn't getting into this game anyway. Fellaini offered the out ball when going long, but didn't seem to relish the faster pace when Liverpool stepped it up in the second half.
Ander has embraced the holding role and has flourished. His passing helped spread out the attack and he's tenacious enough on the defensive end to annoy the best. Seemed he was tasked to shadow Coutinho and did it well for the most part, despite that goal-bound shot. He pretty much harried him out of irrelevance in the first half, besides all the falling down on Coutinho's part. When Llallana was brought on, there was more of a threat as Ander could no longer just focus on Coutinho, while Liverpool started flooding the center of the pitch, putting Fellaini at an extreme disadvantage.
Neither Fellaini nor Herrera are positionally disciplined enough to play the holding role on their own against a top side. But the two of them together works brilliantly.
I think if you swap Fellaini for Blind you get a bit more passing control in the middle. It's horses for courses. But Pogba ahead of Herrera + A.N. Other has to be the way to go.
I think if you swap Fellaini for Blind you get a bit more passing control in the middle. It's horses for courses. But Pogba ahead of Herrera + A.N. Other has to be the way to go.
Absolutely criminal how underused he was the last two seasons.
Honestly think he should be made our next captain.
Honestly think he should be made our next captain.
Very good tonight. Extremely good.