When you arrive at Manchester United with a £29m price-tag, you’re expected to produce big returns. If you’ve got a price-tag that big, there’s a huge responsibility on your shoulders: you need to produce the goods week-in and week-out. If you have one bad performance, the crowd will turn and they’ll turn quick.
That’s currently the case for Ander Herrera, who Manchester United bought from Athletic Bilbao last summer. The 25-year-old has been pretty good on occasion this season, but he’s also got a capacity for frustrating. When he’s not on song, he often moves the ball about too slowly. His inability to pick his team-mates out quickly enough has cost The Red Devils on occasion this year.
There’s no doubting his technical ability, his diligence or his vision. Things just don’t seem to be coming together for him at the moment.
I have to say, this deal looked like a strange one at the time. Whilst it was exciting to see Manchester United bolster their midfield, Herrera couldn’t have been the best available option. This is a player who has never featured for his full international side (Spain) and who didn’t exactly set the world alight at his former club, Athletic Bilbao.
Still, at least he’s good at picking idols. Check out these recent comments from Herrera, who spoke about one of Manchester United’s former stars:
‘I have MUTV at home and sometimes I watch the legends. I watch Paul Scholes. I watch how he plays a long pass, side to side. Unbelievable. He has character, passion. Everyone in the squad I asked about Scholes told me he’s quiet, very shy, but he was a leader.’
‘Scholes had a much better long pass than me. I have to improve this characteristic. I am getting better, scoring goals, getting involved in the box to have chances to score, but I have to learn a lot from Scholes.’ (Source: The Express)
It’s unfair to compare Herrera to Scholes, but the difference between the two players is emblematic of Manchester United’s current position in world football.
Herrera’s still young enough to improve, but I can’t see him ever reaching Paul Schole’s level. Despite this, there’s still room for him within this Manchester United team, especially if Louis Van Gaal starts to demonstrate some more flexibility with the way that he sets his team up.
If he’s capable of this, then Ander Herrera should be capable of more.
Let’s hope that he’s given the opportunity to prove himself as a player in his own right.
What’s your take? What do you make of Ander Herrera’s progress this season?
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