Manchester United’s attacking midfielder Anderson didn’t have the best time in Tuesday evening’s game against Newcastle United. Passes went astray, his creative synapses weren’t firing and his decision making process seemed a little off the mark. All these factors contributed to a rather blunt attacking display from Manchester United as the two sides played out a 0-0 draw. But one bad game does not a bad player make. Has Anderson displayed enough potential during his time at Old Trafford to suggest that he’s worth keeping hold of and seeing how he develops?
Fan opinion regarding Anderson seems to change on a game-by-game basis. At the start of the season he was considered the future of the club but now as we approach the final stretch there are plenty of fickle fans suggesting that United cash-in on the Brazilian.
In defence of Anderson, his season has been torn asunder by injuries and he’s never really had a chance to get a decent string of games together. Without this consistency, he’s often looked out of place in this Manchester United side – but I still wouldn’t describe him as a weak link. Even at his worst, Anderson’s play is always positive, he’s always looking to drive play forward and make things happen. None of this sideways passing that is all too prevalent about the rest of the Manchester United midfield.
With this positivity, however, comes an increased chance of failure. Of course not every pass that Anderson attempts to thread through the defence will come off – it’s a much harder task than to simply pass it to a United player on your left or right, but somebody has to step up and take responsibility.
To those who have had enough of the Brazilian and are open to him leaving Old Trafford, I’d like to take you back to Anderson’s debut season. It just so happened that this was the Brazilian’s only season wherein he was consistently fully fit and got a run of games in the squad. Despite his youth Manchester United were rewarded with spirited performances that demonstrated a great deal of passion and energy and made it clear that this was a footballer with the ability to make his mark in the Premier League.
He’s been at United for almost 3 years now, and he’s been unable to really establish himself fully as a first-team player. If he were to get a decent run of games, I’m sure we’d see the player that we saw in his first season at the club once more. Moreover, he’s at the age where his development could really take off if he’s given the full support of the manager and the fans. Just look how Nani, another player who’s inconsistency worried the fans, has improved over the last two seasons.
It’s my feeling that the fans need somebody to vent at whenever a result doesn’t go United’s way. Given that Michael Carrick’s upped his game, Anderson has become the scapegoat for United’s failure to see off Newcastle. But to lay the blame at the feet of a youngster who’s barely had a chance to establish his fitness this season seems a little bizarre. A season without injury will see Anderson shine – you heard it here first.
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