[Mali_Zeus]

People will jump on me cause everybody loves Herrera, as do I of course, but him playing a DM is an excuse cause lets be honest he wasnt anythins special today. Lots of times he was near their box despite the fact he was nominally a DM and he wasnt exactly giving some great passes forward as much as he should have done. He didnt have so much to do defensively so he was involved in the attack very often.
I dont believe he doesnt take the risks or make some defense splitting passes so often cause LVG told him not to. Or any player for that matter.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I like Hererra but yesterday really showed up his limitations. For a CM the rhythm and consistency of passing needs a lot of work. Doesn't have that ability to see and execute a progressive pass in an instant that you need from a top CM. Tends to always take at least two touches and/or play it backwards. When he did occasionally find enough time and space to try progressive passes they were usually picked off, or overhit.

A work in progress. Hopefully something to build on anyway.

 

[Fahad Jawaid]

I am his biggest fan, but i feel him playing DM just highlights his biggest flaw which is long passing, he doesn't have the range of passing Carrick has and can't switch play with one pass and get the winger one-on-one with the fullback it took us three to four passes to switch ball from from one flank to another which resulted in WestBrom finding it easy to defend.

Secondly he is best playing further ahead where he can play expansively and his link up play with Mata helps both of them as they are on same wavelength and it allows Valencia time and space to cross. When he plays defensive midfielder obviously he has to contain his passing range as he's the last Midfielder and he has only Cb's behind him and losing the ball will usually mean conceding a goal. So in short Carrick is vital for us, and we need a replacement for Carrick next season its the most essential thing because it not only allows Herrera to play in his proper position it allows Rooney to play in his best position aswell.

 

[prarek]

I am his biggest fan, but i feel him playing DM just highlights his biggest flaw which is long passing, he doesn't have the range of passing Carrick has and can't switch play with one pass and get the winger one-on-one with the fullback it took us three to four passes to switch ball from from one flank to another which resulted in WestBrom finding it easy to defend.

Secondly he is best playing further ahead where he can play expansively and his link up play with Mata helps both of them as they are on same wavelength and it allows Valencia time and space to cross. When he plays defensive midfielder obviously he has to contain his passing range as he's the last Midfielder and he has only Cb's behind him and losing the ball will usually mean conceding a goal. So in short Carrick is vital for us, and we need a replacement for Carrick next season its the most essential thing because it not only allows Herrera to play in his proper position it allows Rooney to play in his best position aswell.

Good post i couldn't agree more. Herrera's long balls aren't good enough or consistent enough to be playing a like-for-like Scholes or Carrick role. He thrives on short passes and one twos. Defensively he was sound. Made a couple of tackles but its clear his best position is as a number 8. I couldn't agree with the commentator when he said Herrera's passes aren't as creative as Carricks, or something to that effect. That was a ridiculous comment. Its the range he struggles with, not so much creativity. Carrick has never been a consistent deliverer of defensive splitting passes either, thats just not his game. Carrick is more like our version of Busquets. Great passer but not someone we look towards for unlocking a defense. Some of the comments just baffles me.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Good post i couldn't agree more. Herrera's long balls aren't good enough or consistent enough to be playing a like-for-like Scholes or Carrick role. He thrives on short passes and one twos. Defensively he was sound. Made a couple of tackles but its clear his best position is as a number 8. I couldn't agree with the commentator when he said Herrera's passes aren't as creative as Carricks, or something to that effect. That was a ridiculous comment. Its the range he struggles with, not so much creativity. Carrick has never been a consistent deliverer of defensive splitting passes either, thats just not his game. Carrick is more like our version of Busquets. Great passer but not someone we look towards for unlocking a defense. Some of the comments just baffles me.

Anders game is based as you short passing. Pass and move. He can't keep passing and moving if he is being asked to hold his position in front of the back 4. Or he can but if the ball is given away by him or one of the other players, he has a mad dash to get back in front of that back 4. The fact they need protecting shows how many changes need to be made there.

 

[Fahad Jawaid]

Good post i couldn't agree more. Herrera's long balls aren't good enough or consistent enough to be playing a like-for-like Scholes or Carrick role. He thrives on short passes and one twos. Defensively he was sound. Made a couple of tackles but its clear his best position is as a number 8. I couldn't agree with the commentator when he said Herrera's passes aren't as creative as Carricks, or something to that effect. That was a ridiculous comment. Its the range he struggles with, not so much creativity. Carrick has never been a consistent deliverer of defensive splitting passes either, thats just not his game. Carrick is more like our version of Busquets. Great passer but not someone we look towards for unlocking a defense. Some of the comments just baffles me.

True, Herrera had a good game he kept passing going on and defensively he was solid, he even tried a long ball which went out of play, and i have witnessed it plenty if times his long passing is very erratic, which he has to improve, but as you said technically and creatively he's really good and even yesterday he tried to create opening but his final pass let him down.

As far as Carrick is concerned, i feel people under-rate his abilities that he's not a very good midfielder capable of defending but his passing range long and short is very essential for our build up play, and those people saying we should sign Schneiderlin from Southampton, i don't think he has the passing range and will be anywhere near as good at dictating play from deep, although defensively he's a monster and that could only be the reason we are not in for him, we need another Alonso and players like him are incredibly difficult to find.

 

[jojojo]

Move him further back and he's not as good at Carrick's job as Carrick. Worst still, no one really takes over Herrera's job on the right so that passing option fails. Without Herrera alongside Mata, Mata looks lost.

Without Mata we really are very dependant on whatever we can make work through Fellaini. If an opponent blocks Fellaini then we lose both our fast out ball and our attacking plan B. It's a domino effect. Had Rooney and RvP been at their best then it might not have mattered, but they weren't, so it did.

So, not the best game from Herrera and he couldn't do what it took to lift the team, but I think that says as much about our squad depth and our tactics as it does about Ander.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Move him further back and he's not as good at Carrick's job as Carrick. Worst still, no one really takes over Herrera's job on the right so that passing option fails. Without Herrera alongside Mata, Mata looks lost.

Without Mata we really are very dependant on whatever we can make work through Fellaini. If an opponent blocks Fellaini then we lose both our fast out ball and our attacking plan B. It's a domino effect. Had Rooney and RvP been at their best then it might not have mattered, but they weren't, so it did.

So, not the best game from Herrera and he couldn't do what it took to lift the team, but I think that says as much about our squad depth and our tactics as it does about Ander.

LvG probably thought Blind was the answer, but he does not have the height and sheer physicality of Michael neither does Ander. Michael is quite a big unit. An option to stand in for/replace him is vital in the summer.

 

[Escobar]

He can't play the DM position, that's clear. Move him further up and he's brilliant. One of the reason we didn't score is him playing so deep

 

[Devil may care]

Been on the end of some hospital passes from his teammates.

 

[DWelbz19]

Been on the end of some hospital passes from his teammates.

Yeah. Had to have a moan or two at a couple of them.

 

[The White Pele]

Think his form has dipped the last few weeks

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Definitely tends to dwell on the ball a bit too long. He's having a decent game though. Well disciplined.

 

[Devil may care]

I think he is the one missing Carrick the most as we were fluid with them both in there. I personally love his commitment and fight and at times today he was played balls that were near impossible to do anything with from Blind, Fellaini and Valencia.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Every time he is poor or nothing special theres a good excuse amd it some other player's fault..

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I think he is the one missing Carrick the most as we were fluid with them both in there. I personally love his commitment and fight and at times today he was played balls that were near impossible to do anything with from Blind, Fellaini and Valencia.

I think tbh he looked mentally exhausted at the end of the game. This league is exhausting and next season he will know that as the old cliche goes, there are no easy games. It is difficult coming from league, this counts for all the foreign players, where some games are a walk in a park. That is why it is vital to sign a backup/replacement of quality for Carrick. Blind was awful.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

Difficult to criticise him when he seems to be the only player in midfield most of the time.

 

[Nighteyes]

Needs to cut out those back passes.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Every time he is poor or nothing special theres a good excuse amd it some other player's fault..

I mentioned in another post that I thought he looked exhausted at the end, not physically but mentally drained. This league is a killer and as the manager said it can take a season to settle. I am sure he would rather be playing with Carrick than Blind. There are no walkovers here, anyone can beat anyone and you have to learn to mentally strong. I am not worried about him. I am more worried about the British players who should be well accustomed to playing here. Losing two players by half time won't have helped the team in the 2nd half. I actually thought him and Falcao linked up well.

 

[izec]

Wasnt the best out there nor the worst, i dont expect him single handedly winning games for us. Looked ok, hopefully he can learn from it and with a better squad imrpove next season.

 

[Ballache]

I thought he did ok, felt like he was our only midfielder today. I think all things considered, he has been very good for us and will get better with a better squad and now that he's more experienced in the league.

 

[charleysurf]

He's just not going to look good unless we have Carrick, or more ideally a "new Carrick", behind him.
But we'll surely be looking at CMs this summer...

 

[FromTheBench]

He was okayish.

When under the press, he and Mata looked better than others ever so slightly.

 

[caid]

He was alright but hes capable of playing better than that.
Id put him in more or less the same boat as fellaini and mata.
They were all ok but none were much of a consistent threat and all were a bit anonymous at times.

It was a tired looking team performance and he looked as tired as anyone.
But its a team game and young came up with the goods today, as hererra has covered for some poor performances by him other days.

 

[Devil may care]

I think tbh he looked mentally exhausted at the end of the game. This league is exhausting and next season he will know that as the old cliche goes, there are no easy games. It is difficult coming from league, this counts for all the foreign players, where some games are a walk in a park. That is why it is vital to sign a backup/replacement of quality for Carrick. Blind was awful.

I think you are right that he is physically drained, this league is unlike any other, but I still think he'd not be so weary if his CM partners were better at passing and moving as he always looked great with Javi Martinez behind him and has been excellent for us with Carrick, without him he has to do too much as Blind either pushes on too far or sits too deep.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

If the result goes well tomorrow, all the pressure will be gone and we might get a more relaxed performance from the team. The pressure of playing for this club can be one hell of a shock but I think this lad will grow with it. Some it can suffocate.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I think you are right that he is physically drained, this league is unlike any other, but I still think he'd not be so weary if his CM partners were better at passing and moving as he always looked great with Javi Martinez behind him and has been excellent for us with Carrick, without him he has to do too much as Blind either pushes on too far or sits too deep.

Maybe LvG needs to drop Blind until he learns to play in a more disciplined manner.

 

[BringNaniBack]

Wasn't great today compared to his usual standards. Didn't help that he was pretty much on his own in CM due to blind going missing.

 

[Devil may care]

Maybe LvG needs to drop Blind until he learns to play in a more disciplined manner.

With only 2 games left I think we have to persevere as the squad is down to the bare bones, but we must get a genuine Carrick replacement in this summer.

 

[Attila]

Maybe LvG needs to drop Blind until he learns to play in a more disciplined manner.

No alternative for the position without Carrick though...a proper DM is probably going to be the most important signing this summer.

 

[Kag]

Good game today. His first touch was noticeably excellent on a tough pitch to play on.

Disciplined and understated, but that was a solid away midfield performance. His cross to Rooney was particularly good.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Good game today. His first touch was noticeably excellent on a tough pitch to play on.

Disciplined and understated, but that was a solid away midfield performance. His cross to Rooney was particularly good.

Can they be fined for that pitch? It is disgusting, especially in this day and age.

 

[darioterios]

He should definitely focus more on reducing the tendency to press and get caught ball watching consequentially

 

[bosnian_red]

No alternative for the position without Carrick though...a proper DM is probably going to be the most important signing this summer.

Yep.. Herrera is probably our best in that position after Carrick, problem is when we play him there we also miss him a lot in the box to box role. We basically have 2 players good enough to start and then have to start picking from scraps to complete a team.

 

[Zoo]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[DWelbz19]

That is a lovely Afro he has

 

[saivet]

Don Dinho.

 

[ChrisG11]

Recognise him? Could have been last week ffs.

 

[RooneyLegend]

The rebuilt of our midfield needs to start with him. Add some around him. Let's start by trying to add quality alongside some of the quality we have and see where that takes us. Anything else then we're going to be stuck in a liverpoolesque vicious cycle trying to sort everything out.

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

The rebuilt of our midfield needs to start with him. Add some around him. Let's start by trying to add quality alongside some of the quality we have and see where that takes us. Anything else then we're going to be stuck in a liverpoolesque vicious cycle trying to sort everything out.

He needs to be upgraded on imo, same with Fellaini.