Anderson - is he the 'real deal'? | Retires age 31

[Jopub]

Okay I've put this here as I'd like to see other fans views about him not just Utd

Having been here over a year now I've seen the cafe get euphoric about him - another Keane, world superstar etc etc

He's turned in some good performances, v us in the FA cup springs to mind, but I've watched and waited and actually I don't fancy him. At the moment I'd say I'd be wanting a hell of a lot more from a player costing £17 million

I see him making surging runs every now and then, sometimes hitting a good through ball, tacking strong, good stamina, sometimes good ball control but actually more often than not hollywood passes, poor positioning, appalling finishing, giving the ball away, sometimes even clumsy
For me plenty of bustle and energy but actually and maybe I'm blind to it, I don't see the kind of consistant quality I'd expect from a player costing that kind of investment. If you got him for a £mill or so I'd see the sense and positivity but for 17mill - blimey. Id honestly be dissapointed if he were at Arsenal

I think the mythology also has got into gear - the 'Anderson owns Fabregas' I fail to see at all - bit like the mythological 'Neville has Vieira in pocket' etc etc

Anderson played well at the Emirates last year and Liverpool and was very combative played great in the cup game but actually apart from a couple of things I thought he was quite poor on Saturday and spent a lot of it trying to stay with Fabregas and never quite doing anything and as been pointed out Fabs lost him for the 2nd goal. He looked a bit disjointed and lacking in ideas imo. Some on here thought he was MoTM !!

Again at times he looks a good player but 'kinell he's a million miles away from Keane Robson Vieira etc etc

When I consider Nani and Rafeal I cant see Anderson being anywhere near those especially Rafeal who looks fantastic every time I get a glimpse of him

I'm not slagging him for fun so dont turn it into a 'my bollocks are bigger than yours' thread

Like to also hear what people outside of Utd think


(ps no doubt he'll become a superstar after these comments)

 

[Merman]

He is better than any of your midfielders bar Fabregas.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Fantastic talent, got everything needed to become a great midfielder.

 

[el eric]

Has the potential to become world class. still a bit away fro it at the moment but is going the right direction. still needs to improve some parts of his game

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Has the potential to become world class. still a bit away fro it at the moment but is going the right direction. still needs to improve some parts of his game

He is 20. Of course he needs to improve parts of his game.

 

[Frosty]

I think there is an unrealistic amount of expectation about him - last season was his first full season of football in his career, and so he will take time to develop as a footballer. Still a cracking prospect, but all those who expected him to be better than Keane will be disappointed, at least for a while yet.

 

[Jopub]

He is 20. Of course he needs to improve parts of his game.

In what areas do you think he needs to improve on ?

 

[el eric]

He is 20. Of course he needs to improve parts of his game.

Yeah i know, thats why i said it

 

[Merman]

In what areas do you think he needs to improve on ?

Passing, stamina and decision making.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

In what areas do you think he needs to improve on ?

Composure and tactical choices, first and foremost

 

[Erics_Collar]

I've watched and waited and actually I don't fancy him.

Thats a good thing, really.

 

[sincher]

He's neither as good as many United fans make out, nor as bad as you make out.

He has a huge amount of potential, but hasn't shown all that he's capable of yet. I see his best position as a No. 10 in the future - a real playmaker from central midfield. At the moment for both United and Brazil he is having to play as a midfield tackler because he isn't good enough to play the playmaker role yet, but he can definitely do it. There aren't many aspects of his game that are actually weak - stamina and shooting are the only two I can think of - he just needs to put it all together more often.

I think he has more promise than Nani, and a more mature playing style.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

I think he has more promise than Nani, and a more mature playing style.

A much, much better player than Nani.

 

[sincher]

I wouldn't say 'much, much'. Nani has a lot of promise as well, but he plays like a kid.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

I wouldn't say 'much, much'. Nani has a lot of promise as well, but he plays like a kid.

And is not likely to to change much.

Anderson has the potential to become of the best midfielders in the world.

 

[Slugger]

In what areas do you think he needs to improve on ?

For me it is his work off the ball. When the ball is there he is usually very good, strong in the tackle , very good use of his physical strength and can use a bit of skill to get himself out of tricky situations. He doesn't often make many defensive mistakes in terms of sloppy passes or missed tackles.

However when the ball isn't there he doesn't seem to work hard enough. I find that he often can get caught out of position- an attribute that will take experience to hone. Also when we have the ball I don't feel he shows enough for it. He can often drift towards opposing players in order to keep a track on them rather than moving into space. I find this especially when the ball is with Carrick or Scholes in the middle of the park, which contributes to them using the long ball . I'd also like to see a bit more pace and power when driving forward with the ball because there is definitley potential there for him to punch a hole through the centre of teams with his power and strength.

These aren't big criticisms but they are things that I have observed from him which need to be rectified before he can be classed as the real deal.

 

[sincher]

Nani has the potential to become one of the best wingers in the world, and arguably he's closer to realising it. I think your guess that he's not likely to change much could prove to be off, in the end. Players who have the talent normally mature.

 

[Bilbo]

Okay I've put this here as I'd like to see other fans views about him not just Utd

Having been here over a year now I've seen the cafe get euphoric about him - another Keane, world superstar etc etc

He's turned in some good performances, v us in the FA cup springs to mind, but I've watched and waited and actually I don't fancy him. At the moment I'd say I'd be wanting a hell of a lot more from a player costing £17 million

I see him making surging runs every now and then, sometimes hitting a good through ball, tacking strong, good stamina, sometimes good ball control but actually more often than not hollywood passes, poor positioning, appalling finishing, giving the ball away, sometimes even clumsy
For me plenty of bustle and energy but actually and maybe I'm blind to it, I don't see the kind of consistant quality I'd expect from a player costing that kind of investment. If you got him for a £mill or so I'd see the sense and positivity but for 17mill - blimey. Id honestly be dissapointed if he were at Arsenal

I think the mythology also has got into gear - the 'Anderson owns Fabregas' I fail to see at all - bit like the mythological 'Neville has Vieira in pocket' etc etc

Anderson played well at the Emirates last year and Liverpool and was very combative played great in the cup game but actually apart from a couple of things I thought he was quite poor on Saturday and spent a lot of it trying to stay with Fabregas and never quite doing anything and as been pointed out Fabs lost him for the 2nd goal. He looked a bit disjointed and lacking in ideas imo. Some on here thought he was MoTM !!

Again at times he looks a good player but 'kinell he's a million miles away from Keane Robson Vieira etc etc

When I consider Nani and Rafeal I cant see Anderson being anywhere near those especially Rafeal who looks fantastic every time I get a glimpse of him

I'm not slagging him for fun so dont turn it into a 'my bollocks are bigger than yours' thread

Like to also hear what people outside of Utd think


(ps no doubt he'll become a superstar after these comments)

I don't think he has found himself as a footballer yet. What I mean by that, is that it isn't yet clear exactly what position he should play, or what sort of footballer he will become.

The general view of him when he signed was that he was a Ronaldinho type (in the hole, floating). He clearly isn't, but he looks to have the potential to be a superstar.

I said in a thread once (where caftards were complaining that he hasn't scored yet) that I don't really see enough natural attacking instinct in him to ever become the player that fans want him to be.

However, what we have instead is a potentially 'complete' midfield player. Tough as old boots, enough skill to consistently beat his man, plenty of pace, great passer of the ball. If he fulfils his potential we could arguably have a mixture of Keane and Scholes in one player, or in other words the perfect midfielder.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Okay I've put this here as I'd like to see other fans views about him not just Utd

Having been here over a year now I've seen the cafe get euphoric about him - another Keane, world superstar etc etc

He's turned in some good performances, v us in the FA cup springs to mind, but I've watched and waited and actually I don't fancy him. At the moment I'd say I'd be wanting a hell of a lot more from a player costing £17 million

I see him making surging runs every now and then, sometimes hitting a good through ball, tacking strong, good stamina, sometimes good ball control but actually more often than not hollywood passes, poor positioning, appalling finishing, giving the ball away, sometimes even clumsy For me plenty of bustle and energy but actually and maybe I'm blind to it, I don't see the kind of consistant quality I'd expect from a player costing that kind of investment. If you got him for a £mill or so I'd see the sense and positivity but for 17mill - blimey. Id honestly be dissapointed if he were at Arsenal

I think the mythology also has got into gear - the 'Anderson owns Fabregas' I fail to see at all - bit like the mythological 'Neville has Vieira in pocket' etc etc

Anderson played well at the Emirates last year and Liverpool and was very combative played great in the cup game but actually apart from a couple of things I thought he was quite poor on Saturday and spent a lot of it trying to stay with Fabregas and never quite doing anything and as been pointed out Fabs lost him for the 2nd goal. He looked a bit disjointed and lacking in ideas imo. Some on here thought he was MoTM !!

Again at times he looks a good player but 'kinell he's a million miles away from Keane Robson Vieira etc etc

When I consider Nani and Rafeal I cant see Anderson being anywhere near those especially Rafeal who looks fantastic every time I get a glimpse of him

I'm not slagging him for fun so dont turn it into a 'my bollocks are bigger than yours' thread

Like to also hear what people outside of Utd think


(ps no doubt he'll become a superstar after these comments)

I'm one of Anderson's biggest critics on here, so it's probably no surprise that I agree with everything in bold.

BUT, the fact remains that he put in some really top performances for us last season, at a time when we really needed him. And this was as a 19 year-old kid, thousands of miles from home, in his first season in the Premier League, in what was pretty much his first full season as a professional footballer.

It takes a really special talent to achieve this, at such a young age and that's why we paid so much money for him. Your own Theo Walcott cost something similar and, despite being schooled in English football, is even more inconsistent (probably because he's that little bit younger)

Anderson was very good at the Emirates in the first 30 minutes. One of our best players. But the pace of the game eventually proved too much for him and he faded dramatically, which is one of his biggest flaws.

When he sorts out his stamina and gains some consistency, as he matures, I think there's every possibility of him blossoming into one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League. SAF's recent comments imply he shares this opinion (and he knows a LOT more than me about assessing the potential of young footballers) At which point the money we paid for him will seem like peanuts.

The Anderson-hyping on here is silly and, in a way, it makes him seem less of a player when the reality of his peformances is so far short of what the fan-boys perceive. This does not mean, however, that he hasn't proved that he has the potential to be an immense player for us. Because he has. In spades.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

I don't think he has found himself as a footballer yet. What I mean by that, is that it isn't yet clear exactly what position he should play, or what sort of footballer he will become.

The general view of him when he signed was that he was a Ronaldinho type (in the hole, floating). He clearly isn't, but he looks to have the potential to be a superstar.

I said in a thread once (where caftards were complaining that he hasn't scored yet) that I don't really see enough natural attacking instinct in him to ever become the player that fans want him to be.

However, what we have instead is a potentially 'complete' midfield player. Tough as old boots, enough skill to consistently beat his man, plenty of pace, great passer of the ball. If he fulfils his potential we could arguably have a mixture of Keane and Scholes in one player, or in other words the perfect midfielder.

Agree with that.

I'd say the current player he is mostly like is Steve Gerrard.

 

[horselesspaul]

I'd also like to see a bit more pace and power when driving forward with the ball because there is definitley potential there for him to punch a hole through the centre of teams with his power and strength.

He does this almost every game he plays, what he does with the ball at the end is the area in which he needs to improve imo.
He will become one of the world's finest in his position, there's no doubt about that..

 

[bergen]

What's so positive about him is his strength on the ball and his attitude. He has plenty of pace and he can put in some great passes.

What he needs to work on is positioning and decision making.

I think the general idea behind the hopes we have for him is that positioning and decision making is something that comes with age, thus handing him a chance to become a much better player in the next 2-3 years. The attributes he already has is something you need to possess naturally.

So, he has natural talent, he needs to mature a bit.

Looking at his career with us, last year he was very good when called upon, and he was called upon earlier than expected. In the first half of the season he put in the performances that created this hype around him, his performances against wigan in his first game, arsenal and liverpool spring to mind. In the later half of the season Hargreaves was fit so he didn't get quite the same amount of chances.

This season, we've been generally poor as a team. He's not at the stage where he can pull us through a patch like that. So he's by no means as influential as Fabregas for you. He is never the less a fantastic talent who I have high hopes for.

I don't think anyone can suggest we've been firing on all cylinders and our players can really be judged by the performances we've put in this season, especially the younger ones.

But after seeing a lot of shit dished out at Ronaldo when he was 20 years old (that he wasn't living up to the hype etc) I have no problems with waiting a bit for Anderson to show his real worth.

 

[Brwned]

I see him making surging runs every now and then, sometimes hitting a good through ball, tacking strong, good stamina, sometimes good ball control but actually more often than not hollywood passes, poor positioning, appalling finishing, giving the ball away, sometimes even clumsy.

Sounds like Stevie G to me, I'd be delighted if he became as good as him.

Despite what people say about him on here he's a brilliant player.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Agree with that.

I'd say the current player he is mostly like is Steve Gerrard.

Possibly. But without the goal threat. Which has always been one of Gerrard's best qualities.

I think he is more comparable to a young Essien.

 

[sincher]

I think his decision making is pretty good. He needs to start getting amongst the goals, and probably he also needs more support in midfield. Ideally from his perspective he'd play as the most attacking player of a 3, but not sure that would suit us - I think if he did play that role consistently he'd be superb in about a season or so.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

He is knocking on the door to be a first XI regular in centre midfield for possible the the best football team in the world, at the age of 19-20.

That says it all, really.

 

[rotherham_red]

IMHO, if anything he's a Riquelme with pace. I dont think he would have been a midfielder if Carlos was still around, his long-term role probably would have been the central cog in the "3" behind the striker in the formation he was developing. His characteristics simply do not match that of a midfield enforcer, positionally, he's shocking for a midfielder, he does not play conservatively (which means that he'll never be the sort of player to play the percentages a la Keane), defensively he'll put in a shift, but nothing more.
His strengths are his outrageous passing ability in the final third, his powerful though strangely for us, inaccurate shooting, his spatial awareness in the final third, and most importantly, his vision - I dont think Keane ever had those attributes, atleast not to the extent that Anderson has. Its much more of a case of square pegs in round holes.

EDIT - Pogue's post just reminded me, his stamina is shocking also, if he had been a natural central midfielder in Brazil, he would have had that sorted out an age ago. In Brazil, they groomed him for a role as a "No.10" or playing a Ronnie-type on the Wings. He has never had as much defensive responsibility on his shoulders as he has now....

 

[sincher]

Possibly. But without the goal threat. Which has always been one of Gerrard's best qualities.

I think he is more comparable to a young Essien.

Gerrard didn't get too many when he first came through - 1 in his first 41 games. Nor did Fabregas.

Essien actually scored more often when he was younger.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Possibly. But without the goal threat. Which has always been one of Gerrard's best qualities.

I think he is more comparable to a young Essien.

The goals will come, and they will be a bonus.

I didn't watch Essien as a youngsters, but I think Anderson has more natural ability.

 

[Crustanoid]

Sure people said the same about Gattuso / Keane / all the top CMs of his ilk at his age

Plenty of potential there...I'd say he is a near certainty to become one of the top midfielders. Rate him higher than Gerrard at his age, and he is close to Fabregas already after only a year here (and far more competition in his position at his club). Just hasn't had the run of appearances he maybe needs to cement his potential

You're always going to see things differently iff you're a supporter from another club though.

 

[dumbo]

I don't think his price should be a factor in judging his ability. Whether he was worth it is a different matter altogether and a bit unfair. Bent wasn't worth 16 million but he's showing now that he's a good player and i'm sure Spurs are happy with him despite the exorbitant fee.

I think people first wanting him to be the new Ronaldino and then the new Scholes hasn't helped. He's a technically capable player, is quick with bags of energy that harries and niggles opponents a bit like Tevez. He has greater physical attributes than the likes of Scholes/Xavi/Fabregas but he doesn't have the gift of reading/dictating the game in the same way.

I think he's going to be a good assett but won't fill the Scholes shaped hole that's left when the great man retires.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Gerrard didn't get too many when he first came through - 1 in his first 41 games. Nor did Fabregas.

Wow. I could have sworn Gerrard started scoring freely, from the very start of his career. My bad.

I knew about Fabregas though and have made a similar point in the past, to those who seem to think Anderson will never be much of a goal threat. I think he will score plenty of goals but I don't think that will be the most important part of his game. Which is, arguably, the case for Gerrard.

 

[sincher]

Fabregas and Gerrard both scored quite a few in youth football, so you kind of knew they would click eventually. Mind you, Butt used to score quite a few for our youth sides...

Lampard and Beckham are examples of midfielders who were always among the goals.

Anderson used to play in a more creative role, and I think that will come back. When you see him against lower quality sides, his confidence goes up and he starts playing people in. His passing is very good, and he can beat men with ease.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

Wow. I could have sworn Gerrard started scoring freely, from the very start of his career. My bad.

I knew about Fabregas though and have made a similar point in the past, to those who seem to think Anderson will never be much of a goal threat. I think he will score plenty of goals but I don't think that will be the most important part of his game. Which is, arguably, the case for Gerrard.

Gerrard didn't start knocking them in before 2000/01, when he got 10.

In the two seasons before that, he played 44 games and scored 1.

Gerrard is more than goals. He injects an unbeliveable energy into Liverpool's game, the same way I think Anderson can and will for us.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

and he can beat men with ease.

Which is a fantasic ability to have playing in centre midfield. It puts pressure on the back four and puts the opposition on their back feet.

Gerrard has that ability. Gazza had it. Matthaus had it.

 

[sincher]

I absolutely agree with that. It's one of the reasons Giggs is such a threat when he plays in the middle.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Gerrard didn't start knocking them in before 2000/01, when he got 10.
In the two seasons before that, he played 44 games and scored 1.

Gerrard is more than goals. He injects an unbeliveable energy into Liverpool's game, the same way I think Anderson can and will for us.

When he was the exact same age that Anderson is this season, interestingly enough.

 

[CnutOfAllCnuts]

I absolutely agree with that. It's one of the reasons Giggs is such a threat when he plays in the middle.

True

 

[kouroux]

He'll be the real deal once he'll score his first goal (opening the flood gates ) and when he'll have improved his stamina levels (he looks better than last year )

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I absolutely agree with that. It's one of the reasons Giggs is such a threat when he plays in the middle.

It's also one of the reasons why neither of them are natural central midfielders.

It's all very well being able to beat your man, what makes a really great central midfielder is being able to do this and knowing when you shouldn't attempt anything of the sort.

This will hopefully come with experience though.