Ander Herrera is a Manchester United player, as the club have confirmed on their official Twitter timeline . His signing, announced on Thursday, will provide United fans with a huge lift. It will do so not because Herrera is necessarily a world superstar or a big-name signing, but because he is precisely the type of player that Uniteds squad needs most. “ Were delighted to welcome midfielder @ AnderHerrera8 to the #mufc family. Full story: t.co/nx0bfxt8R4 pic.twitter/DicXTtbEvF — Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 26, 2014 ” Uniteds March 2012 clash with Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League was the first time fans of the Red Devils who do not watch Spanish football had a chance to see Herrera, who has penned a four-year contract. His performance was highly impressive as Bibaos midfield made light work of Uniteds and Athletics victory was a more than fair result. Back in January of this year, I suggested United were correct to pursue Herrera, in spite of a number of caveats. David Ramos/Getty Images The first caveat was to do with his size. Herrera may be slight for a Premier League midfielder, but he is not afraid of the physical aspect of the game. His 3.1 tackles per game is indicative of his style. The second caveat was his form. In the first half of last season, Herrera was often played out of position, and it may even be that the deadline-day drama of a potential move to United had some bearing on his performances. Since that article was written, Herrera has found his best form again. His overall statistical contribution to Bilbaos season has been excellent. Five goals and five assists in La Liga dramatically exceeds any of Uniteds midfielders league contributions (or indeed overall contributions), and his 1.6 key passes per game is a 60 percent improvement on Michael Carricks, for example. The statistics also show he is fond of a dribble, and someone who can run with the ball is something Uniteds midfield sorely lacks, especially now that Ryan Giggs has retired. Anderson is the only other player on Uniteds books with similar proclivities, and given his paucity of all round contribution, he hardly seems the answer. Herreras average of 1.2 dribbles per game hopefully means United fans will have plenty to get them out of their seats at Old Trafford. David Ramos/Getty Images The third caveat was the price, which is certainly high, but given Uniteds lack of Champions League football next season, paying a premium for quality players seems inevitable. It is vital that United strengthen to a level which allows a swift return to the elite competition in Europe, whatever the cost. The costs of not doing so will be far greater. Whilst the upgrade in manager may have been the single most important change United could make, the addition of quality in the centre of midfield was a close second place. And what quality it is. Herrera is comfortable with or without the ball. He is fond of a shot. For some context, Michael Carrick took an average of 0.6 shots per game last season and Herrera an average of 2.1. Much of Uniteds midfield play became entirely predictable last season. Partly this was the David Moyes Effect. The teams tactical outlook was dominated by wing-play, and there was not a great deal of creativity on show from central midfield. However, Moyes is not entirely to blame for this. The personnel available to him were distinctly lacking in spark. Fond of both shooting, dribbling and finding a key pass, Herrera is a player who can provide plenty of spark. As well as being a signing of any kind—a much needed fillip for fans who have seen several of Uniteds rumoured targets rule themselves out of consideration—he is also the right kind of signing. In January, I described his signing as a gamble. Whilst all signings of course carry an element of risk, this one feels much less of a gamble now than it did then. Partly this is because of Herreras improvement in form, partly it is because Uniteds need is greater and partly it is because United now have a manager whose capacity to get the very best out of his players is not in question. A truly high quality central midfielder has signed for Manchester United. Will wonders never cease?
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 18:10:04 +0000
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