Manchester United have barely missed Paul Pogba in recent weeks, with Jose Mourinho able to restructure his midfield by using Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian has been extremely effective with three goals in his last four games for the club, whilst he has continued to win over the supporters who were once so disparaging towards him.
Fellaini’s knee injury which he picked up against Bosnia and Herzegovina isn’t as severe as first feared, although he is still likely to miss the next two to three weeks. It means that the subsequent matches with Liverpool, Huddersfield Town and Tottenham Hotspur are a huge moment for Ander Herrera.
The Spaniard was pivotal for United against Liverpool 12 months ago, when he was paired with Fellaini and Pogba in the 0-0 draw at Anfield. Herrera played regularly last season for Mourinho as he won the club’s Player of the Season award, although he was often used in the deepest midfield position.
It has been his ability to stifle Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and the impressive Liverpool forwards that has attracted the most attention. His equal tackling and passing capacity allows him to quickly deny the opposition and then launch counter-attacks for his team.
His overall tenacity and mobility means that he can offer protection to his centre-backs when in transition between attack and defence. However, despite this skill set he’s still better suited alongside a more traditional holding midfielder.
At Athletic Bilbao, he played with both Javi Martinez and Ander Iturraspe in the centre. He scored five goals and provided five assists in his final year at San Mames before he became Louis van Gaal’s first signing.
Herrera continued in the same manner in Manchester, with six goals and four assists in his first campaign. With Nemanja Matic now at Old Trafford, Herrera should get a chance to link the midfield to the attack.
His versatility has been important in the last few seasons, although the signing of Pogba has limited his appearances in his more traditional box-to-box role. The combative all-rounder is expected to extend his stay at United in the next few weeks, even though Barcelona are interested in his services.
Herrera has started only three games this term, but that has coincided with Mourinho’s formation adjustment. When the Portuguese coach did use a 4-3-3 against Stoke City rather than his current system of 4-2–3-1, Herrera played alongside Pogba and Matic.
His other starts came in the Carabao Cup against Burton Albion and in the Champions League away game at Spartak Moscow, when Mourinho surprisingly opted for a 3-4-2-1 set-up. In difficult matches at the top sides’ grounds it’s likely that Herrera will feature in a midfield three, although the injuries to Fellaini and Pogba may mean it won’t happen immediately.
Mourinho is fully aware of Herrera’s capability and his importance to the squad, but his formation shift has made it increasingly difficult to include him. It’s now essential that the Basque-born midfielder proves he’s worthy of a regular starting position in the coming weeks.
