Ander Herrera’s had a remarkable few weeks. He was left out in the cold under Jose Mourinho, but he’s returned to life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
For that, the player must get credit. He saw an opportunity to force his way back into the team, and based on his effort alone, he’s deserved every minute of action that he’s got under his new manager.
He was always a fantastic player, of course, but he’s taken it to the next level under Solskjaer, and that’s fantastic from him.
However, praise must also go towards the manager. It’s obvious that the players didn’t want to play under Jose Mourinho towards the end of his tenure, and so it is obvious that most players would want to pick it up upon the arrival of a new boss.
But Solskjaer has overseen the change, and it’s been a rather significant one. Herrera has gone from a player that wasn’t getting minutes into arguably the best player on the pitch most weeks.
Part of that is certainly tactical. Solkjaser has positioned Herrera in the middle of the pitch and has tasked him with providing more of a box-to-box type role – the same role that made him so efficient earlier in his time at Old Trafford. There, he’s able to make an impact going forward by making use of his brilliant passing, but also utilising his energy to help out defensively. That’s made Man Utd better in the attack, but also more solid at the back.
However, perhaps more so, at least in the case of Solskjaer, man management is involved here. It’s obvious that Man Utd’s new boss isn’t the best manager in the world tactically, but that doesn’t matter as much when you’ve got a group of players that are desperate to play under you. He’s fostered a family type atmosphere at Old Trafford, and that sort of atmosphere is, clearly, what Herrera thrives in.
Jose Mourinho tried many methods to get the best out of his squad, and he succeeded with a fair few of them. Luke Shaw was chastised regularly by the manager, but he eventually turned it around. Anthony Martial, likewise, enjoyed a good spell under Mourinho against all the odds, though much of that admittedly came from the sheer natural talent of the player.
Solskjaer has taken more of a friendly approach to this squad, though, and it’s showing. Not only is Herrera is impressing, but so many of his teammates are too. And that’s no coincidence. Mourinho’s departure got the car moving, but Solskjaer has taken it up a gear.
Thoughts?
