Anderson provides midfield balance
At a conference in Rio in December 2007, a panel of big name local coaches were discussing the essence of Brazilian football.
One point was made a few times, that Manchester United were playing their expensive new signing Anderson in central midfield, a role that no coach in his native land would have considered for a nanosecond.
In order to get inside the mentality, first we have to jettison the myth. The conception of Brazil as a mass producer of gloriously talented footballers is entirely true. But the idea that their teams take the field with no concern for tactics and a reckless disregard for defence is false and always has been. Brazil, for example, invented the back four in order to have extra defensive cover.
This last myth has been especially wide of the mark since the early 80s. First, there was the failure of the glorious, flowing 1982 team to win the World Cup. Then, there was the decreasing job security for coaches in domestic football. The response to the 'three defeats and you're sacked' mentality was for the coaches to play safe, and pack central midfield with marking specialists.
Zizinho, Pele's idol and the outstanding player of the 1950 World Cup, was a deep tactical thinker. In 1985, he published his autobiography and in his closing words put his finger on the problem: "In Brazil they have given the central midfielder, the man who has 70% of his team's possession in his power, the specific function of destroying, when it should be to set up the play."
After he wrote those words the trend became even more pronounced, with the reliance on attacking full-backs forcing the central midfielders to become ever more defensive and so, a strict division of labour has applied in the midfield. Teams field two "volantes" - to mark and cover - and two "meias" - attacking midfielders who operate further forward.
Until he joined United, Anderson was never remotely a "volante". He played some youth football as an attacking left-back, but made his name in what was seen as his natural position as a "meia".
I well recall him starring as an attacking midfielder in World Under-17 Cup in Peru in September 2005. He was voted Player of the Tournament and his performance in the semi-final against Turkey was one of the most devastating individual displays I have ever seen.
He charged through to set up a goal after 15 seconds, scored a glorious solo second, hit the bar with a free-kick, put his team-mates clean through three or four times - and in the final seconds, after Turkey had forced their way back to 3-3, his run took out their entire defence before he squared the ball for the centre-forward to tap home the winner.
The virtues showcased that night - physical strength and strength on the ball, a burst of acceleration and sustained pace, the ability to play a pass under pressure - are the same ones that have evidently persuaded the United coaching staff that he can be effective in central midfield.
To play the role he has had to add new things to his game. Previously in his career there had not been much call for defensive awareness and tackling skills. By helping him get these aspects up to scratch, United then have the benefit of his fluid passing through midfield, and his mobility in getting up to support the strikers.
It has been a bold switch by United. But as one who was wowed by Anderson on that night in Peru, a nagging doubt remains - not a conviction, nowhere near, just a doubt.
Could it be that in this new role Anderson is forced to sacrifice a bit too much of what he is naturally good at? He is now operating in a zone where giving the ball away can be disastrous. Launching one of those dribbles he unleashed against the Turks is high risk.
This necessity to rein in some of his attacking instincts might help explain his curious lack of goals for United - though this is perhaps an unfair statistic. In last year's Champions League final he came straight off the bench to confidently stroke home a high pressure penalty in the shoot-out - a strike worth plenty of Premier League goals.
One year on, Anderson is likely to have a bigger role to play in Wednesday's final. The game will surely be a test of his recently acquired defensive skills as Lionel Messi will be cutting across his zone in his trademark diagonal runs from the Barcelona right flank.
But if United are slight favourites, it is because they appear to have a better balance between attack and defence and Anderson, the newly converted "volante", is a physical embodiment of that balance.
A glorious history, a rich culture, a production line of exciting players... South American football is endlessly fascinating. I cover the continent from my base in Rio.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~13~RS~)
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Anderson is too wasteful, he can be effective but sometimes he is counter-productive. With Barcelona possessing such attacking threats Anderson cannot afford to be wayward at all.
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Well, he is highly regarded by Fergie and i think he is developing him into a complete midfielder. Ando was bought to replace Scholsey and one thing Scholsey is lacking in his game is his defensive attributes. I think Anderson is developing the defensive side to his game and when Scholes retires, he will be let off the leash(i hope). But for now he is doing defensive duties and has been playing against some of the best midfielders in the world. Hes played well against Fabregas, Gerrard, Lampard but the Barca midfield will be a whole new challenge
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Excellent observation, Tim. This seems to be becoming a trend now cos Chelsea (starting with Mourinho) have done the exact same thing to Nigeria's John Obi Mikel. Except, he's gone even further in the defensive direction. Anderson at least makes forward bursts on occassion, whereas Mikel has become the new Makelele (except he can't tackle), wasting his excellent passing skills on square balls and back passes and hardly ever venturing past the centre line. He was an excellent attacking midfielder, setting up numerous goals when Nigeria finished 2nd at the 2005 World Youth cup. Not any more.
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The thing about Anderson is that I don't think that Fergie knows his best position. Being such a young lad I don't think Fergie wants to put him in attacking-midfield where Ronaldo and Rooney roam. He saw in a couple of games the physical presence he has(enough to keep Fabregas and Gerrard out in certain games) and his passing ability so puts him in the centre midfield.
And ideal midfield for us would be Ronaldo and Park on the flanks, Hargreaves keeping the DM and then Anderson bombing forward in a diamond type formation. The reason that won't be used is because Carrick and Fletcher continue to put in very solid performances.
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The main question though, why can't Anderson shoot??
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Anderson is a pretty solid player but i've been pretty dissapointed at his unwillingness to shoot and therefore score any goals. When United signed him I watched countless youtube videos of him, blitzing past players and scoring screamers, but we havn't really seen that at United. Although he is a reliable player he can be very clumsy at some times. However he is developing into a very decent player, defensive midfielder though..im not sure Tim. Overall, atleast we can look to Anderson with the knowledge that he has played well for the majority of the time..unlike his counterpart with which he signed..Nani.
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Nice article Tim. I love this observation as Untied often see something others don't in a player. What is important is that he is responding and I have great hopes for him next year.
Isn't that what they bought Kleberson for too. His 2002 World Cup was fantastic and United learnt a lot from that unfortunate (for both parties) situation, young player straight from Brazil with young wife and new baby.
I might add he is a very fair player too, stays on his feet a long time for a Brazilian. Please anyone who wishes to challenge this bare in mind I work with children in Sao Paulo and I see 5 year and upwards simulating in the play ground regularly as a result of what they watch on television and whilst it happens in every league in the World, it drives me crazy here.
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Utd's coaching staff might have assessed the situation and decided that he has the potential to develop into an well-rounded midfield player - someone who can tackle, break-up play, launch attacks, go on surging runs from deep, setup chances for others, and score goals. Knowing what he can do going forward, perhaps they've decided they needed to concentrate on a side of his that was previously lacking - defending and tactical discipline. I have a feeling that once they're satisfied with his discipline and the defensive side of his game they'll begin to give him more freedom going forward. He has already started to make those surging runs forward more frequently (especially in the second leg against Arsenal). I'm excited to see Anderson develop further. He is ONLY 21!!!
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Remember that he wouldn't have had so many games or have been required to play in this role if United's original volantes, Owen Hargreaves hadn't been injured. Watch this space next season.
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I think Anderson's brilliant - a real star. I'm always ecstatic when Fergie chooses him to start a match and personally I'd usually start him ahead of Scholes. He's this good now... imagine what he can be in 4 or 5 years!
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The jury is still out on Anderson for me. I don't really see him as a like-for-like eventual replacement for Scholes. He doesn't have that goal threat. Maybe in England we're obsessed with midfielders scoring goals to show their quality, we've always produced goalscoring midfielders like Bryan Robson, Platt, Scholes, and now Gerrard and Lampard but for me this is a key part of Anderson's game that he needs to work on - to develop that attacking threat. When everyone at Man Utd is fit you'd still have to say that Carrick, Fletcher, Hargreaves, and the veteran Scholes are all ahead of him in the pecking order. He'll probably play on Wednesday because Man Utd will play 4-3-3 with three central midfield spots, and Fletcher is suspended and Hargreaves injured, while Ferguson wants his energy against Barcelona ahead of Scholes. Although Anderson has performed well in a destructive central midfield role and shown his range of passing he hasn't really held down his place in the team yet.
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Anderson is gonna develop into a very good player because he's got the self discipline required to take to instructions... The jury is still out on him though... Imagine a fully fit United squad I definitely know who I'm gonna sick to do the defensive job... A natural defensive midfielder is better than a converted one... Enough said...
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Anderson is an incredible player, young and inconsistent but when he's in the mood he bosses the midfield, he's shown up class midfielders like Gerrard and Fabregas when he's been in the mood and it's picked up the whole team, his potential is incredible, he's got everything, what is odd, he can play a swish 50 yard pass to feet but when it comes to shooting from 20 yards, his technique is awful and his shots are awful, I only recall one good strike from distance and that was this season against Bolton! I hope he's in the mood against Barcelona, he'll be a key player for us.
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Decent article, Tim, and quite relevant to current events, obviously, with a few good points (albeit, ones you've mentioned before), specially regarding the skills Anderson has and can't really use at Man. U. due to his current tactical role, but could we see something different for next week?
I mean, as a Brazilian, I love to hear what you have to say about Brazilian football and Brazilian footballers, but I also love your blog because you talk about football in other South American countries, being almost the sole source of info on some countries. Heck, I know more about the Argentinean league through your blog than from anywhere else!
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I think he plays the way you'd expect for a player who really wasn't meant to be in the first team this quickly. His failure to score I think is somewhat down to confidence, and once he breaks his duck that will change. He also does get pressurized into giving the ball away too often. But he's got good energy, he's fast and dribbles well. He won't replace Scholes per se, Scholes has (or more honestly, had) a remarkable awareness and reflexes that you either have or you don't, and you could search for a long time (like forever) without ever finding a one for one repalcement for him. But Anderson has a future at United, and he needs to be given more time to develop. Unlike Tim Vickery, I think this game comes too early in Anderson's development for him to really make a big impact- but I'd love it if he proved me wrong!
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Subterranean:
Fergie has never gone for like-for-like replacements. OF course he hasn't held down his place in the team yet - HE IS ONLY 21!!! Hargreaves, Carrick and Fletcher are all in the prime of their careers.
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Tim, first commentor on your blog. Isn't this article a rehash of some of your old articles? I remember you writing the same stuff sometime in the middle of last season.
What might have been interesting would be your take on Anderson's development? He is still prone to ball-watching and has no awareness of blocking passing channels nor does he have the quickness of mind and feet to become either a deep-lying playmaker or a retainer. To me, it still seems that he will end up as a meia as the attacking man in a 3-man midfield.
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The reason I think Anderson hasn't scored yet is that he doesn't quite know how to go forward with United's formation, but specially, that he tries to whack the ball with 100% power every single time he gets a shot. He never pulls back a bit, goes with 80% power for increased accuracy as far as hitting the ball center. The result is that his shots end up anywhere but where he wants to.
That said, I hope he scores soon, and obviously this Wednesday wouldn't be a bad time to start.
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anderson has outstanding energy and skills in keeping the ball. his passing can let him down but his dribbling is excellent
he just needs better decision making at the end - he always gets in or around the box and then fluffs it. confidence? over-eagerness? he's not used to score, but eventually he will
i've noticed SAF has been using him as an AM when SAF goes 4-5-1 - 'meias'?
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Anderson's passing is up there when he gets it right but it is inconsistent.
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I can see this guy being a real force in the future.
He showed consistency last year beyond his years, but due to Fletcher's form and injuries, he hasn't played enough this season (similarly, Nani has lost out due to the need for Park's workrate whenever Berbatov features).
I personally think he's got it all: passing, determination, vision, pace, tackling, you name it. Goals will come with consistency: it inevitable with his ability and the players around him, if he stays at United as long as he should do (entire career).
He's also, in my view, the closest thing to another Stevie Gerrard: the way he'll hunt down a player for the ball if he's lost it, and those driving runs from midfield we've seen him make; not many his age and in this league try them.
A definite option for wednesday with Fletch out, but if he plays, Berba and Tevez will have to miss out on a start in what I believe will be another 4-3-3:
VDS; JO'S Rio Vida Evra; Carrick Scholes Anderson; Park Ronaldo Rooney.
I actually wouldn't have any complaints about that team, but, unfortunately, nor would Kia Joorabchian, who would be that much closer to a big fat check from Man City.
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Adrian McElholm. i think Anderson has been a revelation and a superb signing. he is a bundle of energy and rarely wastes possession.
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Hi Tim, great blogyet I am surprised at a lot of the comments concerning Anderson and the United midfield. Have some of you not realized that United defend as a team and that the defensive midfielder -epitomized by keano and butt- is something that does not exist with the current side? Carrick, Anderson, Scholes, Fletcher, Giggs, Gibson, Park, Rooney and even Nani track back in the midfield, as do tevez and berba up frontinjury plagued Haregreaves is also not solely a defensive player and his skill enables him to roam up and down the pitch. So please dont speak out against a particular player and his position as skill, caps and more importantly TROPHIES (4 already, people, if we count the charity shield) show that these players are not one dimensional but adaptive and work as a coherent unit!
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Anderson has done nothing to indicate he's going to be anything more than an ok squad player.
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everything has been said already apart from..the actual league he plays in. at youth level and in the portugese league at porto (where he was one of their star players i.e things centered around him) of course he could afford to play his natural game more further up field.
it's a combination of things that has seen him being deployed as bit of a midfield destroyer.
1) he came in because of injuries.
2) his natural power, aggression and drive - which is why we are talking about him and how we DON'T in the same breath abou nani - i realllllly rate nani, someone who is much more naturally gifted and talented than someone like ashley young and antonio valencia. those two haven proven they are very good no doubt but they are 'overperforming' in my opinion, because they have that self motivation and awesome mentality.
3) he chose to step up instead of being content with bench players e.g nani, sigh.
4) quite frankly the premierleague does not favour playmakers like the way the spainish/italian leagues do.
examples, rosicky, hleb, modric etc all get moved to the wings. excursions to this:
1) anderson + mikel where they've got the natural power to adapt and play down the middle.
2) or you've got no other choice and he is creatively your best player by miles - giovanni and hull city.
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_Nichollz_ :
So the fact that he killed off Lampard, Gerrard and Fabregas in high circumstances means nothing? When Essien did it it was raved about for weeks, Anderson did it and not a whimper, and he's 20 years old. You clearly have never seen him and just look at his goals scored.
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What everybody seems to forget is that Ferguson sold Pique who has been Barcelonas best defender all season.
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anderson may be talented but he is a tad over-rated. with a decent partner in michael carrick/scholes anderson can be free to move forward at will
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Tim,
I normally agree with your blogs; not this time, however. It's no coincidence that the majority of the responses raving about the abilities of Anderson are in fact responses from Manchester United fans.
Anderson is average at best. His passing is largely hot and cold, he's not all that skilfully gifted, I am yet to see any evidence of this "burst of acceleration and sustained pace", he's not a great defensive operator and, remind me, how many has he scored at United again?
To be honest, he comes across to me as being a little intimidated in the star studded midfield of United, a trait illustrated by his hesitance to shoot. He hurries his passes and quickly rids himself of possession, which is not a bad thing if the distribution is of a high standard, but this is not always the case with Anderson.
For me, United's strength comes from their defensive spine, in particular their central defensive partnership. I feel that this carries the central midfield somewhat (I'm also fairly unsure about the abilities of Michael Carrick and the aging Paul Scholes).
He's still young and the potential is definately there but one feels he has a long way to go to establish himself at United and in the Premier League.
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Anderson is currently a good player, not quite on the same level as Carrick yet, but in the next couple of years, once he's gained a little more experience, I believe he could turn into one of the best all-round midfielders in the world.
Some people here claim he's overrated, but for a player who only turned 21 last month it would be foolish to expect the finished article. This is especially true considering his switch of position. As Tim said, all his life he'd been playing in the 'meias' role, but even in this position he only appeared 22 times at Porto due to a broken leg. He didn't have too much experience of playing at the highest level before joining United, yet immediately found himself asked to perform a different role to what he was used to in a league as unforgiving as the Premiership. It is only natural that he can't quite be regarded as "world-class" just yet, barely 2 seasons into his United career, but some of his performances definitely have been.
Against Arsenal Fabregas has found himself dominated on more than one occasion, unable to play his regular game because of Anderson's prescence. The same could be said of his games against Chelsea and Liverpooland his effect on their midfields. The guy is a big-game player and more than worthy of a starting place in Rome.
As for the future, his concentration probably needs some work, as he regularly plays raking 50-yard passes but sometimes lets himself down on the simple stuff near his own box. His shooting will improve once he stops panicking and trying to break the net when he gets a sight of goal. Given a few years, there is no doubt in my mind that we will see a much more complete, energetic, goalscoring midfielder and that he will remain at the heart of our team for many years to come.
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I am yet to see any evidence of this "burst of acceleration and sustained pace" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSXNPdVh89A
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I am fully convinced Anderson will score against Barcelona on Wednesday.
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anderson dominating fabregas?? i for one have not seen this! its all man united fans who are commenting on this article. any unbiased views please?!
Like last seasons game when all united fans were raving about the job he did on fabregas in the 2-2 draw at the emirates....fabregas scored!
Carrick, Hargreaves and Fletcher are above him in the pecking order and united
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In the 5 times fabregas and anderson have faced each other anderson has come out on top 4 times and quite convincingly so.
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31. At 00:59am on 26 May 2009, alz wrote:
I am yet to see any evidence of this "burst of acceleration and sustained pace" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSXNPdVh89A
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Thanks for that, I'm currently at work so I can't access Youtube but will give it a watch when I get home.
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I'm afraid I'm not impressed with Anderson at all. He is too fond of taking the ball away from defenders by going sideways. He frequently ends up moving in triangles whilst the opposition file past him. With everybody marked up he will release a sideways ball.
Ron Atkinson called Ray Wilkins "the crab" because he always passed the ball sideways, which I thought was a little cruel: I think it is true of Anderson. Strangle that Carrick doesn't seem overly worried about hitting long diagonal balls from defensive midfield positions.
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anderson is so wasteful, man utd worst centre mid by far, sure he's young but he's was expensive....to expensive?....if arsenal or liverpool had payed that money eyebrows would be raised
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by far to me anderson was man utd worst player of the season. Name any players on the field which perform as badly or inconsistant as he does? Overrated. Highly and badly over rated player.
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Anderson before he went to United was a highly talented player, playing as an attacking midfield, normally centre. He has now mellowed down and looks a different player but has got worse. As Ferguson ruined Alan Smith's career, and it might be just about to happen to Anderson!
Fergie should of just bought a centre mid to replace scholes. Not create one.
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I believe that Anderson is on the verge of breaking through and becoming a Utd regular. He's only played in 37 of Utd's 65 games this season. With a consistent run he'll take over from Scholes.
Definitely better in a more offensive role which is his natural game.
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Anderson played brilliantly last season but hasn't quite hit the same form this season. He has huge potential and is certainly a better option then the likes of Park, Fletcher, Nani and unfortunately Scholes whose legs have gone.
Expect much more when Hargreaves provides the anchor in midfield.
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39. At 03:57am on 26 May 2009, bacaraat wrote:
by far to me anderson was man utd worst player of the season. Name any players on the field which perform as badly or inconsistant as he does? Overrated. Highly and badly over rated player.
---------------------------------------------------
Nani? You obviously don't watch Man United's games...
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I think (hope) we'll see an even better player once he has scored a couple of goals. I don't think anybody expected his quick breakthrough last season (somewhat through necessity) but this season he hasn't moved on. He is still very young and I don't think I (or Fergy) knows our best team, such is the squad strength. I hope Hargreaves recovers but I agree with the earlier positive comments on Carrick & Fletcher. As the cliché says, it is a squad game now and it's no coincidence that ours is the best in the world, no the galaxy (take that Real!)
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Hi Tim,
Would just like to ask your opinion on how close do you feel Internacional captain Pablo Guinazu is from getting called up into the Argentina squad?
For those who don't know him he is a battling, tough tackling centre midfielder. He has never really made a name for himself in Europe but he must be considered one of the best player's in his position in South America.
Matt
http://internacionaluk.blogspot.com
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ah..u got me...nani...ok... both were also overrated...
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Okay but Anderson is definately not Man United's worst player.
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Not a Man Utd fan so don't watch all their games.. I've been impressed with Anderson everytime I've seen him.. great engine, power to handle challenges and pace... Should you worry about a midfielder scoring goals when his overall play in a team is contributing to the goals that could take his team to a possible quadruple of trophies???
I wouldn't mind having these worries to 'worry' about for my team!!
And another thing.. as previously stated.. he is just 21 years of age.
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How is Anderson possibly over-rated? Man Utd fans know that his attributes are physical presence, pace, passing ability, marking ability, work rate and eagerness to learn.
We also understand that he needs to work on his attacking, his shooting and his aggression.
If you think we over-hype him because we think he's going to be a future star, then you're wrong, because he really is, you can see that he's going to put the work in and that it will pay off for him.
As for Nani, he's not over-rated, he did well last season, we thought he was great, he did badly this season, and we realise he's not up to scratch.
If your going around saying he's "over-rated" then at least learn what it means or do some research...
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Anderson is great. Unfortunately Yaya Toure, Xavi and Iniesta are all and invidivually two levels above any of the ManU midfielders.
Ferdinand is too slow for Messi. Vidic has to be at his best. Unless Ronaldo has the match of his life on Wednesday, Anderson will not be able to save ManU.
Barcelona is an improved and more lethal version of Arsenal.
The key to the Wednesday game is none of the players: Sir Alex is the master tactician who may win it for ManU.
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I think he has far more to offer than scholes, it's not the same type of player at all nor the same role. You will see next year United line up their new midfield
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40. At 04:54am on 26 May 2009, RyanHLUFC wrote:
"As Ferguson ruined Alan Smith's career"
??? Explain please? Was SAF responsible for Smith breaking his leg? He has not performed to his previous standard since the injury, as witnessed by his poor performance levels since joining Newcastle. Smith always provided high energy and aggression, though passing was only fair, as was finishing. I wonder what Alan Smith would say himself about your comment, as in 23 years, very, very few ex Man Utd players who have played in a Ferguson team have anything bad to say about him.
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Anderson has definitely crept under the radar in terms of effectiveness. Comparing him to Scholes is an interesting argument. Scholes attacking ability - shooting & passing - was what has made him almost undroppable. Much to the regret of any new England Coach since his (arguably early) international retirement.
However, since Anderson has come in, I for one thought Utd would miss Scholes more than they have. Which is credit to Anderson (along with Carrick & Fletcher I might add). Though the combined goals tally between Carrick, Anderson & Fletcher may not match Scholes in his prime, they often contribute massively.
Good point to mention about the nerves of taking a penalty in the CL final last year. That is often forgotten. And to compare - Scholes missed in the FA Cup final v Arsenal.
Though what sticks in the memory most for me is that Anderson & Nani both started 1st team footie for Utd at the same time & it is very clear to me, despite Nani hype, who the better signing was now.
As for Barcelona on Wednesday, I would never thought I would say this, but I'd rather go for the 'persperation' of Rooney, Tevez, Anderson, Park & Fletcher than my old favourites Berby, Scholes & Giggs!
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Hi Tim,
Interesting blog as usual. I'm just wondering, the Celtic manager's post is now available, would it interest any coaches in South America, and would (should) any of them interest a club like Celtic?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWbH0H0Goo
This just says it all
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The thing with Anderson I've always thought is he looks like an attacking midfielder who seems able to cover central midfield competently. However he never quite looks like he was made for the position.
What's more is I can't quite see why United feel compelled to play him in this position. With Carrick they have a player who is a natural central midfielder, defensive qualities combined with an ability to get forward. This season Carrick has shown he can attack and get goals, the latter being more then Anderson can seemingly manage from his position. With Hargreaves presumably returning next season I can't quite see what role Anderson is meant to fill if Carrick is also to play in the side.
Having said that though it's hard to see how United's formation works most of the time, Rooney on the left, Ronaldo up front with two world class forwards on the bench. None of this is to say whatever they're doing isn't working, results speak for themselves so there's not much room to criticise.
But lets not forget that Fergie isn't always successful at redesigning players. He tried to do something similar with Alan Smith, turning him into a central midfielder, and it didn't work, despite years of presumably trying United have never managed to teach Scholes how to tackle. Fergie is obviously right much more than he's wrong but I do wonder if Anderson will ever hold down a starting place in the middle of the park.
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Spot on #5, why can't he shoot?! As soon as he does learn, or remember how, he will score a hatful. The first thing I noticed about him is that he gets into some really good positions, when Utd counter-attack he's right up there with Ronaldo and Rooney. The other bloke who gets into good positions but can't/won't shoot is Park.
Tim Vickey has made some interesting points here, but I don't see that there is a clear seperation between attacking and defensive midfielders at Man Utd, the only Utd midfielder I can think of, who doesn't defend is Ronaldo.
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Anderson is clearly a class act and will continue to improve and grow as a player, adding goals will take the blinkers off some people who cant see him for what he is - an exceptional 21 year old.
If Utd can keep hold of him he will become a legend, simple.
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good article. the supression of some of andersons attributes in his new role as centre mid is no more than has been asked of scholes,giggs,rooney and tevez, all of whom have had to modify their natural game for the greater good of the team. Part of the reason for utd's increasing dominance in european football over the last couple of seasons has been the near perfection of their new formation and style of play which Fergie has been tinkering with for nearly 10 years after he decided that Utd had become 'too predictable' in europe. The much maligned Veron was an early part of the tinkering which didn't work, simply because he was 5 years or so too early imho. Ironically, utd now have a midfield full of Veron clones with carrick,fletcher,anderson and the re-invented scholes and giggs playing a very similar style of play to Veron, excellent ball retention and passing with the ability to pressure the opposition with passing and possession but without to much box to box running.
A player with the passing quality of anderson fits naturally into this system and if, like rooney,he has to sacrifice some of his attacking flair,he'll be a more complete player for it. Even if he was to play as a more traditional attacking midfielder in the mould of scholes' of ten years ago, he'd never be the same quality of player because he can't shoot. better to modify his game now, than watch 10 years of him blazeing the ball into row z.
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The fans on here sayingthe jury is out on Anderson clearly watch fotball with their eyes closed. His lack of scoring is a non-issue. When Claude Makelele the best defensive mildfielder the world has ever seen played he hardly scored. SAF knows his football so when he picks a player like Anderson he knows what he is doing compared to the bufoons on here who make stupid statements. I am not a mna utd fan and I hope they get stuffed on wednesday, but Anderson is a top class player and still only 20. United have a big squad and Anderson being only 20 has to be used wisely. Nani has not done too badly either. Remember Ronaldo first 3-4 years when he was doing all those tricks with no end product, look at him now. Anyway I repaet again, SAF sees these guys everyday so he knows what they can do.
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Outstanding midfielder at only 21. The thing that maybe holds him back most is that we continually switch formations and personnel in midfield. He is at his best alongside Fletcher and Carrick. Very Scholes like in that he is strong on the ball and makes accurate short passes with very little space and has the strength to maintain possession. He just needs to score the all important first goal in open play. Obviously blows hot and cold due to changing formations and his youth. I do think he will make a difference on Wednesday.
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"Anderson played brilliantly last season but hasn't quite hit the same form this season. He has huge potential and is certainly a better option then the likes of Park, Fletcher, Nani and unfortunately Scholes whose legs have gone.
Expect much more when Hargreaves provides the anchor in midfield."
If you watched the football this season I think you will see that Fletcher has been more effective than Hargreaves has ever been at least for us. Nani is struggling, true, and Park has but recently he has upped his game although still a little inconsistent.
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Never mind all this debate about how good Anderson is. Facts are Man U are best team in the world and a hell of a lot better than every other team in the Premier League. The scousers tried hard but will have more luck stealing a trophy than winning it and the other London clubs with the exception of Spurs are not worth the effort of typing their names. The only player outside Man U that would get in their current squad is Lamps who is far greater than that riot starting scouser Gerra who?
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oh and Tim...
Write a better blog next time! maybe about how Rafa and a load of underworld scousers plotted to steal half the trophies man u have one over the past 18 years from the old trafford trophy room wearing balck curly wigs and shell suits
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I-8-scousers - lern to spell will you
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I think next season Anderson will become one of the top midfielders in the prem. Last season he looked a promising talent but has suffered this season with injury and never had a consistent run in the side.
With a good pre season I think next season will be his year.
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What? Look Tim I love the historical Brazil stuff in this article, i could read that all day long with genuine interest, but the notion that Anderson has been moulded into some sort of celebrated defensive mid is plain wrong bordering on laughable.
Anderson is neither here nor there in the bigger scheme of things and has NOT become some kind of defensive goliath over the course of his tenure at United neither has he hit the heights of his offensive potential. This is absurdly evident when considering his game statistics over the course of this season.
Anderson has attempted 27 tackles in 936 minutes of premiership football. Of those 27 tackles only 16 were successful. On average you have to wait 58 mins from one Andersons tackle the next. Meanwhile the monster that is Lucas Levia has played an additional 5 hours premiership football over Anderson this season, but has won 59 tackles out of an attempted 79 and has an average tackle to minutes played ratio of 21. To rub salt into the wounds of this article, they both have an almost identical pass completion ratio of 83% !!!
90% of Liverpool fans dont even rate Levia. So why do you deem young Anderson the business all of a sudden? Granted his role in football has been idiotically (as opposed to ingeniously) muddled due to the buff handedness of Sir Alex, but even allowing for that, it does not explain the lads inability to date to do anything of note to an exceedingly high standard given his cost, repute, and generally lording in this article.
To date the only thing that really stands out about Anderson for me is his inclusion in a championship winning team. Not unlike the England managers of the past this accolade appears to cloud & impair the judgement of even the brightest football managers, pundits and journalists alike.
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Anderson is one of the most over-rated players united have. Not as good as carrick or hargreaves. 9 out of 10 tackles give away free-kicks, he gives the ball awat too much and he cant shoot. The da silva twins are much better brazilian prospects.
Tim, I wouldnt put too much emphasis on being under-17 player of the tournament. I think Bruno Cheyrou and Florence sinama pongolle achieved that accolade along with being touted as the next zidane, etc, etc and look how they fared in the premiership. Dis-as-trous
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LFC Returns - of the 936 minutes of association football that Anderson has partaken of, how many have you viewed?
By the way 83% of statistics are made up.
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Excellent observation i too feel his attacking abilities have been compromised, while Anderson is meant to replace Scholes one day, one cannot overlook his inability to shoot a worrying thing given that the surges that he makes from time to time usually put him in a shooting position and he usually fails toev4en hit the target
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If he weren't in the red shirt and played like he does he'd be considered a cheat and a thug. Same goes for many of their players. Don't say anything against them though BBC, Taggart might instruct his players to stop talking to you too.
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Barcelona's strengths lie in their midfield and attack, which is why players like Anderson and Park are needed to close their midfield down and deny them the opportunity to dictate, coupled with Park and Rooney's work ethic in getting back to support the full backs. I believe the starting line up will be:
EVS, JO'S, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Anderson, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Ronaldo, Rooney. Subs to include Tevez, Berbatov, Scholes, Evans, and believe it or not, Wes Brown.
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I'm surprised at some of the indifferent comments from Utd fans... Anderson is just the kind of player I love to see in the prem, he loves possession, doesn't dive or suffer from extreme self-indulgence like two Portuguese chaps round your way, he has grace which is one of the few areas that the likes of Rooney and Tevez lack and he puts in an honest shift.
The approach taken by player and coaching staff alike seems to be that he is under an apprenticeship at the moment, he is clearly sitting back and learning from Scholes and Giggs and performs far better when one or both of those are on the pitch. He enjoys football, which is something as a fan I can get enthused about, don't bemoan his lack of goals as a downside, you have a gem in Anderson.
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#74 I think you are right - United were always going to park the bus because they know if they go toe-to-toe with a superior passing team like Barca they'll get ripped to pieces. Pathetic. They'd probably take pens now like their last glorious win when they were outplayed.
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_nichollz_ you really must checkout the clip posted by carefreecoors you would change your mind
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LFC returns, I really rate Lucas too, he has some terrible games but in the second leg against chelsea he really won me round, another top talent, but one who needs to take responsibility next season and look to be more consistent.
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FatBlokeDownThePub
Hi mate, the statistic that I have used are most definitely NOT made up and you can confirm this with any statistical vehicle you prefer (including Uniteds own)
I have watched Anderson in a number of game but on no more than 5 occasion mostly on TV and to be honest, my stats are completely indicative of my opinion of him at the time.
He is a glorified Lucas, albeit clearly befuddled by his role, as opposed to Lucus who is plain befuddled by nature. However when Lucas does get it right he can stick the boot in, break up play, build play and score goals.
Anderson has scored exactly NOUGHT this season, and his defensive contribution is average.
I tuned into the hype when he moved from Brazil to Porto and from what little I saw of him then I was quaking in my boots when the deal was announced and he moved to United when Sir Alex proudly proclaiming hed found the long term Paul Scholes replacement.
As a Manchester United rival we dont need another Paul Schole anywhere near the Man United 1st team thank you very much. Alas my fear to date was unjustified and I sit easy whenever I see his name on the team sheet against us.
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no. he is just a poor poor player and will never be close to scholes. his passing is distinctly average, his dribbling is haphazard and regularly fruitless and his goal scoring ability is laughable. 0 in 70+ games
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"27. At 11:38pm on 25 May 2009, barcelonatangerine wrote:
What everybody seems to forget is that Ferguson sold Pique who has been Barcelonas best defender all season."
.................................................
What you seem to forget is Ferguson rates Johnny Evans a lot more highly than he did Pique and i'd say he's been justified in selling Pique.
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(76) - it's precisely the need to match Barcelona's passing skills that I'm hoping for the team that I've mentioned. Are you saying that Rooney, Ronaldo, Park, Giggs, Carrick and Anderson can't pass? As well as stopping Barcelona from playing their game in midfield, we'll need to defend in numbers but with the ability to break quickly from the back with Evra and O'Shea also breaking forward also, knowing that they have players go can get back quickly i.e. Rooney and Park. The style of both teams makes me think it's going to be frenetic for the first 20 minutes or so, with a lot of counter attacking from both sides. Certainly in the last 20-30 minutes, United need to up the pace even more. Scholes doesn't have the energy levels to go a full 90 minutes in this type of match, but if United go behind, he's precisely the kind of player to bring on in midfield to replace Giggs, with Tevez on for Anderson.
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yes he hasn't got a goal yet, and his shooting hasn't been brilliant, but our central midfield set up doesn't facilitate easy goals from the midfield. The reason anderson has been made into more of a defensive mid is to fit into the setup imo.
a combination of things in our tactics inhibit us from having goal scoring midfielders.
Firstly the evolution of the fullback role, which is used more for attacking than previous years; this means the central midfield need to be more controlled in their runs forward, often needing to sit deeper to cover defensively. This is especially important in our team with evra and rafael...and will be the same when fabio plays.
secondly the ronaldo role. He's not an orthodox winger as such (tho has been more this season), generally joining the attack and free of defensive responsibilities. Tactically you want him to retain his energy for the opposition half, and offer an avenue for the quick counter. not tracking back too far.
As such again the central midfield have to sit deeper and cover.
We have better targets to hit from corners in ronaldo, vidic, rio; all excellent in the air.
Lastly we don't play with a makelele/masherano style DM which many of the teams with regular midfield scorers often utilise.
diarra/diarra - sneijder
makelele of old/essien/mikel - lampard
mascherano - gerrard
toure - iniesta
Most of the teams that play with goalscoring midfielders currently play 1 up top, whereas we generally play with 2 (apart from in europe).
The tactics of our midfield is generally cover & protection for the defence, aiming to control possession, win it back as soon as the opposition breaks, offer inside passing options to the fullbacks, and feed the forward players/width with through balls. they require a more disciplined role for the midfield; that's the argument why anderson was taught to play deeper imo. At present, our tactics aren't worked around having an attacking midfield.
Our midfielders do push up, but their role requires them to rarely burst past the last defender or into the box, and so goalwise would generally rely on longshots from outside. They don't have the freedom of a Gerrard for example who can attempt driving runs with the ball knowing he has mascherano & alonso to cover if he loses it.
Anderson hasn't scored in two years, but hardly any of our midfield do at present for the reasons outlined above. Scholes is one of the best finishers and long shot specialists in the world, but in the time anderson has been here scholes has only scored 5. carrick 6, fletcher 5, hargreaves 2. Most were either longshots from outside the box, or freekicks in hargreaves case.
Give the lad time & he can be a huge player for us. He doesn't need goals to be that, as we play on percentages that if we control the midfield the forwards will get enough oppurtunities to stick some away.
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pagallim
It's not a case of being able to pass, but like it or not Barcelona are the finest passing machine in Football anywhere on earth.
Yes Rooney, Ronaldo, Park, Giggs, Carrick and Anderson can "pass the ball" in and around West Brom all day long, but against Barcelona? LOL you've got great jokes.
Barcelona will be with out 2rd's of their 1st choice 11, even so lose the ball to them in your half and United will be carved up like a kipper :-P
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What a load of b****cks this blog is! Anderson is an attacking midfielder, and an average holding player that fergie has turned him into. He wastes possesion, is an average passer (much like the converted midfielder Alan Smith) and is only there to take up space, much like Darren Fletcher who is not every good either. But at United there is always one or two players in the squad that are technically inferior to the rest, thats fergies game! He plays those players on purpose and because they are inferior they have to over compensate and this makes them look 'brilliant' in the eyes of many britons (bbc and sky to mention but a few) when really they are there just to make a mess of the midfield and kick people. Anderson is an average player who would NEVER make the 1st team of ANY top four in England bar united when they need someone to break up the midfield. Have u EVER seen him play in a 4-4-2 at united against a top team?? Nope! And u never will, cuz Fergie knows he cant hack it alone, you will only ever see him when they are playing 4-5-1. And when the whole squad is fit u wont see him in the starting line-up ever. Not bad for someone u have to play 20 mil for? He's an ex attacking midfielder that hasn't even scored a league goal in TWO seasons!! pathetic! That money should have been spent on Stephan Ireland, he's 10 times the player Anderson is!
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ralph250
really nice post, if i were naive i'd pin my hat on your break down of why Anderson is average at best ;-)
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_LFC_returns (but when????)
Sorry, I must have been watching historical video rather than the 2 live games that were the CL SF's. Remember, Arsenal were another team hyped for their 'beautiful' passing game'. United didn't give them a chance, and THAT'S A FACT!
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Good luck to Pique he's going to need it, to keep the defence together with the injuries and suspensions Barca have.
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Alot of Anderson's inability to score is that when he gets within 20-25 yards of goals he almost always trys to power it with his side foot instead of putting his laces through it, which most of the time results in him standing the ball up over the cross bar, still a brilliant player as he showed this season most when he was let off his leash and allowed to support the front players.
With any luck he's saving his first goal for a fitting stage...CL Final?
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Yeah Anderson is overrated. Just look at the trophies that he and his team have won!
Compare that to Lampard, Gerrard, Fabregas, Barry etc etc.
I agree that he isn't the 'finished article' but nor he should be at his age. What was Carrick doing at his age? Now look at him, brilliant and no mistake.
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A pretty average member of United's squad at the moment.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEq0TR6-Gns&feature=related
think this says it all.
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Battosai.....funny stuff.
Now go back to the weeping corner with whichever team you support.
"But at United there is always one or two players in the squad that are technically inferior to the rest"
You should be writing fiction, not about football.
Have you even seen Anderson or Fletcher play? I mean actually see them play, not in the 1 or 2 game in which united beat your team.
Fact is United were champions last year & are champions against this year. Since they did that playing the so called "weak player" in midfield, it speaks volumes about how pathetic the quality of the team you support must be, that they couldn't even give United a real challenge for the title.
As for Anderson, I can honestly say he is a brilliant talent & I see him taking over from Scholes in the near future. Even Fergie says he see Anderson as Scholes natural successor. He is insanely strong, nice defensive abilities, can tackle, has a nice burst of speed, good ball control & dribbling abilities & has the ability to make killer defense splitting passes. Only thing lacking is that 1st goal which will open the floodgates as far as I am concerned.
You have a few pool & other BPL club fans who watch Anderson in 1 or 2 games against their teams, read some stats & think they know everything there is to know about him. Honestly its laughable.
Anderson came back when man utd were struggling for form & has been a calming influence on the midfield. Yes his passing has been off in a few games, however he just came back from injury.
His work ethic has been brilliant & has shit down the oppositions midfield time & time again.
Simple example - Watch the 2 Arsenal game. I was watching it with Arsenal fans & Anderson was right there everytime Cesc or any other Arsenal midfielder tried to attack.
Result was Arsenal was so throughly outplayed that they rarely looked like they were in the same league as Man utd. Even the Arsenal fans were praising Andersons performance.
Same team a week or 2 later in the BPL & Anderson is not in the starting 11. Arsenal look like a totally different team, more confident in attack & more composed.
Part of that is United decision to play for a safe draw, part because Anderson wasn't around to muscle Cesc & company off the ball in midfield.
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pagallim
Perhaps you're not up on current affairs? but this Arsenal team is anything but the beautiful passing team of old. The current Arsenal team can walk the walk but they have little substance at present.
When the might of United played a beautiful Arsenal teams of old they were forced (at home) to kick Arsenal's players 40ft up into the air and mutter things like "der welcome to the premiership ha ha" as the said Arsenal player crashed to the gound on their necks.
That is the extent of United when faced with a passing team in full flow and in full form. Alas Barcelona won't be due to injury and suspension, even so they will pass you lot off the park for large spells of the game, mean while United WILL use thier speed on the break and hoof ball over the top to try and expose Barcelona's shocking defence.
That much is certain.
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As an attacking midfielder, you should provide your team with at least 10 goals a season, wheather you set them up or score them yourself, look at Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard or even Danny Murphy. Anderson will be taught a lesson tommorow night no matter who pep gaurdiola picks, whether it be Yaya toure, iniesta, busquets or xavi. Not only do i not rate Anderson as a player , i think he has a complete lack of respect towards other players for example in the champions league final last year his dancing infront of the chelsea players who are all more talented players was disgraceful . after all he didnt even play, to be fair he scored a penalty , well done. your first goal in a united shirt after a 20 million price tag. i could buy you five better centre midfielders, could even dip into the championship.
my prediction tomorrow night is Barca to win one nill, as a chelsea fan i have better things to do than watch it........mite cut the grass
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lovely blog i think. i actually prefer anderson playing in the midfield, if only he can keep possession. hehas that bad trait of losing the ball and then lunging into bookable tacles. however, i can see Man U wining this comfortably, not even the nervy 1-0 score!
could anyone tell me how i can see the rest of the blogs? its making me get a migraine just searching for them. thanx!
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95.
Think perhaps 'hoofing a ball over the top' is doing an injustice to the long range and incisive passing skills of (amongst others) Carrick, Giggs and Rooney. Probably the most significant absentees from Barcelona have been caused through suspension. Without going off topic to review both theirs and Fletcher's previous yellow cards, Barcelona should have sufficient depth of quality in their squad for it not to be of major consequence. Barcelona have only been allowed to play their passing game against other Spanish opposition in La Liga. A lot of mention has been made about their win against Real Madrid, but this was the same Real Madrid that lost heavily to Liverpool at Anfield, and who are far from being as competitive as they used to be.
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hopefully andersons fee will seem like a bargain ater the passage of some time.
i recall a young portuguese winger united signed for £12m who was a little rough around the edges. He's doing ok these days.
He needs time to develop and grow.
Cant believe some liverpool fans are questioning the price when Robbie Keane barely got 6 months to justify his huge fee. He only needed time and Rafa wouldnt let him have it.
Thank goodness Fergie is patient. Andy Cole anyone?
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Someone asked for the opinion of a neutral. Here is mine: I wholeheartedly agree with the following post:
'Anderson is one of the most over-rated players united have. Not as good as carrick or hargreaves. 9 out of 10 tackles give away free-kicks, he gives the ball awat too much and he cant shoot. The da silva twins are much better brazilian prospects'.
I would add that it's not just that he hasn't scored; he's taken the worst shots, repeatedly, that I've ever seen, just edging Lampard's performance in the last World Cup!!
How bad is he? He couldn't even play holding midfielder for Arsenal! :o)
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Carefree Blue
Your loss then and a very sore loser. If it were Chelsea in the final I would be supporting your lot. You are a sad person but never mind, I am confident we will bring back the trophy. Our back five is strong and Anderson? You have obviously never watched him-the young man is class-I remember Fergie getting stick years ago by persisting with Darren Fletcher but look at that young man now-the most underrated midfielder in the Prem bar none. Anderson is superb.
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Finally someone giving Anderson the praise he deserves, thanks Tim. Lots of people have said to me that Anderson is no where near reaching his potential. I think however he has proved to be one of the better players of our campaign, yes, he was injured for a part of the season, however he is such a quality player. I think Anderson could start tomorrow, not just because of the legs of scholes (he may give too many freekicks against Barce, something that SAF knows could ruin the night), while giggs, if played in central midfield, wont come back too often and than is something we need, Anderson has the balance of defense and then blistering attack. I hope he gets on the scoresheet, as although the calmly slotted penalty is worth the wait for him to score his first goal, a goal in the final from free play would be enough to make anyone pay £20m.
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United for life! We're winning Tomorrow.
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Dawlish
Barcelona are an improved Arsenal? Go back to sleep, there is no comparison. United have a different style that's all. Why are great defensive qualities not a skill? If this game becomes a beauty pageant and the only criteria is the teams that can pass the ball sixty times a minute in the centre circle then I am switching to Rugby full time. Lots of things make up the beautiful game and I can watch Bobby Moore's tackle on Pele in the 70 World Cup time and time again for a thing of beauty.
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pagallim
Barcelona are by yirtue the best passing team on the face of the planet bar none, and don't just look good because of your suggested weak Spanish opposition week in week out. Only a buffoon would dare question this fact.
Indeed only a buffoon would suggest Barcelona will/should be more or less up to full strength with out the services and attacking prowess of Daniel Alves the worlds most highly rated attacking right back, Rafael Márquez Barcelonas captain and 1st choice centre back, who aslo has the capability to build attacks from the rear, Éric Abidal talented attacking left back, while Milito another 1st choice centre half has been out injured all season.
Basically you're sat stone faced explaining to be that if United had 3 our of its 1st choice back 4 missing, and 1st choice back up centre half out also, United wouldnt flinch due to strength in depth ???
LOL Ok mate. LOL LOL....
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105.
Think you've missed one of my points, i.e., if Barcelona don't have suitable replacements for the players you mention, that tells me there's a deficiency in their squad. How many times have you personally seen their 'best passing team on the planet' performances? Sounds more like you're trying to make excuses for what will (hopefully) be their defeat tomorrow. Did United moan when Keane and Scholes were suspended in 1999? No, they got on with it. What United do have is an incredible team spirit, where no-one objects to playing out of position if it's for the good of the team. Re Anderson's goal scoring record, that's not what he's there for. I'm surprised that nobody hasn't been critical of Rooney this season for his lack of goals. Again, the role he's played on the wide left has made him invaluable to the team. Bottom line for me is that whilst not trying to be over critical of Barcelona (who are indeed an excellent team), I think United have the edge as a team, and that includes whatever of the Barcelona players if they were available for selection. The impact of substitutes shouldn't be underestimated also, and again United will have recognisably more talent on the bench than Barcelona. As a Liverpool supporter, you were obviously unnerved if you watched the display by United's 2nd XI against Hull last Sunday! Just another generation ready to deny you cause for celebration at this time of year.
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@Hidan007 - Funny stuff u say?? HAHAHAHAH!!!!!! U have obviously NOT seen the youtube video abve yr post. THAT SAYS IT ALL!! Not only does it prove my point, it shows how inflated your opinion on your own players is! I mean just look at the rest of the comments, its ONLY man u fans that agree with this blog, everyone else agree's that Anderson is average, just like O'shea, Fletcher and Neville! And believe me NO real Arsenal fan was praising ANY performance by anderson, unless it was during the 3-0 drumming Arsenal gave porto a few seasons ago, that was the BEST game I have seen anderson in even tho they lost. And there is no need to bring other teams into this discussion, we are talking about a footballer NOT about which team i support! Incase u have missed the video of Anderson, here it is again: - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEq0TR6-Gns&feature=rela%3Cbr%20/%3Eted - watch that, and pretend u DONT support manyoo, and see how yr opinon changes when you are blinded by being so overly biased!!
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he's going to be the best player in the world...fact
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Putting....fact, after a statement does not make it a fact...fact.
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107.
Less than 2 minutes of Anderson, from last season, doing things that I've seen players such as Gerrard and Lampard doing nearly every week (missing shots, giving the ball away through being tackled). Get real man, you can put together a few clips of the acknowledged top players in the world and you would have the same type of video. Note that the dubbed written comments in the video are in Italian. Doesn't that tell you something?
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Whoever said that a 'natural' defensive midfielder is better than converted one any day is mistaken. Two of the best in recent recollection have been Dunga - a converted striker, and Makalele - a converted attacking midfielder.
I think the best defensive midfielders have not been great tacklers (honestly, how many times has Makalele slid in? And also Essien's masterclass against Gerrard in the CL quarter final featured few tackles, but a high amount of interceptions). With this in mind, I think the old adage of 'know your enemy' works well - who better to track and have the positional sense to contain the attacking midfield threat than converted attacking midfielders?
As usual Tim Vickery is spot on, he has cut through the cliche and dealt in facts. if only our national game would accept that there is a lot we can learn from nations like brazil etc, we mights see some great progress!
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The only thing I can comment about Anderson is that he can convert penalties with lots of confidence. If Man U needs him tomorrow night on a possible shoot out, let's hope he won't let anyone down.
I wish him well.
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pagallim
WHAT !!! HA HA HA LOL, i'm telling ya wether it be here on on the 606 you just cannot beat the jokes United fans churn up so effortlessly.
"As a Liverpool supporter, you were obviously unnerved if you watched the display by United's 2nd XI against Hull last Sunday"
1) i didn't look beyond the Liverpool game on Saturday as soon as second was secured all other results were inconsequential.
2)How come youre ready to brag about the ability of your new generation of footballers ability to dismiss Hull FC 0-1, when your current (greatest ever generation) got ran ragged AT HOME to the very same Hull FC eventually necking out an ugly 4-3 win??
Tell me WHAT DOES THAT MEAN in the bigger scheme of things???
I don't think you fully understand the game off football pal. Once the doubters start to dig in with an opinion that differs from yours, you all start running for the "Champions" blah statement. beyond that you've actually got very little of Consequence to say.
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Anderson has awesome potential, he has years ahead of him. And whatever he is lacking in Ferguson will provide sooner or later.
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@ 110 - So what? Still doesn't make him world class, unlike players like Gerrard, Fabregas, Iniesta, Yaya Toure, Essien, and Flamini! Put together the top 10-15 defensive midfielders in the world, Anderson will STILL not appear on that list.
Note: who cares if the video is in italian? doesn't tell me ANYthing, especially seeing as the video was put on LAST YEAR. And even if it was put on just recently it still dont mean anything! Anderson is a decent player who can pass at time (but cant shoot, even tho he's originally an attacking mid), but he's just average mate.
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110#
Exactly right in saying a youtube clip does not prove or disprove anything. Using this method you could make anyone look like either a world beater or complete garbage
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113.
It was Sunday, not Saturday. Yes, Hull had a good game at OT, watching it was a bit like a cup tie, where anything can happen and usually does. For most of their players, playing in front of 75,000 people for the first time inspired them, a few new premiership teams tend to be overawed in the circumstances. Re Sunday, don't underestimate what was at stake for both the Hull players and their club. This was never going to be a 'going through the motions' last game for them. Their premiership survival (and probably the retention of premiership salaries) was at stake. You don't need much more motivation than that, coupled with what was probably their biggest home game of the season. You obviously don't watch many teams other than Liverpool, so are probably not the best source of comment and criticism if you're knowledge is gleaned from newspapers and websites. The team that United put out (and even I didn't recognise one or two of the names), were excellent. Cool, good passing, lot's of energy, and leaving out Neville and Brown (who were obviously there to gain match fitness again), I think the average age was something like 20 or 21.
Back to Anderson, I'll repeat that his speed, energy levels, skill, and most importantly motivation, are what will make him the good player that he'll undoubtably become. He's fortunate in having SAF as manager, who invests not only the club's money in talent, but also also his encouragement and patience, and who doesn't spit the dummy out like Benitez who deliberately sidelined Robbie Keane week after week rather than giving him a chance to gel with the team. All that just to get back at his Chairman/CEO. Pathetic.
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LFC_Returns:
you and you're fellow scousers have been belittling us for weeks and praying we slip up - we never did. Belittling us based on ONE 4-1 result against you lot. you are starting to become a bit too obsessed with what was essentially 3 points and in the grand scheme of things didn't matter....It must be alarming that this once great clubs fans are starting to sound like our dear neighbours at Eastlands.
Maybe you can release the "double" dvd over us like they did?
As for lauding over Barca. You sound like Graham Hunter on Sky. over hyping Barca defenders and Dani Alves who was drastically poor against chelsea twice. Pique who couldn't consistently. break into our team and when did had the turning circle of a JCB.
Maybe you lauding the Barca players that are missing is your own way of comfort if utd win tomorrow.
Anyway if we're as bad as you make out we are and Barca so darn wonderful we won't stand a chance will we.
Congrats on the 4-1 btw...better team won that day and the better team won over the 38 games.
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115.
I don't think anyone is saying that Anderson is World Class (yet), the point being made is that the role that SAF has handed to him is important to the balance of the team, and in the context of the Barcelona game, his energy and pace will be important in neutralising the midfield of Barcelona. Goal threats from United can come from anyone in their team, so the accuracy of Anderson's shooting is secondary to the link in the chain that he provides.
Interesting choice of players in your list of World Class. For me, World Class represents individuals who've been consistently excellent for 5 or more years. Fabregas and Flamini don't even come close to being World Class (again, yet). Fabregas's performances over the 2 legs against United in the CL SF's were certainly less than World Class, and provided no inspiration at all to the rest of his team.
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Not all Manchester United fans are completely blinkered when it comes to Anderson.
Most I've talked to recognize that Anderson was disappointing earlier in this campaign but has returned to last year's form as of late. SAF's selection of him in the most recent important matches (both CL matches against Arsenal), and the results seem to confirm this.
Using stats to denigrate Anderson is a dubious undertaking. Essien, Scholes, Fletcher, Mascherano, Xabi Alonso all have unimpressive stats but it doesn't tell the whole story of their influence in matches.
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I really do like Anderson and think he's going to turn out well just give him time he will be a world beater. Wouldn't it be magic if he broke his goal Duct tomorrow night
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pagallim
You don't know what you're talking about lad. You don't know what you're doing, YES it was a big game for Hull but so were the last 20 games in which they only achieved ONE win.
Mean while the carefree win or lose weve got nothing to lose situation the United 5th choice starting 11 found them selfs in would have undoubtedly given them the freedom to play their football too the best of their ability as opposed to the strain the magnitude of Hulls position would have placed their team which would saw them apporach the game far more nervous and trepid than their opponents.
Apparently the average of that 19th choice starting 11 was in fact 23 years of age, not 20-21. Correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't Arsenal FC complete an entire season with a simular average age group to that ???
Yes back to Anderson "Back to Anderson, I'll repeat that his speed, energy levels, skill, and most importantly motivation, are what will make him the good player that he'll undoubtably become"
Really? NOBODY least of all me has written off the player. If you read back throughout my post i have never denied the lads potential, however i laugh in the face of Vickery's suggestion that Anderson frolicking around in midfield came about as a result of master plan by the Genius that is Sir Alex.
Plainly the Scott brought a menacingly capable offence player to the premiership and then OPENLY and brazenly announced the successors to the always potent Paul Scholes. How then can it be considered genius that this expensive new Brazilian capture who was at the time dubbed (the new Ronaldinho) is now about as potent and as scary as a fluffy kitten?
As for your dig? at Rafa youve lost me there. The lad Keane was awfully expensive by Liverpool standards (only on par with the cost of purchasing your kid Anderson tho) and simply wasnt putting away the chances placed in front of him on a regular enough basis.
Regardless Rafa got rid as he cannot unlike some of his peers, simply afford to hid £15 - £20M flops in the stands, and still his side finished the league campaign as THE most free scoring and potent force in the league.
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I did a blog on Anderson about a month ago, mentioning pretty much the same issues.
If anyone wants to check it out, go to:
http://www.boidus.co.uk/?cat=29
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Anderson is an excellent player. He just has to sit back and defend while scholes is here, build his defensive attributes then, When the almighty scholes ritires wee'll have an even better replacement who'll be let off the leash enogh to score.
While then have the complete misdfielder who can run and tackle unlike scholes
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#112
I'm not sure who dubbed him as "the new Ronaldinho", because the only place i've seen that is on youtube videos.... where everyone is "the new Kaka, the new Cantona, etc etc".
I'm not sure why you doubt Fergie had a plan with him, I'm pretty sure he thinks about 3-4 years ahead with each young player like Anderson who he purchases. It's all about getting young players in while the old ones are almost past it, then training them up to give them the match experience and coaching to get them good enough. I think Ferguson's the best in the world at blending one ageing squad into a new, younger one. He's done it several times since he's been at United, and players like Fletcher and Anderson are perfect examples.
Re. the average age of the Man Utd team vs Hull - Phelan claimed the avg age of the 16 was 20 or 21 I think, NOT the starting 11. Anyway, what's your point about Arsenal completing an entire season with this average age - what did they win? It's kind of making a point where there isn't one to be made.
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#122 sorry not 112.
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119 - Yeah sure u can say that about players who have performed over a few years i agree. But i think we ALL agree that a player with class can be spotted in an instant, at la Fabregas, Henry, Giggs, Berba even Jack Wilshere has more class than Anderson. Would u not agree? Anderson does NOT have that factor, maybe one day but certainly not now. I mean that is blatantly obvious! I'm not talking about wether Anderson has decent pace, or tackling skills he does (fergie wouldnt use him if he didnt) all im saying is that he is average, all he does is make a mess in the midfield which does NOT make him a brilliant or even 'good' player. He was an attacking midfielder incase u manyoo fans didnt know. But he wasn't good enuf to do tht at manyoo so fergie converted him (playing defensively in a five man midfield is far easier than attacking) much like Alan Smith who was a caca striker. If Fergie would have bought anderson for 2mil he would have sold him by now, the only reason he's still in the team is cuz of the inflated price tag that porto duped u lot into. And just cuz fergie said something doesnt mean u lot have to go and believe it like its god's word!! So what if fergie said he sees him like a new scholes, it doesn't mean he is or even will be! Do u lot think he's like scholes?? I for one certainly dont!
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#107
I agree with pagallim. Watch this video of Steven Gerrard. Sure it's a load of rubbish, but it just shows how picking one game or selected clips from one game can make any player look rubbish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYHggzKlAi4
Gerrard kept giving the ball away against Estonia, but I like the fact he didn't hide away - he kept looking for it, kept trying the passes he knows he can make. Another day he would have set up 3 goals and been a hero.
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Sorry but since signing for United, Anderson hasn't done anything to remotely justify a next big thing tag.
Look at Lucas Leiva of Liverpool he was the Brazillian Under 20 captain and young player of the year. These things mean nothing.
Anderson has done no more in games for United than Lucas has for the Scousers.
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yep, as much as i admire the potential he has, i worry as to when he'll deliver. I remember when he was bought that he was to be the new Kaka. At times he's quite good, but still a bit too inconsistent. He has a way to go to be a CM in a 4-4-2. Next season will be key for him in his United career, as if just another average season, he will slip further behind in the team sheet but if he begins to fulfill his potential, perhaps he can fill a Scholes type role. I'm not too worried about his poor shooting, simply more composure required. Overall i remain to be convinced by his play despite his huge talent. For tomorrow's match it'll be a 4-5-1 formation with the back four picking itself, my tip for next 6 is Park, Anderson, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Ronaldo
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I don't understand what the whole thing about Anderson started from..He is a decent player but for me does not have the Brazillian touch or the skills used to identify a Brazillian midfielder like Diego, Deco, Elano.. e.t.c
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jellery
He came from Gremio the same Brazilian team as Ronaldinho as well as being born in the same area, the comparisons were at the time far reaching and uncomplicated to find.
yes Ferguson had no plan, or rather it was hopelessly exposed when he unleashed the wrath of Anderson along with a number of other kids against might of Coventry FC who proceeded to dish out the mother of all beating on United, at OT.
However the biggest no brainer blatant example of Alex's clumsiness in the case of Anderson is without a doubt his haste to proclaim the lad THE NEW PAUL SCHOLES (who just happened to be THE most formidable attacking midfielder in the premiership in his pomp) Yet now playing the kid with Zero goals and one assist in two years? As a so called holding midfielder and a distinctly average one at that.
No bigger example can be given of the inept handling of Anderson and quite failure of the lad in his nature role.
Even so at no point do I dispute his raw talent, and ability to still look menacing coming forward with his bulking low frame, but that does not take away from the fact that Lucus Levia has preformed a like for like role, with more actual success both defensively and offensivly, than your hero.
Make of that what you like, personally i've grown tired of trying to point out the blantantly obvious to you Hard of understandin United fans on this topic.
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jellery wrote:
"I think Ferguson's the best in the world at blending one ageing squad into a new, younger one"
How hard can that be with you had well over a quater of a century at the helm of one club??????
Sort it out.
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Last season I was impressed with both Anderson at United and his compatriot Lucas at Liverpool. Both blessed with bags of talent, boundless energy and had an eye for goal and a good reputation for both Brazils under 21's and domestic teams. This season I think more regular first team action has come too soon for the both of them as at times the two of them have been downright awful, Andersons performance in the defeat to Liverpool at Anfield at the start of the season a particular lowlight. However I still think both will be come great players in the years to come.
Midfield is a difficult position for young players, they have to learn where to position themselves almost as much as central defenders especially these day with the holding midfielder shielding the back four and expected to cut out passes and break down moves before they start so en vogue, coupled with this is the fact in England they are expected to bomb forward and set up or score goals which is difficult at such a young age, don't forget Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes only became regular goalscorers when roughly 23+.
I don't see Anderson having much impact tomorrow I'm afraid to disagree Tim but in the future he just may well shape many a crucial game for both club and country
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134.
You seem to be getting more and more confused! Ferguson has been at OT for 23 years, not ''well over a quarter of a century". It's precisely his ability to re-invent teams successfully during this period that makes him the manager he is. From the days of Bryan Robson, then Roy Keane etc, he's introduced new young talent alongside experienced players, and backed them whilst maintaining the ethos which is United (attacking and entertaining football). The same is happening now, albeit the tactics of United are leaning more towards having European success and a fluid formation that can transition from 4-4-2, 4-5-1, and 4-3-3 pretty seamlessly. A strong defence is nothing new either, and he's always gone for a strong central defence, with attacking full backs, and creative midfielders. Modern tactics dictate that a team has to adapt several times during a match if necessary, and the squad needs to be able to pick up on this and be flexible. Too many teams are one dimensional and rigid in their tactics. Mobility of positional play, particularly in midfield, is critical to a teams success. He's obviously seen something in Anderson which aligns with his ethos, and SAF will give him every opportunity. With 11 Premiership titles, is anyone seriously questioning SAF's judgement?
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I am a man u fan and i always find that anderson is the weak link in the team whenever he plays. I cannot believe you guys here actually rate him so highly! For the devils sake, what he have so far done or perform can easily be replaced by another midfielder. I really do not see anything speical in him. His shooting skill put shame to brazil reputation of goal scorers.
Of course as a MU fan, i would hope to see him improve to be a good player. Nah...he does remind me a little of Kleberson...o..but kleberson scores doesnt he??
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lfc returns criticising a United player....im so surprised(!)
If anyone listened to his/her rambling, you would wonder how this team has been so successful as he/she thinks all the players are overrated and average. Poor wumming, as per usual of course, as he/she dresses their point in such a long winded fashion but still falls flat
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#134.
What's your point here? That he's not such a good manager because he has had so long at one club?? Other managers have won the Premier League and then not backed it up after players have moved on, i.e. Mourinho and Wenger. Players like Duff (too old), Robben (moved to Real Madrid) left and the team could not cope without them, as players like Wright Phillips and Kalou weren't quite at their level.
Same with Arsenal, he still hasn't replaced Pires, Ljungberg, Campbell and Vieira for me. There are quality players in these positions, but not ones who can do it over a whole season.
At the end of the day, people can slag off individual players at United all they want. O'Shea, Wes Brown, Fletcher, Anderson, Nani - they all get stick for not being good enough, but if they are all as rubbish as people say, how did they win the league? It's about playing well as part of a team, which these players (OK maybe not Nani, but the rest!) all do better than most.
Back to the original topic, for all Anderson's shortcomings at the moment, I think what gets him in the team is his pure energy. The amount of running he does to help out the older players like Giggs and Scholes is immense. He gives them the room to pick the passes and set up the goals. But yes, I do hope in a year or two he will take more responsibility. For now, I'm happy we have players like him, Fletcher, Tevez and Park who do all the dirty work.
I think work rate is vastly under-rated, and it's what some teams (Spurs, off the top of my head) lack. Just see how well the best teams work at winning the ball back.
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#131
I reckon you've got that team spot on. Fletcher for Giggs would have been nice, as I think both Giggs and Scholes won't be able to last 90 mins of (often) chasing the ball against the likes of Iniesta and Xavi.
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The best I've seen from Anderson has been in ball winning in midfield. His shooting is woeful--maybe this is why SAF has him playing more defensively? I'm biased, but, as good as he is supposed to be, how did Liverpool dominate the United midfield twice this year, in the first match with Alonso and Mascherano, but the second with Mascherano and LUCAS of all people?
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Anderson gives no assurance as MUtd. "volante" and there lies the weakness of MUtd.,and that's why Rooney is allways running back or playing in defensive roles to help the midfield.When we see Rooney playing for England under Capello we can see what we are missing at MUtd. Rooney the real number 10 is the one who is forced to sacrifice for the team,not Anderson or Ronaldo for that matter.
As for Anderson his a very promising player but has a lot to prove.
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pagallim, lfc returns, will you two please get a room, or exchange contact details and save everyone else trawling through your posts to see opinions on the blog, which i though was quite good. lfc is probably little bitter over their almost title challange and paga cannot help bite at every line lfc casts. if we're lucky, tim will do a peice on lucas so the roles can be reversed (lucas - good player, as with anderson, time will tell wether either earn the tag 'world class' from the tabloids and bloggers alike)
in my opinion (for what its worth) anderson will indeed be a key man for united tomorrow. As viki said messi will try to cut across his zone on many of the plentifull counter-attacks. if xavi and/or iniesta can work their way into the area behind the two holding mids or feed messi in the same area and try ro expose rio and vidic they may yet pull off an upset. yes, an upset. if it was full XI vs XI then the mathch would have been a possible classic (more likely another dreary 0-0) but the fact is the catalans are missing key players in key areas. the area's where united are probably strongest and i cant see past a united win no matter how good barca are or can be.
on other previous posts:
SAF as a master tactician? lol, one of the best motivators of players ever to grace management but i think most of the tactical side of uniteds play comes from his back room staff (CarlosQ, mike phelen etc).
stats? you got to love em and hate em, i remember hearing/reading that maldini played both legs of a CL knock-out match without making a tackle, he must have been awfull!!!! milan kept 2 clean sheets, interceptions are far more affective.
youtube clips? the could make bobby zamora look like a world beater and gerrard (one of the most influential midfielders i've seen) look no better than average.
utd 3-1 barca
tim - dos santos, igot all excited when he signed for us, but so far his best moments (few as they are) have come against lesser opposition of for ipswich, i really thought he'd be the ball carrier we (spurs) were missing but im starting to think he'll bug*er of back to the continent. do you think he can cut the physical aspect of the english game? were we over expectant after his final day hat-trick? is it true barca only let him go due to the foreigner retrictions? does he have an end product at all?
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There is no doubt that Anderson is an extremely talented footballer who is only beginning his career. Finding his right position on the field will be an evolution over the next two to three years. His energy suits the position that Fergie prefers to play him in. With players like Berbatov and Ronaldo in the team we need players who exert themselves that little bit extra to compensate. He still has a lot to learn ... but he will learn and in my opinion can become a better player than Roy Keane or Paul Scholes. A combination of his attacking ability and his (work-in progress) defensive ability can make him achieve this .... just missing the leadership qualities .... although he is still only 21! Give the guy time!!
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Anderson is shaping well. With experience he is sure to do better when he takes those free kicks from outside the box. All the best to the youngster.
Dr. Cajetan Coelho
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Anderson is shaping well
very well
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anderson is not that good, the only area i think man united weak is the centre midfield area, scholes, giggs are virtually finished and are not capable of playing a full season there, anderson, carrick and fletcher are average at best, barcelona will have a huge chance tonight if they can get there midfield players on the ball. man united are very strong, if they had an essien kind of player in the midfield they would b unbeatable.
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Battosai> So a you tube clip is what you are relying on, for information on Anderson. LMAO. Great scouting mate. Now we can all take your opinions so seriously....after that clip your an expert on Anderson.
Maybe you should write a Phd on him.
So Cesc & Flamini are world class? Guess we really have different opinions of world class. Showing a little bit of talent does not make you world class. Performing consistently for a winning team makes you a world class player.
Is Anderson World Class? Not even close.
However Anderson has not yet scratched the surface of his potential. Has already showed his incisive passing ability with some fabulous through balls , this season after coming back from injury. His defending & energy have been fabulous.
Is he wasteful, loses the ball easily & make stupid errors? Definitely, but he is 21 years old & still learning his craft.
Unlike other teams Man utd give players more than 6 months (read - Robbie Keane)& actual games not bench time(Babel) to prove themselves.
Anderson apparently cost 20 mil(amount not disclosed), Sheva cost Chelsea what 30 mil, Keane cost some 22 mil, Babel cost a fair bit & so did a bunch of them. Man Utd won 2 BPLs & a CL titles & a few more tropies with Anderson playing his part in them. What did Sheva & the usual Loserpool rejects win them? Oh yes, another empty season & a replay of the rant from Rafa about how he hasn't spent enough money :P
You loserpool fans keep bringing up Lucas. Honestly I have not seen enough of him to give my opinion about this player. You tube clips are not enough for me :P
What makes me laugh is the fact that we won the title so convincingly inspite of what you guys call average players like Anderson, Fletcher, O'Shea playing regularly. If these players are so average, it speaks volumes about how bad your teams must be since they didn't even give us a challenge.
I would really be worried if our challengers start picking up players like them who actually gave a crap about winning & don't complain when they are asked to sit on the bench.
Who will win between Man utd & Barca......I have no clue, but its gonna be a fascinating game.
However I am confident Anderson will start & if United are gonna win, he along with Carrick & (scholes or Giggs) will have to do a good job on Iniesta & Xavi while running our offense effectively.
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It is high time I come out of my shell.I have the bbc sport page as my MOZILLA Home page.But never tot I needed 2 speak my mind on any issue till now.
I always regarded,Sir Alex as the luckiest coach in the world.I took interest in him and Man.U at the finals in 99.Those two lucky substitutions which equalled 2 world class goals that deserve being in a video museum as a reference for quality attacking football.About Anderson,sincerely,I wished he had joined Real,Barca or Arsenal,he would have been nominated many times for World Footballer of the year.The same for Mikel.I weep for him,because when Ballack,Lampard and Essien get injured at once(see Everton strikers injury period),he would find it difficult to bring forth his natural football instincts.My point:Anderson lost it all by allowing Fergie change his style.
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Reply to 142: The kid from Fuenlabrada
I did not see Liverpool dominate midfield at Old Trafford this season. They played a very effective direct ball route (like Wimbledon but with a world class striker) and were good from set pieces. None of the goals came from midfield dominance, they all came from a long ball which by passed midfield or from a set piece.
Anderson is still a work in progress and as such the jury is still out. I think he can make it to the very top level, but he is far from there at the moment.
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Perhaps Anderson could eventually evolve into a similar role as Kaka. Granted Kaka is in a different class, but from Tim's description it sounds like this would be the role that comes naturally to Anderson.
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__LFC__returns:
You can go on all you want about whether you think Anderson is a god player or not. You can go on all you want about whether you think Fergie has undermined his development. The fact is that he is highly rated by the Utd coaching team and they get it right more often than not when it comes to picking and developing young talent.
One more fact - at 21 Anderson has two premier league winners' medals to his name. Thats 2 more than Gerrard. Oh, its even more than the whole Liverpool team.
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Anderson is quality!!!
Even though he looks abit on the chubby side lol,
he is brilliant and he works his socks off. exactly what we need for a midfielder!
His time will come for scoring, that time just hasn't come so far!
Im sure he'll have a brilliant game tonight!
4-3-3 it is! carrick giggs and Anderson
with park, ronaldo and rooney up top.
Tevez wont be too happy!
Sign him up Gill!
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this is exactly why united miss hargreaves so much. i didn't think they would have enough against quality opposition in the champions league, however, they have made it work. for those who really understand- surely the comparisons w/ the dominant milan teams see the difference here and realize the luck really has been on united's side...
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Tim
United fans can say what they like about Anderson, but do they really think Park is European Cup Final material. What has he done today?. Defensevely he has done nothing and as an atacker any one in the squad would do better. Giggs hasnt played neither has Carrick. Why take off Anderson? He started well enough, nutmegging Puyol and winning a free kick. The United defense dont trust him enough to give him the ball to start moves , they prefer to punt it upfield. The only midfielder they will feed in tight situations is Scholes. At least Tevez is on.
Cheers
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What an awful performance by a good team. Barca should have scored more. If Ronaldo and Tevez do leave, United will have to do with the languid Berbatov who is very good against the Fulhams of this world and the unbelievable Park. This guy has just played 75 minutes of a European Cup Final, any footballer's dream. Why not me or any one of your readers? I hope, for the good of his career, that Anderson leaves Old Trafford for a club that will give time time and support to recover the football he played before he broke his leg at Porto. The last thing he needs at this moment of his career is a manager who takes him off after the first mistake. He needs , and that goes for any skilfull brazilian player , a regular place in the first team. That is the only way his best game will come back. Spain is the ideal place for him. Keep the |Sir Alexes of this world for players who understand and respect his way of seeing football . It wont work with brazilians.
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As I said in my previous post (see #17), Anderson is not going to become either a volante or a deep-lying playmaker.
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Got to be honest, after another terrible Anderson performance tonight, as a United fan i have nearly lost hope with him. He is a good penalty taker, but is one of our worst players. Gives the ball away alot, defensivly still suspect and carried along by the rest of our midfield.
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Well after all the hype about Anderson - Look at the performance he put up against Barcelona, I have always stated that Anderson was vastly over-rated for the miniscule amount he brings to a team and his inability to make a pass longer than 5 yards - needless to say he has proved me right last night. If you watch the match again he will make a pass then go and hide so he doesn't have to get the ball back, passengers should leave the coach for the biggest game in european club football i'm afraid.
For those who fear about his inclusion in future games, look no further than Barry Ferguson of Rangers as an example of that type of player, there is a reason he is nicknamed Barry Backwards - he cant, and wont, pass the ball forwards. For those who want to see the effect that constructive forward passing can have on a game, go re-watch the same game from last night where Anderson (ang Giggs for that matter) got found out.
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