Ander Herrera Embodies Manchester United’s Lost Spirit
Ghosts of Turin, ’99. ‘Captain Sociopath’ Roy Keane thrust the No. 16
shirt into the hearts of minds of the hapless men, dewy-eyed at mention
of his heroics. A performance bulging with symbolism; stuffed like a
pepper at a vegetarian barbeque. At 2-0 down, Roy led from the middle,
his transient calm somewhat paradoxically paired with his animalistic
fury. Keane dragged Manchester United into the Champions League final
that night, steps away from the famous treble win. Ander Herrera has
dragged Manchester United to four home winless games on the trot, yet
his performances, and his vitality, echo that of Keane.
It would be sensationalist and absurd to compare any Ander Herrera performance with Keane’s Juventus heroism, yet, much like that night in Turin, what stinks is the symbolism. Many argue that Keane had better games, and as was pointed out in The Guardian’s ‘The Joy of Six: great individual performances’, the legend – that Roy was bolstered by a yellow card disqualifying him from playing in the final – doesn’t quite fit. His best work came before the caution, yet perception of his performance, and the stinging desire associated with Keane that day is what remains prominent in our collective understanding of truth.
So much of football is about perception, as Manchester United supporters know only too well given their final seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson; a team on the verge of crashing, inflated by the confidence of their messiah, their opponents dithering in fear of a ghost. In more recent times, Manchester United has been devoid of great passion. David Moyes, like a wet flannel, smothered faces with uninspiring damp. Louis Van Gaal perplexed with his wine and his tactics. Although Jose Mourinho’s passion has resulted directly in his removal from the touchline every other game, like Wayne Rooney, there’s always a feeling that their passion is rather more in tune with their own desires. Passion inverted; introspective gunslingers.
However, criticism aside, Mourinho has fostered an alternative movement at Manchester United. With Rooney, no longer the centre of the club – replaced by various points of heavy gravitational pull, i.e., Zlatan Ibrahimović, Paul Pogba, et al – sparks of growth have appeared in the passion department. No longer does the face of Manchester United hold the authority on passion; the mantel has been taken up by several players, most notable amongst them; Ander Herrera.
Herrera, firmly established in the team following an initial struggle, has come to represent the feeling of the collective. In his post-match interview following Manchester United’s home draw against West Ham, he spoke with natural authority for the players, the coaching staff and, most importantly, the supporters. He has become the mouthpiece of the collective, a player capable of speaking in plain terms, emotionally infused, without crossing the line, and without using those cold, emotionless platitudes, most adequately displayed by Rooney.
“One game like this again, same as against Burnley, against Stoke, against Arsenal. I don’t know what we have to do to win one game. Always more chances than the opponents, their keeper was their best player again.” Herrera spoke honestly with his interviewer – a concept that might terrify whoever oversaw his media training – and openly displayed a clear emotional response to what is perceived by Herrera, and presumably his teammates, as unfortunate circumstances, and a disproportionate serving of bad luck. “I don’t know what I can say to the fans; we are very, very, very, very frustrated.”
Herrera’s conduct of the pitch clearly mimics his on-field displays of late, technical, fiery and not devoid of emotion, all in stark contrast to an ageing Rooney, whose greatest failure appears to be allowing the emotion to be stamped out of his game. Conversely, Herrera represents a mode of thinking not at odds with emotionally infused football. His mood is reflected in his play; he can be both incredibly technically astute, and possess a tackle packed with crunch; a team player, and most importantly, a human being that supporters can identify with. He speaks the language of football to a greater level than any other player in that team, and the fans love him for it.
Are his on-field performances reflective of Keane in Turin? No, but like Keane, his symbolism screams, and like Keane, Herrera deserves a leading role at Manchester United. He was initially inserted to anchor Paul Pogba, but his anchorage has already been shown to cover a significantly wider radius. At 27 years, Herrera is hitting pace right on schedule. Should his premonitions of bad luck dissipating be accurate, we should expect in coming years to see Herrera command the old vessel from the helm; Ander Herrera, Manchester United captain.
It would be sensationalist and absurd to compare any Ander Herrera performance with Keane’s Juventus heroism, yet, much like that night in Turin, what stinks is the symbolism. Many argue that Keane had better games, and as was pointed out in The Guardian’s ‘The Joy of Six: great individual performances’, the legend – that Roy was bolstered by a yellow card disqualifying him from playing in the final – doesn’t quite fit. His best work came before the caution, yet perception of his performance, and the stinging desire associated with Keane that day is what remains prominent in our collective understanding of truth.
So much of football is about perception, as Manchester United supporters know only too well given their final seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson; a team on the verge of crashing, inflated by the confidence of their messiah, their opponents dithering in fear of a ghost. In more recent times, Manchester United has been devoid of great passion. David Moyes, like a wet flannel, smothered faces with uninspiring damp. Louis Van Gaal perplexed with his wine and his tactics. Although Jose Mourinho’s passion has resulted directly in his removal from the touchline every other game, like Wayne Rooney, there’s always a feeling that their passion is rather more in tune with their own desires. Passion inverted; introspective gunslingers.
However, criticism aside, Mourinho has fostered an alternative movement at Manchester United. With Rooney, no longer the centre of the club – replaced by various points of heavy gravitational pull, i.e., Zlatan Ibrahimović, Paul Pogba, et al – sparks of growth have appeared in the passion department. No longer does the face of Manchester United hold the authority on passion; the mantel has been taken up by several players, most notable amongst them; Ander Herrera.
Herrera, firmly established in the team following an initial struggle, has come to represent the feeling of the collective. In his post-match interview following Manchester United’s home draw against West Ham, he spoke with natural authority for the players, the coaching staff and, most importantly, the supporters. He has become the mouthpiece of the collective, a player capable of speaking in plain terms, emotionally infused, without crossing the line, and without using those cold, emotionless platitudes, most adequately displayed by Rooney.
“One game like this again, same as against Burnley, against Stoke, against Arsenal. I don’t know what we have to do to win one game. Always more chances than the opponents, their keeper was their best player again.” Herrera spoke honestly with his interviewer – a concept that might terrify whoever oversaw his media training – and openly displayed a clear emotional response to what is perceived by Herrera, and presumably his teammates, as unfortunate circumstances, and a disproportionate serving of bad luck. “I don’t know what I can say to the fans; we are very, very, very, very frustrated.”
Herrera’s conduct of the pitch clearly mimics his on-field displays of late, technical, fiery and not devoid of emotion, all in stark contrast to an ageing Rooney, whose greatest failure appears to be allowing the emotion to be stamped out of his game. Conversely, Herrera represents a mode of thinking not at odds with emotionally infused football. His mood is reflected in his play; he can be both incredibly technically astute, and possess a tackle packed with crunch; a team player, and most importantly, a human being that supporters can identify with. He speaks the language of football to a greater level than any other player in that team, and the fans love him for it.
Are his on-field performances reflective of Keane in Turin? No, but like Keane, his symbolism screams, and like Keane, Herrera deserves a leading role at Manchester United. He was initially inserted to anchor Paul Pogba, but his anchorage has already been shown to cover a significantly wider radius. At 27 years, Herrera is hitting pace right on schedule. Should his premonitions of bad luck dissipating be accurate, we should expect in coming years to see Herrera command the old vessel from the helm; Ander Herrera, Manchester United captain.
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