I’ll start this by pointing out that I’m a fan of GFH. After originally voicing my doubts as the takeover concluded I’ve spoken out in support of them over the last few months as they’ve progressed in making positive changes for the club, it’s made a refreshing change.

Change is exactly what GFH promised, and credit where credit is due, in the majority of areas they’ve stuck to that promise. We’ve seen cheaper match tickets, cheaper season tickets and a few little promotions here and there to try and get the fans united again, for that they deserve recognition.

On the flip side, there’s a serious problem that needs addressing before all of the above becomes meaningless, and with that in mind, I’d like GFH to read the following and try to remedy the situation, for the good of the club.

It’s been discussed countless times, but under Bates the communication with the fans broke down to an irreparable point. Over time even those that were trying not to turn against him had no choice due to the utter lack of respect shown to entire fan base, there are only so many times you can ignore questions from the people that matter before they start to realize that they’re being sold a lie.

When GFH took over we were promised better communication between the board and the fans, and for the first few weeks that seemed to be the case. We were reading interviews left right and centre that had been given to fans, blogs and the damage done by Bates seemed to be healing.

With that in mind, it’s hard to understand why of all a sudden the fans are feeling as though they are on the wrong side of a divide once again.

The last few months has seen countless rumours about GFH’s intentions, we’ve also had Neil Warnock telling us that the search for his successor is already taking place. Reports continue to appear claiming that the club is about to be sold and even the GFH website stated that the company were actively looking to sell it’s share in the club, yet the silence from the owners couldn’t be more deafening.

The club may have released a statement last week reaffirming their stance on the takeover rumours, but it didn’t even come close to answering the questions being asked.

When it comes to the future of the club the fans are in the dark once again, and this is something that needs to change. The season is coming to an end and we’ve got a manager in charge who seems to get a kick out of telling us all how much he won’t be here next season, so why have we not had some form of statement of intent from the owners letting us know exactly what their plan is? Nobody expects names of potential candidates, but at least let us know that someone out there is working on bringing the right man in.

Not only that, but are we going to be entering the new season with GFH at the helm or someone else? Again, nobody expects details, we just want to know exactly what is happening with our club. If we’re up for sale, tell us. If we’re not, tell us. If there’s a bid in progress then tell us. It really shouldn’t be as difficult as this to find out information about the future of the club you support and plough money into week after week.

It also confused me to find that GFH have not been in contact with L.U.S.T. since they took over, despite efforts from the trust. With re-engaging the fans being at the top of their priority list I find it odd, and a little disheartening, to see that whatever went on throughout the takeover saga appears to have left the wedge created by Bates between the club and the trust firmly in place. We as fans were expected to give GFH a slate wiped completely clean once they finally completed the deal, so it would be a bold statement, and one that would show a truly united front, were they to offer the same to L.U.S.T and to build a bridge with them as soon as possible. As Ken found out on more than one occasion, ignoring them will not simply make them go away.

Lowering ticket prices and promotions may well get the fans attention, but in the grand scheme of things what use is that when we’re all staring into the abyss of a wasted season not knowing what the future holds? There’s no action plan to turn to, we’re all left guessing and trying to piece rumours together.

The hard work in getting the fans interest back has begun with promise, but GFH are in danger of letting it all go to waste by not sticking to the one promise that mattered most to the fans, communication. We don’t expect fine details, but when we ask a question we no longer expect it to be met with silence, we were under the impression that those days were done.

Whether they plan on staying or selling, GFH have the opportunity to bring the fans and the club together for the first time in recent history and it is an opportunity that won’t last forever. Even if the answers to our questions aren’t exactly what we want to hear, the mere fact that someone had been bold and brave enough to answer them would be enough, and it really would demonstrate the change that we were all promised.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Should any board member from GFH be reading this I’ll keep it short and sweet, you’ve made positive strides in your short time here but we still have a serious lack of direction. If you speak to us and give us a dream to buy into we’ll be right behind you, the choice is entirely yours, but it’s a choice that needs to me made sooner rather than later.

We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.

Twitter – @giddy_goose

[ad_pod id=’writer-1′ align=’right’]

Summary: A brace from John Terry and stunning strike from David Luiz earned Chelsea a valuable derby win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The Blues breezed past their west London counterparts on the Thames to claim third spot from Arsenal and give their bid for Champions League qualification a timely boost.

After a bright opening from Cottagers, which saw Bryan Ruiz volley narrowly over in the fifth minute, the visitors took the lead in spectacular circumstances on the half hour.

Picking the ball up 35-yards from goal Luiz blasted an unstoppable drive into the top corner that gave Mark Schwarzer absolutely no chance.

And just before half time the game was settled when Juan Mata whipped over a corner from the right that was headed in by Terry at the near post ahead of Phillipe Senderos.

Mladen Petric spurned two chances after the break to give Fulham a lifeline and with 20 minutes remaining Terry nipped in to bundle the ball home after Fernando Torres flicked on a corner.

Martin Jol post-match…”We couldn’t get the goal we should have had in the first few minutes and we had other chances, but we didn’t get the break. If you didn’t see the game, the result was bit harsh.”

Rafael Benitez post-match…”Obviously to win is very important and to win with a clean sheet and with three goals is important and to win a derby… there are lots of positives today.”

Good night for…John Terry: A welcome return to the side for Terry, who took both of his goals with extreme aplomb. Apart from a few scares the Chelsea skipper soon found his feet once again as the teams defensive cornerstone.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Bad night for…Phillipe Senderos: Failed to pick up Terry for both of his goals and was generally the weak link in Fulham’s back line. Wasteful in possession and, at times, was his own worst enemy with poor positioning.

Tottenham are interested in signing Brazilian midfielder Hernanes, according to talkSPORT.

The Lazio midfielder is also wanted by PSG as well as the Premier League side.

Hernanes, who scored 11 goals in Serie A this season, is currently on international duty with Brazil for the Confederations Cup. The 28-year-old came off the bench in his nation’s 2-0 victory over Mexico last night.

Andre Villas-Boas is keen on bringing the midfielder, as he looks to add more creativity to his midfield ahead of the new season. Spurs relied heavily on Gareth Bale for inspiration last season, and the club’s Portuguese manager is key to boost his options going forward.

But PSG are leading the race for the Brazilian’s signature according to reports in the Italian press. Gazzetta dello Sport claim the high spending French club’s sporting director Leonardo is flying out to meet with the midfielder in Brazil, to negotiate a transfer.

Hernanes scored two goals in Lazio’s Coppa Italia run, as the club went on to beat rivals Roma in the final to lift the trophy.

But it looks set to be his first and only trophy with the Rome club, as PSG and Spurs step up their pursuit of the Brazilian midfielder.

Should Spurs make Hernanes a priority? Should he join PSG instead of Tottenham?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Join the debate below!

‪[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”grid”]

Preceding him in making a big-money switch from La Liga, and specifically not from one of the Big Two, to the Premier League in recent times has been Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Juan Mata and David Silva. This summer, Roberto Soldado joined Alvaro Negredo in swapping Valencia and Sevilla respectively, each held back by the glass ceiling of Spanish football, to join new, exciting and deserved frontiers.

If there have been concerns over Soldado’s scoring form at this stage in his Tottenham career, then they’re misguided. The Spaniard was Valencia’s most saleable asset in a period of the club’s history when financial strengthening was paramount. In two of his three seasons at the Mestalla, Soldado helped to guide the club into the Champions League, a tandem formed with now departed coach Unai Emery that would see Valencia as the third best club in Spain.

This is a player who Tottenham have not only bought for his scoring exploits, but for his experience and big-match temperament. He’s well suited to the Champions League, as well as finding room to make himself known in clashes with Real Madrid in particular. He may not be as fashionable as Torres was and Aguero currently is, but Soldado has offered a similar guarantee of goals wherever he’s played.

[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”list”]

Tottenham would do well to steer clear of the path that was trodden by Real Madrid, who failed to capitalise on the talent of a young Soldado, first farming him out to Osasuna and then moving him on permanently in 2008 to Getafe. Last season, Real suffered in attack due to the inconsistent or altogether poor form of Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema; at Valencia, Soldado was battling for the place as La Liga’s top scoring Spanish striker. On the final day of the season, he lost out to Negredo, finishing one goal behind the then Sevilla striker’s 25.

At Valencia, Soldado was without question the best striker. At Spurs, the Devil may care attitude of Emmanuel Adebayor and the inconsistency of Jermain Defoe has offered the Spaniard the same status. Soldado is not without his flaws too, of course. Only last season did he really do away with those lengthy scoring droughts. At 28, he is the finished product, but how late has the switch away from La Liga come?

I don’t subscribe to the idea that every foreign player needs to “adapt” to English football. It may be the case for some, but it shouldn’t be seen as the default rule. Soldado, however, needs the team setup to get the best out of him.

His quickness was often of use in La Liga, able to counterattack with midfield playmakers releasing him through on goal. The industry of players like Sofiane Feghouli and Jonas were often the perfect foil for Soldado, too. The Spaniard isn’t always likely to play a part in the build up play; despite being able to craft his own chances, he’s very much seen as a poacher.

Instead, Tottenham’s much talked about midfield will need to find a balance in protecting their goal and furthering their good defensive form and bringing the best out of a striker who is more than capable. In Erik Lamela, Andre Villas-Boas has a wide player with creative tendencies and far more experience in a top European league than Christian Eriksen. At present, Tottenham have a lot of players who are capable of shooting from range and adding to the score line themselves, but where is the designated playmaker and direct line for the striker?

Soldado has barely played two months-worth of Premier League games; the goals and performances will come. He’s proved to Vicente Del Bosque that he can cut it for the Spanish national team, improving on his linkup play with a group of midfielders who are unlikely to be instructed to go direct. Villas-Boas will also need to find a balance with what he has, and there should be little doubt that it will come to fruition.

A crucial factor in this is that Soldado is a player who needs very little motivation to succeed.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Is Roberto Soldado’s form a cause for concern at Tottenham?

Join the debate below

[opinion-widget op width=”full”]

Andros Townsend has been taking the footballing world by storm, a series of swashbuckling displays for both club and country have seen the young starlet begin his rise to prominence. Some may have been apprehensive about the possible comedown from his England heroics, but Townsend continued to dazzle and delight as Tottenham put Aston Villa to the sword on Sunday afternoon.

Not everything is perfect in the world of AVB, and Spurs were more clinical than they were convincing during their last Premier League outing. But with Erik Lamela watching on impatiently, is it high time that Spurs shuffled their attacking pack?

AVB has become seemingly obsessed with this whole ‘inverted winger’ idea, where both Spurs’ predominant wide men play on the opposite side to what is considered orthodox. A left footed Townsend playing on the right and a right footed Sigurdsson on the left.

It has been a ploy that has consistently seen Townsend cut in off the wing, a la Bale, and cause problems for opposition in more central areas. Townsend has been remarkably successful, and this in no small part down to his apparent comfort at playing off either foot. In fact some of his recent finishes with his supposed weaker foot have put a lot of the Tottenham frontline to shame.

The problem for me though with the current Tottenham system is the decision to persist with playing Sigurdsson out left. I like the Icelandic midfielder a lot and he is undoubtedly an outstanding talent, but I along with many Spurs fans would argue that he just isn’t a winger. In fact both Sigurdsson and AVB clearly feel the same way because he so regularly drifts into the middle of the park, congesting areas that the likes of Dembele and Eriksen should be patrolling.

Spurs’ narrowness was brutally exploited by West Ham a couple of weeks ago, with a wall of claret placed up against AVB’s midfielders. Too slow to introduce Lamela in my opinion, the gameplan was brutally exposed by the apparent tactical genius of ‘Allardici’ or whatever ‘Big Sam’ is calling himself now.

[ad_pod id=’tui’ align=’center’]

Tottenham always look most dangerous when they have pace and craft in wide areas, think Lennon and Bale during the Redknapp Champions League campaign. With Townsend as the only predominant wide man he is now beginning to be marked out of the game, the first half against Aston Villa was a profound example of this with the England star consistently frustrated by the home side doubling up on him.

For me the only solution, and one that I think AVB will inevitably turn to is the gradual inclusion of £30m record signing Erik Lamela into the first team. Fans seem frustrated by the slow introduction of Lamela to proceedings at Spurs, but personally I think it is only prudent to be cautious with such a precocious young foreign talent.

However, the current shortcomings for Spurs may well dictate the necessity of bringing the Argentine winger into the fold much more quickly than first thought. Lamela is another left-footer who was comfortable playing out right during his hugely successful days at Roma.

The dilemma for AVB is as to which way round he plays these two youngsters. Switch Townsend onto the left wing, or play Lamela there?

As a traditionalist I always think it is best to play a winger on his natural side, being able to comfortably cut in is just an added bonus. Clearly with two left-footed wide men AVB doesn’t have this possibility and this is an issue for him to mull over.

In my view though it really doesn’t matter, keen to keep the opposition guessing I would expect both wide men to float in off the wings and interchange regularly during a game. The key difference between this and what Spurs have now is that with two genuine wingers, it is impossible for teams to double up without creating additional space for the other man.

Townsend proved against Villa that he is neither one-dimensional nor predictable, able to beat his man and cross or cut in and shoot; he menaced Antonio Luna for much of the afternoon.

Having watched Lamela briefly for Roma I expect exactly the same kind of variety that might already be expected from Townsend. The most important thing is that Spurs move quickly away from the realms of predictability that they currently find themselves in in, something that has regularly stifled their abilities to score.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Lamela and Townsend racing down either flank I can see Spurs being a totally different prospect in the coming months

Is it time for AVB to create the Lamela-Townsend partnership?

Join the debate below

[cat_link cat=”manchester-united” type=”grid”]

The optimism that was surging from White Hart Lane at the start of the season has been somewhat curbed. After effectively investing the money acquired from selling Gareth Bale to strengthen their squad depth, Tottenham was tipped a possible title contender this season. Although they lost last season’s most influential player, the team Andre Villas-Boas now manage is far stronger player for player than the one that narrowly lost out on Champions League football in May.

But the results have yet to justify our expectations. Granted, a 6-0 thrashing makes anyone an easy target, and their inability to score in three consecutive Premier League games gives critiques of AVB food for scrutiny. A side with as significant alterations as Spurs will always need time to release their full potential, and the current crop is surely a long-term project. Yet, I expected a bit more from the Londoners at this stage. I believe AVB is forcing his philosophy upon the squad too hastily.

Andre Villas-Boas is not a man for smooth transitions. We saw that in his short-lived tenure at Chelsea. He took over the arguably best squad in the land, who finished second the previous season, and made sudden brutal changes that left the Blues unrecognizable. He was eventually sacked after a defeat to Napoli in the Champions League eight-final first leg left them with little chance of progression. Chelsea famously won the double with Roberto Di Matteo at the helm, and Villas-Boas received little recognition.

So what are AVB’s faults? There is little doubt he is a talented coach, having guided Porto through an undefeated season in 2010-11, but he is still struggling to handle crucial elements of managing.

AVB is the modern type of coach who has a strictly academic approach to his profession. Having learned his trade under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea before becoming head coach at Porto at the age of 32, he epitomize the new generation of football tacticians. The kind spearheaded by Mourinho himself, that enter coaching with no professional background, but with an education in the theory of football.

Managers can be split into two main categories: the tacticians and the man-managers.

The tacticians have superior understanding of the game, and view football as a mechanic exercise. They have a tendency to forget that players are human – with all pros and cons that follow. The prime example of a tactician is the current football world’s perhaps greatest thinker, Marcelo Bielsa. ‘El Loco’ once famously said that if his players where machines, he would win every game. However, Bielsa’s record is far less distinguished than his reputation implies. He overlooks the human factor, and pays the price.

The man-managers have a far more relaxed approach to tactics and strategy. The basic philosophy of a man-manager is that formation is insignificant if the performance level is not at the level required. AVB’s predecessor at White Hart Lane, Harry Redknapp, claims to be clueless tactically, yet his players will sacrifice their limbs for him. Sir Alex Ferguson was neither a magnificent tactician, but he knew exactly when a player would perform at the peak of his game.

AVB himself is a football geek, and sits in the former category. For all his insight and knowledge of the game, he crucially lacks man management skills. His strategy at Chelsea led him to falling out with the most influential characters in the dressing room, which would eventually cost him his job. Spurs’s lack of goalscoring prowess and their total disintegration et the Etihad seem to me to be as much down to Andre’s failure with the players as the team being unsettled.

In a sense, you can compare him to a young player. AVB is the Adnan Januzaj of the Premier League managers. And as a youngster, he will show spells of greatness, followed by periods where his flaws are mercilessly displayed.

Tottenham is being put through a brutal centrifugation where the ends – AVB’s vision – is distant on the horizon. Instead of maneuvering his squad steadily along the map, the Portuguese intend to travel towards his goal in a straight line. The problem with that route, is that Tottenham will hit every rock and speed bump imaginable along the way.

As for the players, they seem content for now, but any manager would struggle to keep the dressing room happy when goals are coming scarcely and the team suffer humiliating defeats like the one to Man City and the 3-0 thumping they received at home to West Ham.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The playing material at AVB’s hands at the moment is of genuine top four quality, but they need attuning. I have no doubt in the manager’s ability to get there, but I question the route he is taking. At the moment, Andre Villas-Boas is as much a work in progress as his squad.

The Tottenham board will have patience with the young manager. The question is how much.

Will AVB succeed at Tottenham?

[ad_pod id=’fbn-ldb’ align=’center’]

Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton has defended Roy Hodgson’s decision to select Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley for tonight’s international friendly with Denmark at Wembley.

Hodgson has come under fire from bemused England fans who feel he is only selecting the midfielder on the basis that he plays for United and not because his performances deserve a call up.

But Shilton believes Cleverley has done enough to be called up by Hodgson and that he must stay loyal to his previous selections.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “You’ve got to show a bit of loyalty as a manager, and Hodgson has already played Cleverley in the past.

“Obviously United are struggling at the moment but, I think it’s ridiculous what I’ve read in the papers about what fans have been doing.

“At the end of the day, he deserves to be there. He has played for England and, yeah he’s not in the United side at the moment, but things can change.”

But Shilton also admitted that the young players who have been called up by Hodgson, such as Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana, could prove an interesting addition to Hodgson’s World Cup squad.

“I think Roy Hodgson thinks a lot of Lallana because he can play on that wide position on the left and come inside as well, which has been a bit of a problem position for England recently, in terms of balance,” he added.

“Luke Shaw is lacking in experience having not been in the England team before, and it’s going to be a big ask for him, but he has played with Lallana and that’s an advantage.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Hodgson has hinted that a big name could be left out and, as Ashley Cole isn’t playing regularly for Chelsea at the moment, and obviously Baines will go,  Ashley could make way for Shaw.”

With 125 appearances, Peter Shilton is England’s most capped football player. Celebrating the launch of the Wasgij Original 21 Football Fever jigsaw puzzle, Jumbo Games is running a promotion offering the chance to watch England take on Uruguay alongside Shilton on 19 June 2014.

The title is within reach for the fans, but Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers admits his focus isn’t on winning the title, but only as far as their next challenge, according to The Mirror.

The Liverpool supporters’ belief of finally clinching the Premier League title is high all around Anfield, as Liverpool  thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4-0, but the Liverpool manager dismissed any claims that his current focus is winning the title.

Youanes Kaboul put in an early own goal to give the Reds the lead, before Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, and Jordan Henderson all scored to cap off a memorable night.

But Rodgers is keen on only focusing on the next Sunday’s game against West Ham, as he is looking no further despite recording eight wins in eight games.

“The dream is for our supporters, they want to win the title,” he said. “It has been a long time but it’s not in my thinking.

“We just need to prepare and do well and if we do that, we will win games.

“We have won eight games in a row and we will enjoy that. It’s just about going back to work next week and we have a tough game against West Ham next.

“We just want to concentrate on the next game and that is what we will focus on.”

However, the manager had nothing but praise with his side now top of the league, while the result proved that it wasn’t luck and they have what it takes to go all the way.

“We were seventh last year so the expectation wasn’t there at the start of the season. Now we are up there at the top of the league with that pressure,” he said.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Today we answered the question about pressure. We like to dominate the ball and you saw that today. The movement, confidence and composure was good. We fight as a team to get the ball back and overall I was very proud of the team.

“That is eight wins in a row and that takes some going at this level.”

After a little over twelve months, a group of alleged imposters masquerading as a transfer committee (which has now been cleared up) and dealing with one of the most stubborn football clubs in the game, Manchester United have finally signed Ander Herrera.

This is the time for giving credit where it’s due. Herrera to United looked dead in the water after the episode of last summer. The failure to land Herrera led to the player being benched early on by Ernesto Valverde, only to be gradually reinstated as a starting regular and ending the season on a personal high. Such was the mix up last season, if we’re going to call it that, and Athletic Bilbao’s red-faced stubbornness, the player looked all but set to commit his future to the Basque club.

Credit now to United for convincing the player otherwise, keeping the deal relatively quiet and wrapping it up in a manner as professional as can be done in such a situation. Bilbao, under no pressure to sell for a multitude of reasons, won’t settle for anything less than their players’ buyout clause.

The deal is somewhat of a surprise due to United’s apparent disinterest in returning to such a complicated negotiating table. Toni Kroos, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arturo Vidal, and various others looked well ahead of Herrera as possibilities to be United’s next midfield lynchpin.

But this is what United needed. The misconception about Herrera is that he’s a young player – at 24 (25 later this summer) and having been a regular for Bilbao since 2011, he’s far from it. Questions about the player’s fee are warranted: is he worth that sort of money at this stage? It depends how you look at it. As of now, Herrera wouldn’t command a fee of £29 million elsewhere. But these were special circumstances, dealing with a club who simply don’t budge when it comes to transfers. In the future – and there can be little doubt that Herrera is well off his peak – the Spaniard will justify the figure United parted with.

The player has been talked up as one of the pivotal figures in the next wave for the Spanish national team. Along with Thiago Alcantara and Koke, any combination of the three could replace Xavi ad Xabi Alonso in Spain’s midfield in the future.

There’s a lot to like about Herrera’s game over both Kroos and last year’s transfer target Cesc Fabregas. He has bite, he’s not afraid to get stuck into the dirty work, namely winning the ball back high up the pitch. He’s intelligent and can create, which is well known, but his versatility is what makes him such an attractive prospect. Juan Mata or Wayne Rooney will fill in at No.10, but Herrera is just as comfortable there as he is deeper in the midfield. He can become the perfect centrepiece to employing stylish possession tactics.

Naturally, the midfield recruitment shouldn’t be over for United just yet. Herrera very much needs a partner or some form of safety net behind him. At Athletic Bilbao, Ander Iturraspe is a regular starter and would sit in front of the back four. United have a long-standing need for a player who can protect the defence, and now with the signing of Herrera, they very much need someone to help bring the best out of the 24-year-old.

Think of the rewards to be had with Herrera pairing up with a coach like Louis van Gaal. The Dutch coach is known for his preference of working with younger players; this Netherlands side at the World Cup very much leans on youth and inexperience. It was van Gaal who brought Thomas Muller into the Bayern team, as well as guiding a youthful AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title. The bottom line is this: Herrera isn’t the finished product yet. He’s good, very good in fact. But this is a player who can be further moulded by a manager who has his preferred way of coaching.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

United have taken a considerable leap forward with this signing. They would have been impressed by the mauling suffered at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League in 2012. Herrera racked up a huge number of games over that season, helping Bilbao to both the Europa League and Copa del Rey final.

This is the natural next step in his career. There’s added responsibility now and Herrera is more than capable of delivering.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Steven Gerrard is undoubtably one of the greatest Premier League players – however, can he still compete at the top level?

As a West Ham fan I was delighted when I saw that Gerrard was going to be playing in his new deep position when the two sides met last weekend. Sam Allardyce was happy to concede possession and instead play a fast counter-attacking style of football. The Reds duly delivered their possession style football but so rarely managed to create chances. Gerrard made the fourth most passes but this was more to do with the fact that The Hammers were sitting deep and allowing the passes between the Liverpool defenders – the ex-England captain’s most common pass destinations were Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren – passes which are completely ‘safe’ from a West Ham point of view.

Stevie G’s passing range is still as good as ever and as a result he is still ‘pinging’ long balls across the pitch, which sometimes triggers a Liverpool attack but not as often as the Liverpool fans would like. When Luis Suarez was at Liverpool last year, Gerrard managed to bag 11 assists and the majority were assisting the now Barcelona man. Is the loss of Suarez affecting Gerrard’s performances in terms of assists and overall contribution to attacking play? Of course having a player of Suarez’s quality helps creative midfielders greatly but surely Gerrard could put a goal on a plate for anyone?

In my opinion, there’s no doubting that Gerrard still has the ability to rule the Premier League but Brendan Rodgers is wasting one of the league’s true greats. Steven has been moved into a deeper role – which happens to many ageing midfielders – however,  it’s now his role to dictate play from deep and in a team like Liverpool that’s not a particularly tricky role to maintain.

Most football fans would describe Andrea Pirlo as the best example of a deep-lying playmaker. He dictates the tempo for Italy and Juventus at the ripe old age of 35; he generally covers very little distance in this role but does contribute to assists and a few goals here and there.

I still feel that Gerrard would outshine most centre-midfielders in the Premier League if he was allowed to take a more advanced position as he did in his younger years. Despite his fantastic passing range I just don’t think that Gerrard suits the deep role. It keeps the 34-year-old out of the way too much. He has scored 113 Premier League goals – including some of the all-time best – however, he now is relying on set-pieces to affect the match. Out of his last 18 goals, 17 have been either a penalty or a free-kick.

Seeing Gerrard’s name on the team-sheet used to inject fear into the opposition as they desperately tried to stop him from scoring or assisting a mass amount of goals. However, opposition sides know now that he is only really a danger from set-pieces in his new role.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Fill out our survey and win a pair of PUMA EvoPOWER boots as worn by Mario Balotelli, Cesc Fabregas and Marco Reus!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.