Ander Herrera Says Manchester United Must Show Desire
Coming off their loss at Tottenham, Manchester United must quickly right the ship.
Manchester United will face a tough West Ham United team Wednesday in the FA Cup quarterfinal replay, with a trip to Wembley on the line.
It’s been a difficult season to endure as a United supporter, as Louis van Gaal‘s team has consistently underperformed in cup elimination games. The Red Devils exited the Capital One Cup in the early stages, failed to make it out of the Champions League group stage, and were knocked out by league rivals Liverpool in the Europa League.
The FA Cup is the last hope for the club to win any silverware this campaign, but even that looks beyond their abilities at this stage. The defense was in tatters against Tottenham after 18-year-old Timothy Fosu-Mensah exited the match. The back four is not the only problem in the team, however, as the attackers have only managed two goals in the past three matches.
Anthony Martial was the savior for Manchester United in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, rescuing his club with a late equalizer to force a replay. It’s unlikely he’ll have a similar impact against the Hammers if he’s forced to partner with Marcos Rojo on the left.
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But, even with the overall poor performance on the weekend, Ander Herrera believes anything can happen in the Cup. The French attacker’s goal is proof of that.
Speaking to MUTV, the Spanish midfielder said:
"“In the Premier League you show your balance [by being consistent over the season] but in the cup you show your spirit and your desire to win. The FA Cup is a big competition, it’s very emotional.”“If we beat West Ham we’ll have the chance to play at Wembley, which is a fantastic stadium. I have a lot of things in mind about being there and we have a big chance to be there, but of course West Ham away is not easy.”"
Supporters would be hard pressed to find signs of spirit or desire in the team, however. Aside from David de Gea’s performance or Martial’s dribbles on the wing, the squad seemed complacent with the loss against Spurs.
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Van Gaal is also doing his part to hinder his team’s performance. All other things being equal, spirit can be the difference maker in a match. But the manager is setting up his team in a way that puts them at a disadvantage from the first whistle.
He played a natural striker on the wing, a winger at no. 10, a no.10 on the wing, and a back four of natural centre-backs. He could have easily rectified the situation by playing his squad in their preferred positions, but his stubbornness prevented such a move.
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For Manchester United to have any chance of beating West Ham on Wednesday, Louis van Gaal will need to swallow his pride. Play Martial at striker. Play Jesse Lingard on the wing, Juan Mata at no. 10. Put the players in their normal position, and spirit and desire may actually have an impact as Herrera predicts.