David de Gea, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera – the names of Manchester’s very popular Spanish trio. The three have formed an inseparable bond together as we look at how they have fared at Old Trafford in their first season together.
Mata and de Gea instantly had a close relationship when the midfielder arrived from Chelsea and Herrera’s arrival rounded off Manchester’s very own Spanish trio. Their friendship off the field has made them fan favourites and their performances on the field have certainly reinforced how beloved they are to the Old Trafford faithful.
David de Gea
Almost every adjective has been used up to describe de Gea’s performances this season, his importance for Manchester United has been unmatchable by any other player. When de Gea first arrived there were many worries; he was too skinny, he wasn’t confident and he reportedly ate too many tacos. Yet, it was last season when we began to see the heights de Gea could reach as he emerged from the 2013/14 season as one of the very few players that bettered their reputation and this season he has taken that said reputation leaps and bounds above expectations. His agility, confidence and his Spider-Man like reflexes has seen him produce saves which have saved United a multitude of points. His flying save versus Everton, or his countless saves against Arsenal in the FA Cup are just a few that can be thought of when looking back on his season.
His stats for the season highlight the improvement he’s undergone. He has the highest distribution accuracy, 69%, out of all the goalkeepers in the top four. Not only that, but his dominance from aerial balls has drastically improved as he caught 92% of them, in comparison to a mere 74% in his first season in Manchester.
De Gea’s season has not gone unnoticed however, earning huge praise from former players such as Ole Gunnar Solskjær who stated his performance against Liverpool at Old Trafford “was probably the best one I’ve seen at Old Trafford from a United goalkeeper.” He also won a place in the PFA Team of the Year and was nominated for both Player and Young Player of the year awards. The Manchester United fans and players have also taken note of his importance as he claimed both the ‘Players’ Player of the Year’ and ‘Fans Player of the Year’ awards for the second consecutive season.
Despite all his praises, the biggest praise is seemingly coming from Real Madrid, who are massively interested in signing de Gea as the natural heir to Casillas’ throne. De Gea’s love for Manchester United is evident in every celebration and interview he gives, yet the ability to play in his home town and be closer to his family and girlfriend might prove all too much of a temptation. From Manchester United’s point-of-view they will obviously offer him all the riches he could want, but they have put themselves in a weak negotiating position with Real Madrid as de Gea only has one more year remaining on his contract.
David de Gea has now been Manchester United’s most important and impressive player for two seasons running, it is without question they will do whatever they can to keep him in Manchester and to keep the Spanish trinity alive.
Ander Herrera
The new Spaniard on the block was rumoured to join Manchester United under David Moyes, but a series of odd events and fake representatives saw the deal fall through in the last minute. However, Manchester United were quick off the blocks to get him at the start of the 2014/15 campaign. Whilst there was general elation amongst United fans to have finally signed a midfielder, many were still eager to see what Herrera could do.
During pre-season he greatly impressed with his quick passing and intuitive play being a breath of fresh air in the United midfield. The start of the new season brought further positivity with Herrera impressing on the right-hand side of a midfield diamond. But, he picked up a rib injury on a visit to West Brom which led to him lose his place in the team and coupled with the defensively frailty of the diamond formation, Herrera was sacrificed for the sake of a more balanced midfield.
Suffering a series of matches on the bench his lack of game time during the Christmas period saw bizarre rumours starting coming out with Herrera linked to a move to Bayern Munich in exchange for Xherdan Shaqiri, with further rumours that he simply wasn’t good enough for van Gaal’s liking. Impressively, none of this seemed to phase Herrera and he consistently put in solid performances every time he was called upon, to the point that van Gaal simply couldn’t leave him out of the team.
Herrera managed a very impressive six goals, four assists and an 89% pass completion in his first Premier League season. However, it is his desire and defensive contribution that made him one of the most dynamic midfielders in the league, making a total of 45 tackles and 51 interceptions. His ability to keep the ball ticking along with his ability to take players on and find a cutting pass made him a staple in United’s midfield in the last months of the campaign.
A fan favourite and an effective midfielder, Herrera’s performances have made him vital to United’s 4-3-3 formation and he seems to be a long-term cog in United’s midfield for the coming years.
Juan Mata
Mata’s place in Manchester United’s team was questioned with the arrival of Ángel Di María and Radamel Falcao. He started the season in his favoured number 10 role in the 352 formation, but with the switch to the diamond and Falcao’s return to fitness, Mata failed to start a number of games.
Wayne Rooney’s red card against West Ham saw Mata given another opportunity in a central playmaking role, but, again he failed to produce anything noteworthy, instantly returning to the bench when Rooney’s suspension was over. Fans were worried about his future as he seemed to be undergoing the exact same scenario which saw him exit Chelsea, but the fact still remained – he simply wasn’t producing enough to be starting games at the time.
A life-line came Mata’s way when Ángel Di María’s received a petulant red-card against Arsenal and his poor performances saw Mata fill in his right-wing position. Whilst this is a position Mata was familiar with, playing in it in his first season at Chelsea, many doubted he still had the requisite pace and quality to occupy the position. Oh, how wrong they were. Against Tottenham, Mata lit up Old Trafford again. His ability to cut in and pick a pass, along with his neat and classy interplay with Ander Herrera saw him use all of his footballing intelligence. Nevertheless, it was away at Anfield, or Juanfield as it was renamed to after his performance, where Mata really came alive. His ability to link play against expansive defences came to haunt Liverpool as he tucked away a tidy finish on his right foot and then won the game with a sensational scissor-kick, which will live long in Manchester United folklore.
Juan Mata became an un-droppable cog in the United side, but there can still be questions of how long he can last on the right-wing. United as a whole have desperately struggled against teams who sit deep with two banks of four and much of it has been because of the lack of penetration on the wings. Against packed defences, Mata simply fails to work his magic out wide as he no longer possesses the speed to beat his fullback.
Mata is arguably the most loved player at Manchester United due to his friendly nature and his connection with the fans through his weekly blogs, in which he ends with a solitary virtual “hug” has proven his worth at Old Trafford this year. With Champions League returning to Old Trafford next season his talent and experience will be very useful in either a central role or a wide role.
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