Ander Herrera vs N'golo Kanté | Thread has gone well

Paxi

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Interesting stats. Kante has won marginally more tackles in 4 more games than Herrera and less interceptions, which I find one the most important abilities for defensive midfielder to be able to do. Ander Herrera pretty much offers what Kante offers Chelsea, as well as far superior offensive abilities. So why is everyone Eulogising about Kante but Herrera goes unnoticed?


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Herrera going unnoticed? He is the most loved player on the caf.

I would say though, that despite what those stats say, kante is the superior player. He seems calmer and more dynamic. Superior decision making skills to herrera.
 
Because Kante is going to win the league for the second consecutive season, with two different teams, winning the first with a bunch of relegation nobodies who have since plummeted to the bottom half where they belong, and the second with a team who finished 10th last year on 50 points, closer to Sunderland in 17th than they were to West Ham in 7th.
 
nokillingmoths said:
Herrera going unnoticed? He is the most loved player on the caf.

I would say though, that despite what those stats say, kante is the superior player. He seems calmer and more dynamic. Superior decision making skills to herrera.
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I meant to other football fans.
 
This is a great example of 'stats not telling the whole story'
 
People don't like or rate Herrera because let's be honest he's an arsewipe in matches. I'm just glad he plays for us as he would wind me up no end if he played for the likes of city or Liverpool.

Kante is obviously the better DM but I'm more than happy having Ander.
 
MaxiPaxi said:
Not really.. Herrera has been brilliant for us and those stats just back it up.
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Brilliant is a bit of an exaggeration. Kante is and has been the vital cog for two title winning sides. Herrera is playing a good season for a team that is going to finish 3-6th. Nobody here is shitting on Herrera, yet everybody in his right mind would still agree that Kante is the superior player. Your stats just prove that naked stats prove nothing.
 
Stats don't tell the whole story. When you watch both players play I wouldn't be surprised if you think Kante is better but neither would I be surprised if you prefer Herrera. Both have been good this season.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
Not another thread on this subject. Both players have been great for their teams and we should all be happy.
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Oh right I didn't know. I was away from the caf for a few months so I must have missed it.
 
Varun said:
A shite first touch is all I saw there.
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Imagine that dreadful touch instead of Herrera's immaculate one, to win the free kick for Ibrahimovic's goal in the League Cup final.
 
PedroMendez said:
Brilliant is a bit of an exaggeration. Kante is and has been the vital cog for two title winning sides. Herrera is playing a good season for a team that is going to finish 3-6th. Nobody here is shitting on Herrera, yet everybody in his right mind would still agree that Kante is the superior player. Your stats just prove that naked stats prove nothing.
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Brilliant is not exaggeration. What has Herrera got to do with our position? Last I checked we drew 7 games at home, most of which we should have won.
 
VorZakone said:
Stats don't tell the whole story. When you watch both players play I wouldn't be surprised if you think Kante is better but neither would I be surprised if you prefer Herrera. Both have been good this season.
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Well that's what I think. I don't think Kante is a bad player, I think he's fantastic. Having watched them both play I think they're both on the same level.
 
PedroMendez said:
Do you think that he is our best player?
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Possibly, he has certainly been one of our most consistent players. I think maybe one or two games maximum, this season, where he didn't play well. I'd say Mkhitaryan has been our best player since he came into the team after he came back into the fold. Obviously Ibra has been one of our best if you purely look at stats. Which I don't, as I think Ibra could be so much better.
 
Theres no comparison between the 2, Kante is a far superior holding/ball winning midfielder. Hererra is better on the ball but as for whose a superior player its Kante by a country mile.
 
Santoryo said:
:lol:

The Kante love in here is ridiculous though
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Exactly. Shit first touch is somehow made to look like pass. Him losing possession 3 times in 24 seconds and winning back got so much love here but if any ManUtd player makes 1 loose pass they get so much stick.
 
Both are important to their teams but as I said in the Kante thread - the fact he's doing it for a second season on the verge of back to back titles at that means he obviously is going to get more plaudits. He's sustained his level which is the important next step.

Plus stats on their own aren't decisive. When Henderson topped the Squakwa metrics for much of the season it wasn't taken seriously by anyone but Liverpool fans. You can't pick and choose when to use stats.
 
I feel like we as fans never get proper statistics, always leaving some stuff out. How many times have each player been out of position? Out of position in a critical moment? Who is strongest? Best stamina? Fastest? What percent of their decisions with or without the ball has been correct (this isn't even obvious to define)?

Of course numbers like the ones above can be argued to proxy some of that, but it feels rather incomplete.

That being said, I think Herrera has been one of our better players this season. Not really to blame for our woes. I believe you always receive more attention if you play for a successful team, regardless of your own quality. After all, it is easier to play football the better your teammates are playing.
 
Kante is a much better ball winner (specially in his own half)... everywhere else, Ander is a superior player.

I was shocked the last time i saw a Chelsea game. The number of simple passes Kante missed was crazy, i wasn't expecting that.

But its funny because he will go and fix the feck up and recover the ball maybe 10 seconds later. Still, i was shocked at his game while on possession.

edit. Kante is no Makele that's for sure.
 
roonster09 said:
Exactly. Shit first touch is somehow made to look like pass. Him losing possession 3 times in 24 seconds and winning back got so much love here but if any ManUtd player makes 1 loose pass they get so much stick.
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Stats suddenly don't tell the whole story because in this case Herrera has Kante beat but the same stats are used as a stick to beat Pogba with.

I also remember that Liverpool game where he kept losing the ball and misplacing it due to constant pressure. Yet whenever it happened commentators kept quiet and only reacted once he won the ball back. It became quite amusing.

And to no surprise I came to the Caf after that game and Kante was being worshipped for that performance and claims about him being this utter and most dominant midfield force in the league kept surfacing.

It's amazing what a narrative does to the mass. Because media has been parroting that Kante is amazing your average follower get caught up in that story to then never escape from .
 
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Santoryo said:
Stats suddenly don't tell the whole story because in this case Herrera has Kante beat but the same stats are used as a stick to beat Pogba with.
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And the same stats were used to praise Kante last season when his tackles per game was so high.
 
Varun said:
A shite first touch is all I saw there.
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He tried to pass that ball to Alonso first (you can see he was slowing down after the touch), but the Spaniard was off side. When he realized that, he accelerated and got the ball back.

Edit: The battle between those two will be on Monday's night. There is no need to discuss at the moment, IMO.
 
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roonster09 said:
And the same stats were used to praise Kante last season when his tackles per game was so high.
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This is actually very true and I'm glad you reminded me of this. Stats where the go to place to immortalise Kante. His interceptions stats paticularly. No one or at least most bothered entertaining the idea of seeing them into context or whatever else, Kante simply had good stats so people were content.

Then here we are.
 
The issue you have is Herrera has adapted his game to play the Kante role for United. He's done a great job but obviously Kante is going to be better at it as it's his natural position and he's been playing it his whole career.

For what it's worth I actually think Herrera is the better footballer.
 
TheReligion said:
The issue you have is Herrera has adapted his game to play the Kante role for United. He's done a great job but obviously Kante is going to be better at it as it's his natural position and he's been playing it his whole career.

For what it's worth I actually think Herrera is the better footballer.
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I thought Herrera looked a world beater under Biesla. I remember him in Europa League that season they went on to the final. He was absolutely class.
 
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