pretty much.
Ander Herrera vs N'golo Kanté | Thread has gone well
- Thread starter Paxi
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
pretty much.
This, plus Kante has disappeared every time I've seen him face a tough opponent.
They're both excellent players, Kante is better as a pure defensive mid though and more consistent probably. Not that Herrera isn't consistent, but in terms of holding a midfield. Herrera is better on the ball of course.
Kante, Herrera, Poona would be an almost perfect midfield.
Both players are very good but I'd prefer Herrera purely because I think he is a more complete midfielder. His pass for Rashford yesterday was 10/10.
Both players are very good but I'd prefer Herrera purely because I think he is a more complete midfielder. His pass for Rashford yesterday was 10/10.
I don't think it would. None of those players' natural game is to sit back and shield the defence. Pogba is more offensive and Herrera/ Kante like to harass people and hunt for the ball.
I think the fact that Chelsea's wide players require so much attention gives Kante a bit of a leg up too.
So you want to say Utd aren't a tough opponent or you happened to miss both the UTD vs Chelsea games before this?Coz he scored twice against Utd and played well in both the games
I agree with you. Kante and Herrera have been together in England for two years. The former has been a reliable 7/10 for most of that time while the latter may peak higher but fluctuates more in that time. Comparing consistency of central midfielders to proclaim one better isn't just four or five months - people dismissed Dembele praise as OTT for that reason but now he's doing it for another season. Herrera is in that boat.
Indeed.
On the one hand Kante played a large part in leading Leicester to the PL, impressing SAF enough for him to name him his player of the year. This year he has done enough to end up on the PL player of the year shortlist.
Whereas Herrera had a poor season last year, arguably our most disappointing player given the high expectations we had for him. This year he has been very good.
Looking at those two seasons, one is clearly better than the other, which explains why one is generally accepted as the better player by the vast majority of the football watching world.
I'm sitting on the fence. Have noticed a Kante backlash, not just on here, seems harsh on the basis of a couple of middling to poor games and a lot of well-deserved hype. He's more limited than Herrera but does what he does at a higher level imo. I'd be happy with either, or both, can't deny Kante's had the greater impact though.
Kante's definitely been better over the last two seasons - he won the league with Leicester, FFS. Even yesterday, despite his mistake for the goal, he had a good game especially when you consider that Matic was beyond hopeless.
He had a bad match (Kanté) and he has had a better season than Herrera so far. It's as simple as that.
i dont think kante was even that bad last night. he was the only one in their midfield even trying something.
According to Squawka,
Kante attempted 10 tackles, won 3 tackles only.
Attempted 2 aerial duels, lost both
Made 7 interceptions
You can dish it but you can't take it. You made a stupid comment and he owned you so your only go to was offense. You and I both know he didn't mean it that way.
Kante is probably the only Chelsea player that could leave the game with his head held high. Still think there's no comparison between the two.
Love Ander and he had a great game yesterday, far superior to kante.
However for me Kante is the best CM in the league, far superior to Ander. He's consistently won the midfield battles for Chelsea and given the platform for there form this season.
However for me Kante is the best CM in the league, far superior to Ander. He's consistently won the midfield battles for Chelsea and given the platform for there form this season.
He's playing next to a second DM with three centrebacks behind him and two wing backs, they ought to be winning the midfield battle regularly.
Imagine if Kante had put in Herrera's performance today, we'd be seeing comparisons to Jesus.
Herrera and Kante are different types of players: Kante is a DM while Herrera is a box2box CM. Kante has great tackling technique and Herrera is much better on the ball. Both have high work rate and cover a lot of ground, but are diminutive and are aerially challenged.
I agree with your final point and as I said, Ander was the better player today and was absolutely outstanding.
Kante has been outstanding all season though, along with last season and for me is the best CM in the league by some distance.
Jesus. He had a good game. Let's not talk silly
He had a good game at Anfield too, remember?
I can understand (although disagree) with your opinion he is the best CM in the league, but by some distance? No chance.
He's being played in a system perfect for him where his sole responsibility is to win the ball back, but the likes of Herrera and Gueye have outperformed him in that area while Herrera has provided far more offensively.
two super midfielders and Herrera was better yesterday
Pogba did a good job on Kante and restricted time and space
hard to pick between them and Herrera's stats were superior last time someone posted a comparison... if anything its marginal and they are the two best deep midfielders by a mile
Pogba did a good job on Kante and restricted time and space
hard to pick between them and Herrera's stats were superior last time someone posted a comparison... if anything its marginal and they are the two best deep midfielders by a mile
He does a lot more than just win the ball back, that's doing him a disservice. The pass for Hazards goal last week was superb and he drives the team forward and moves up the pitch with the ball really well.
Similar to your point if Kante had put in Anders performance yesterday he'd be getting rave reviews, if Kante played for us we'd be arguing him as the best CM in the world.
So you want to say Utd aren't a tough opponent or you happened to miss both the UTD vs Chelsea games before this?Coz he scored twice against Utd and played well in both the games
The first game when we were finding our feet? Or the next game when we were a man down?
He's good 90% of the time but under pressure, as he was yesterday, or as Spurs put him under a few games back, and he completely disappears. That's the mark of a good player in a form team, not a great player.
Let's not shit on Kante because Chelsea lost.
They lost because:
We played two pacy players that could split their pedestrian back three and they had no answer to it.
We man marked their most influential players.
Kante is a really, really good player, but if he's got nobody to pass to and is being marked by someone nearly a clear foot taller than him, he is going to find it difficult.
They lost because:
We played two pacy players that could split their pedestrian back three and they had no answer to it.
We man marked their most influential players.
Kante is a really, really good player, but if he's got nobody to pass to and is being marked by someone nearly a clear foot taller than him, he is going to find it difficult.
So what you're saying is playing for an inferior/underperforming side will affect a players individual performance? Whereas playing for the league leaders will likely put a player in a positive light.
If he was playing for us he's be getting roundly criticised for his lack of offensive contribution and passive passing. A criticism thats been leveled at Herrera this season despite him contributing far, far more than Kante going forward.
People getting giddy because of one fantastic game.
Kante has been the better player for two seasons and fairly comfortably. Herrera needs to find real consistency to be in the conversation.
Kante has been the better player for two seasons and fairly comfortably. Herrera needs to find real consistency to be in the conversation.
Kante is quite box-to-boxy if you ask me
Kante is box to box, he just has less offensive skill than Herrera
It's hard to explain, but Kante's offensive play is much more simpler than Herrera. It's more of drive forward, pass to players in good position. Profit. He has a more freer role than Herrera which enables him to do the simple offensive phase. In a sense, Kante role is comparable to Pogba aka no 8. Herrera role now is more of no 6.
Like with today game, when all his passing options were well contained by our players, he got quite few chance to drive forward but couldn't do anything with the ball. Herrera may not be Modric, Iniesta, but in this situation can do better. Herrera used to play make for Bilbao. He's able to dictate tempo if required.
Anyone who put that kind performance deserved MOTM rating. I don't get your point here. Not for me to be blind biased toward our own player. Even when Kante was flawless in his own game, he's far from best CM in the world. He's a specialist. To be best CM, at least you have to be complete/ all arounded first. I dispute this Kante at his best could walk into any teams in the world before. Some systems don't require Kante.
That's the point of today tactic. Let the guy with less creativity to have more ball while you nullify his passing options, players with more creativity & influential on ball. He would get desperate and commit up the pitch leaving more space behind for you counter. No surprise Chelsea had more possession but looked toothless & seemed also self confused on why they got this much possession thus self destructed their own counter attacking game. It's similar tactic Portugal use against France in the final with Sissoko being allowed more space but couldn't amount to much while Portugal had France key players locked. People here also fell for Sissoko's "good performance" while bemoaning about Pogba's. I pointed out Santos cornered Deschamps thus Pogba was stuck in fulfilling his role mode instead having more freedom to attack.
There is another way to dominate game than the suffocating possession & pin down your opposition. Today is a show case of the alternative
Last edited:
Thats my point though, Kante is more than just a ball winner. He's the best ball winner going but to say that's his only attribute is incorrect.
Kante is more consistent in what he does but overall Herrera has more to his game I think but lacks that consistency. He needs to be showing this level more often.
The nature of football fans is to be biased though, we all are. This very thread is a clear example of that, we are suggesting Ander is a better midfielder than Kante. I'd be surprised if any neutral, or any avid fan who has seen enough of both players to make the judgement, would favour Ander.
Ander was MOM yesterday, no doubt. He was superb.
Kante has been superb all season though, as he was last season, and there's a reason he's nominated for player of the year.
The funny thing is though, had we drawn fewer home games and got ourselves into the title race, pundits would be salivating over Herrera. They would be highlighting how his contribution has changed things etc.
It's amazing how some missed easy chances can change perception. Yet that's how it is for most football people: the result determines their view of teams and their players.
Thing is his other good attribute ain't that special for his role. He's a no 8. There are quite few no 8 who can drive the ball up the pitch better. Better finisher. Better asister. Better playmaker... Kante's best attribute in right counter attacking system make him so good due to the opposition defense would be thin when he was able to force error on opposition's deep positions. However against another counter attacking team who maintain team shape. Kante can backfire as he overstep his teammates and congest the pace up front while leaving more pace behind. If Kante is a sole defensive midfielder with no Matic, Drinkwater behind, then it can be a really bad thing.
To pick player, it all depends on what system you try to build. For Pep, no way in hell he would go for Kante over Herrera. For anyone who play with midfield 2 and need a player to do defensive holding role, again not Kante seeing what Herrera can offer this season.
There is a reason he can't break into France team, which have enough no 8 who are better blend together than with Kante. And France midfield is far from being as good as Spain.
If someone who favor Kante in all cases, it's more about the case they don't watch & understand football enough.
Last edited:
Not accurate. If you re-read the OP, you will see the thread came about because the stats seem to suggest there is a discussion to be had concerning the widely held view that Kante is miles better than Herrera. This is what we are discussing.
Last edited:
Fair point. It's just the way the thread has turned since yesterday.