Anderson’s attitude a refreshing change from the norm

Two and a half years after arriving from Porto for an estimated £17million, Man Utd’s Brazilian midfielder Anderson has not quite hit the heights many at Old Trafford had been expecting. Although he had a very good first season at the club and his second saw him start the 2009 Champions League final, this year been more of a struggle and his performances have on occasion been below many would have expected from the Brazilian midfielder. It has been no means been an absolute disaster for Anderson but one thing that has really disappointed the Brazilian is his goal return since his arrival in this country:

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in my goal performance at United. In fact it makes me sad. And one of my first objectives is to get back to the condition I was in at Porto, then start scoring goals which decide matches because that’s vital for any player’s career. I know that a footballer of my ability, who is accustomed to playing an attacking role and is used to scoring goals regularly, must be sad to only score a goal every six months. But I must not let myself feel dispirited. I need a run of games where I’m doing well.

Two real points can be made on what Anderson has said here. It is true he was known for scoring spectacular goals back in his time with Porto and that he is so far failed on this front in a United shirt. For me though, the real crucial thing here was that he was scoring more goals for Porto in the Portuguese league. There is a massive difference between scoring in the Premier League and in Portugal because in England you get far less time on the ball to both set your sights and unleash an accurate powerful strike on goal. Such composure may come in time as he gains more experience.

This leads me on to the second point and something Anderson also highlights. The run of games starting for United that Anderson needs to get on top form has not happened this season. For a 21 year old foreign player, this is crucial to gaining both form and confidence in your own ability. If you are continually in and out of the team, you have no time to settle and get comfortable in your role in the team

Consistent performances, scoring goals come through long runs in the team, and this makes speculation that Anderson will be sold in the Summer as part of a 80million exodus at Old Trafford seem ridiculous. Such rumours began in the Daily Mirror after the loss in the FA Cup against Leeds United and although the team did not perform well in the game with Anderson in the starting eleven, there were many other senior first team players who also didn’t perform, and it was clear who Ferguson blamed for the performance after the match, not the young players, but the experienced ones who did little to support them.

In the end, judgements will be made on Anderson over a number of years. It is great to see the player aware of where he needs to improve his game and his desire to be a better all round player. He is aware of the pressures of being a United player and knows it will take time to emulate those who have done so well at the club:

Some great players haven’t managed to do well at United because it’s such a demanding club. I know you must have a big heart. It’s what the guys who have been here the longest pass on to us. We are trying to get into football’s history books – that’s part of what makes United the way it is.

If he takes this sort of attitude onto the pitch, the Brazilian midfielder is certainly more likely to succeed, and if he also continues to learn from both Ferguson and the experience midfielders such as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, he will no doubt become an even better player than he is now.