Defining year Man Utd’s Spanish trio

Just like La Roja, Manchester United are a fallen giant, but both are linked by their new hopes. David De Gea, Ander Herrera and Juan Mata are 23, 25 and 26 respectively, and it’s an important season for all three.

Firstly, De Gea will be hoping to be given the unenviable task of filling the legendary gloves of Iker Casillas, who was dropped at the World Cup. With the potential to fill the position for the next 10 years, De Gea could leapfrog both Pepe Reina and Casillas.

The shot-stopper is at the right club to develop his ball skills, and fit into the national team mould. On Saturday against Swansea, he played mostly short passes or throws, with only four pumped balls past the half-way line. Although on the losing side, the youngster had a quiet afternoon. With little chance for the first goal, perhaps he could have done a bitter better with Swansea’s second goal, which he got a healthy hand on. He can expect busier afternoons in the coming weeks with United’s experimental and fragile defense, and he will play an important part in the settling down period.

Secondly, Ander Herrera has the chance to make the central midfield position his own for club and country. It’s crazy to think that a club would pay £29m for an uncapped player, but it shows how highly he is thought of by the United hierarchy. His performance on Saturday was promising, if not spectacular.

As you’d expect from a Spanish central midfielder, he won fouls with clever footwork, his first touch was sublime, and his passing stats show numerous short, neat passes, but only one successful pass into the penalty area. Questions should be asked as well about Swansea’s first goal, where Ki Sung-Yueng had what seemed like an age to decid where he was going to slot the ball from the edge of the area, with Herrera and central partner Darren Fletcher nowhere to be seen. 

The build-up to the goal contained 29 passes – which was more than any goal from the 2013-14 Premiership season, and doesn’t reflect well on United’s pressing game. It will be a testing season, but Herrera seems to be enjoying the challenge, and is already speaking good English.

He turned 25 last Wednesday, and put pictures on social media enjoying the day with fellow Spanish speakers, Mata, De Gea and Javier Harnandez.    

Which brings me on to the final United Spaniard. Pundits agreed that their formation was set up for one man only –Juan Mata. After only one World Cup appearance off the bench, he will be desperate to show both club and country that he can be the main man. Although currently bereft of confidence, it looks like he’ll get to play in his favoured central role, and will be the one taking the free-kicks.

His influence was minimal on Saturday, and was mostly dealt with by Swansea’s ex-Spain Under-21 international defender Jordi Amat. Key to his success could be how he links with Herrera, but on Saturday they only exchanged nine passes all game, and for that matter only seven with Wayne Rooney.

Mata ended last season with six goals in six games – how he and United would love a run like that right now.

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