Ander Herrera and his magical foot

Ander Herrera is a huge fan favourite largely because his character on and off the pitch portrays class. Gradually, he seems to be winning a starting spot in Louis Van Gaal's team just like last season, though the return of Rooney and the emergence of Martial could change that. But for now, let's enjoy the chance to see him week in and out. I must say that, apart from the second half performance against Club Brugge, Herrera hasn't done exceptionally well this season as compared to the last one. Maybe, because he is still adapting to the advanced number 10 role. Perhaps, it could be due to tactical indiscipline associated with a sudden change in a player's role. It could be seen during games that the Spaniard likes dropping back to the central midfield position (his natural position) and controlling things from there. Last year, he was very effective playing in the central midfield position alongside Carrick (deep lying playmaker or defensive midfielder) scoring key goals (like the one's against Manchester City and Aston Villa). 

Talking about goals, 10 goals in 59 appearances are a decent haul for a central midfielder. That is roughly a goal every 6 games. Most of Herrera's goals have come from shots, something the 26 year old doesn't do too often. He has averaged roughly just one shot (1.4) per league game last season. Considering that Premier league players average above 2 shots per game, Herrera's average is on the low. But incredibly, Herrera had just seven shots on target last season and 6 of them found the back of the back of the net. The only keeper who managed to stop a Herrera shot from scoring was Julian Speroni of Crystal Palace. This season, he has continued from where he left off scoring a goal from his only shot in target. So per the stats, Herrera is deadly when he gets a shot on target. 

I have to admit, however, that Van Gaal's system may not allow or permit the Spaniard to hit shots frequently. The system's love for dominating possession might prompt Herrera to pass the ball even when he is in a good shooting position. It's interesting to note that in-spite of how deadly Herrera is, he manages a shot on target every 5 attempts (8 in 39 overall). Therefore, the player himself, who has the 'face of an obedient child' might not even feel comfortable overriding his boss's instruction to always keep possession. 

Despite the systemic restriction, I believe strongly that if Herrera is permitted to shoot more, he will score more goals, especially at a time goals seem very hard to come by.