Show of faith in Anderson needs to be repaid by the Brazilian dynamo

Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira, or simply Anderson to the footballing world, is a player who first caught the eye during the 2005 under-17 World Cup in Peru, a tournament in which he was voted the Golden Ball ahead of Tottenham’s Giovani dos Santos. He provided some mesmerising performances for the Selecao, full of attacking verve and explosive acceleration. Despite the u17 level not being a great barometer for future success, this was a player earmarked for greatness. FC Porto, the most discerning acquirers of South American talent, swooped in and snapped him up on a pre-contract, where he officially joined in January 2006. Anderson only made a handful of appearances before suffering a broken leg in the Portuguese Classico, against bitter rivals Benfica, seriously putting the brakes on his fledgling career. He made a relatively successful return to Porto but there remained doubts on whether he would retain the explosive acceleration that made him such a star at youth level.

Anderson’s United career thus far has been a baffling one. Many a United fan will recall the moment in 2007 when former assistant, Carlos Queiroz, was shown in Portugal grinning uncontrollably after completing the signings of two of the brightest young stars in world football. Despite his tender age and inexperience, Anderson endured a baptism of fire that included being thrust into key matches against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool. The most significant aspect of these matches was Anderson more than holding his own against Fabregas and Gerrard, with most observing that he had eclipsed both of these renowned midfielders. Ferguson had also seemingly pulled off a masterstroke in utilising Anderson in a much deeper role, more akin to an English box-to-box midfielder than a silky attacking midfielder from the continent. Tim Vickery, a South American journalist, remarked that the Brazilian media and coaches were amazed that Anderson could be deployed in such a role. Their concern, which has since been realised, was the negative effect that it would have on his attacking prowess and instincts. Despite his promising start in 07-08 and key contributions to the following year’s run to the Champion’s League final, Anderson has only flickered intermittently during his time at Old Trafford.

There have been several mitigating reasons for Anderson’s slow progress at the club, albeit some self inflicted. Many United fans observed after his first performance for the club (in a friendly against Doncaster) that the Brazilian looked overweight and a few yards short of pace. While he will always be a man of some girth, he has definitely struggled to keep his weight under control after returning from pre-season. Question marks have also been asked of his attitude, with pundits positing that Anderson needs to decide whether or not he is prepared to make the sacrifices necessary for a professional sportsperson, some of which have eluded some of his compatriots in the past. He also been the victim of an unsettled midfield that has been subjected to constant rotation, therefore not being able to build momentum and on the successes of his initial performances. The lack of a dedicated midfield destroyer, ala Mascherano, has resulted in Anderson having to expend more effort on the defensive side of the game, often eschewing his attacking prowess and instincts; the result is a midfielder who is often ineffectual due to this lack of direction.

As he commences his fifth season at the club, Anderson has never commanded such a lofty position in the midfield pecking order. Following on from the retirement of Paul Scholes and the release of Owen Hargreaves, any likely midfield acquisition has not materialised, despite daily news stories documenting the never-ending pursuit of Wesley Sneijder. The lack of fortification of the current midfield has perplexed many United fans but represents a strong show of faith in Anderson, as well as Tom Cleverley. Anderson is at a crossroads in his United career and this may be his final opportunity to prove that he can become a mainstay in the United side. He needs to become a more dynamic presence within the team, a midfielder who passes and moves in order to receive the ball again, something which Michael Carrick has been accused of eschewing. Reigniting the creative spark seen in his younger years is also key if he is to finally lay any doubts to rest, as he often chooses the simple option over shooting or taking on his opponent. Although the lack of a true defensive midfielder is still of concern, he has shown the necessary energy and dynamism which are conducive to a box-to-box midfield role. The concern is that playing with Cleverley, despite the creativity and finesse it produces, is a central pairing that may be overrun by a more robust and dominant midfield.

It seems that Anderson will finally be given the chance to prove that he can become an indispensable piece of the United midfield, as he has been played in every match this, albeit nascent, season. Unlike previous years, the expectation is that he will be given an extended run in the side, especially due to the injury to Fletcher and relative inexperience of Cleverley. He is also in a position to really stake a claim for a one the two midfield berth’s in the Brazil national team with Mano Menezes, the successor to Dunga, prefering a 4-2-3-1 formation. Due to the paucity of truly gifted central midfielders available to the Selecao, Anderson needs to contend with the likes of functional midfielders such as Lucas, Ramires and Sandro (who all incidentally play their trade in England). While these players offer different qualities, Anderson has the most natural talent out of all of them and is most comfortable with the ball at his feet. Unfortunately Brazil have no real competitive football until the 2014 World Cup and there will likely be a great deal of chopping and changing as Menezes searches for that winning formula; Anderson will need to make the most out of any playing time he gets. This season may be a watershed one for Anderson for both club and country and he is the master of his own destiny; with the likes of Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba awaiting their opportunity and a renewed foray into the transfer market next year, the Brazilian is unlikely get many more chances to establish himself as a necessitous part of the United first team.


Nonedy