Ander Herrera insists Manchester United must take the positives from their derby-day defeat to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The new Manchester City goalkeeper’s debut did not go entirely to plan as his flap at a free-kick allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to put United back in the game.
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“It was about being in the right place at the right time”, he added. The Chile worldwide showcased his excellent footwork and footballing brain throughout City’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford, moving outside his area to get involved in play and starting attacks with his passing and long throws.
The United manager explained: “What I told them at half-time was that ‘for some of you, it looks like you are trying to do what I told you not to do.’ I told [Eric] Bailly not to play a certain ball – never, because this is where they want to press”.
“We have to focus on the next game now and be ready”.
Later in the second half, City’s Argentine defender had spun away from an Antonio Valencia cross while he was in City’s penalty area – the ball hitting his trailing elbow.
Bravo cleared the ball, but caught the United captain with a nasty studs-up challenge.
“The second half was more hard – they played powerfully and with long balls”. I think he has intention, because even though the arm is behind his body, he knows the cross is not going in his face, it’s going in his back’.
“The problem was we needed to be more aggressive to win the first and second balls but we didn’t”.
Guardiola said: “We have played, not all of the games, but part of most of the games at a high level, and of course we have to continue”.
Guardiola has won all six of his games in charge of City but this will be the sweetest of them all, coming at the expense of Mourinho in the latest instalment of their coaching rivalry.
“His personality showed me a lot today”, Guardiola said.
“But overall, it is a big compliment for the performance, because I know how hard it is to come here and play as we did, especially in the first half”. Kolarov then sent the ball long, it was flicked on by Kelechi Iheanacho and Kevin De Bruyne ran through to score.
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But he also emphasised that with them not making the most of some openings, City had to “suffer” through a second half in which Jose Mourinho’s United, invigorated by some half-time substitutions, were considerably improved.
