Louis van Gaal Must Trust Ander Herrera in Manchester United's Midfield

When Manchester United missed out on the signature of Ander Herrera in the summer of 2013, few fans batted an eyelid.

The young Spaniard had a burgeoning reputation in La Liga, as David Moyes moved for his services in a last-minute transfer pursuit.

But when the deal collapsed, shoulders were shrugged—with the focus fully on Marouane Fellaini's move up the M62 from Merseyside.

But Herrera finally arrived at United this season, amid the transition and turmoil of a new management team being installed at Carrington and with a large percentage of the squad being moved out of Old Trafford. 

The changes seemed positive for Herrera, who activated his £28 million release clause when the Red Devils came calling for his services, per Sky Sports.

Herrera could find his feet without the likes of Tom Cleverley and company nipping at his toes, complicating matters. 

But after featuring in just 50 percent of LvG's league matches this season, per Squawka.com, Herrera may not be the kind of midfielder the Dutch manager is looking for. Of course, Herrera's reduced involvement has been forced by injury, but his reintegration back into first-team matters has been slow.

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The rumours surrounding United and Kevin Strootman will not go away, with the highly respected Mark Ogden of The Telegraph reporting Van Gaal could snare his favourite central midfielder in the January window.

This could further push Herrera out of the picture.

United have already clearly made tactical and technical strides under the former Netherlands coach, but there is still much room for improvement, especially from the defence and midfield.

Herrera has surprised many United fans with his work rate and desire, and there is nothing "luxury" about his overall play.

He can both defend and attack but does not really seem the archetypal box-to-box player, even though his engine suggests he could develop into one.

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Van Gaal clearly wants a midfielder who can not only fulfil this energetic central role but also be physically dominant and play his favoured formations.

This is why Strootman is so heavily linked, as was Arturo Vidal, per Simon Rice of the Independent—they are midfielders who can deliver a Roy Keane-type performance without sacrificing technique.

LvG might possibly see Herrera as a lightweight version of what he wants, but the 25-year-old could develop into a special player.

This was highlighted by Bleacher Report's Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who described Herrera in his article for The Telegraph in June as "the natural successor to Barcelona’s mercurial maestro Andres Iniesta." Balague continued in his piece:

"

His best position is probably at number ten just behind the main striker which could prove interesting at United because that particular role is currently occupied by one Wayne Rooney, although the likelihood is that he will be played a bit further back with Juan Mata moving out on to the wing.

He can help organise the attack but I think his main strength is in finding gaps to pass to forwards—only Cesc Fabregas gave more through balls last season than him.

"

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And this is probably where the current issue lies. Herrera's instincts as a No. 10 need to be curbed as he plays a more disciplined role behind United's orchestra of attacking brilliance. 

Juan Mata has found it impossible to fill Wayne Rooney's shoes during the period of the England captain's absence, and Herrera has not even been considered for a role further up the pitch—because he is not at all needed there.

The comparisons between Herrera and Iniesta will not help him in Van Gaal's world, and the Spaniard must prove he can dictate the tempo of the game from the centre circle—and he certainly has the talent to do this.

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Ultimately, LvG will almost certainly bring in an alpha-male midfielder to the club in one of the next two windows, but he must give Herrera the chance he deserves.

Herrera has shown a magnificent desire in the few games he has played for the Reds so far, and once he has recovered his fitness fully, I expect him to improve.

If we can assume United will move towards a 4-3-3 in future, with Rooney, Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie consuming the attacking areas, Herrera must show he can be LvG's own version of Vidal: a fierce competitor who can do the dirty work but also score goals from deep.

Herrera has the potential to do this, but it is vital that Van Gaal trusts the player and gives him the game time he deserves. But with Fellaini now returning to the fold and in impressive form, that might be easier said than done.