Ander Herrera Talks Jose Mourinho Relationship After Huddersfield Criticism

Manchester United's Ander Herrera has said he is on "fantastic" terms with manager Jose Mourinho despite the coach criticising the attitude of the midfielder and his team-mates after the defeat to Huddersfield Town.

As Sky Sports relayed, Mourinho was not pleased with Herrera after United lost to the newly promoted side, with the club's vice-captain saying after the contest the Terriers showed "more passion."

Nevertheless, the 28-year-old revealed he still has a strong relationship with the boss and has clarified what he meant in his post-match assessment. 

"We have a fantastic relationship, but what I said was that in the first 30 minutes they had a better attitude than us," he said, per Sky Sports. "That's what happened. But after that we had a good attitude and we were even close to drawing the game, which is not so easy after playing bad the first 30 minutes. But now we want to forget what happened on Saturday."

As Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News noted, Mourinho did not hide his displeasure at some of Herrera's comments:

The United boss was scathing of his side's display in the 2-1 defeat. "I don't even remember a friendly match when our attitude was so poor," he said of the approach, per BBC Sport.

Mourinho would have been pleased to see a rotated XI respond with a comprehensive 2-0 win over Swansea City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, though Saturday's meeting with Tottenham Hotspur will be a clearer indication of where this United side is at.

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With Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini injured, expect Herrera to continue marsalling the midfield alongside Nemanja Matic.

After a stellar 2016-17 campaign, Herrera hasn't quite showcased his best when handed a chance this season.

As Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette noted, the Spain international hasn't showcased his best form when partnering Matic:

Against Tottenham, there will be big things expected of Herrera. Spurs are strong in the central areas, boasting power and poise. The United man last season excelled at disrupting opponents with his tenacity in these types of battles before getting on the ball and moving United into gear.

You sense Mourinho's words will still be ringing in the ears of a lot of United players when they walk out at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime. Herrera will be desperate to respond in turn.