Manchester United should be delivering a better performance than fans are getting, even at this early stage. The fact that they drew at home to Stoke probably went against a number of online sportsbook soccer odds.
Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, actually beat Manchester City, who are currently leading the Premier League table. Liverpool also delivered a victory, his along with Arsenal and Chelsea.
Any lead that United might have garnered in the last couple of weeks over its title rivals has been largely lost; despite their faltering success against teams like Stoke City, Ander Herrera encouraged Manchester United players and fans alike to not obsess over the premier league standings, not when the season was in its earliest stages.
It will be interesting to see how his comments are received, especially as Manchester United approaches a crucial run of fixtures. United fans can celebrate the fact that the six-point lead City had over them was cut to five following their defeat at White Hart Lane.
For Herrera, there is little point is obsessing over the league table at the present, not when back-to-back games against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea are waiting ahead. The premier league has been known to produce a number of twists and turns. It is almost impossible to predict how the championship race will play out when so many teams are still struggling to get their footing.
Of course, Herrera would be the first person to admit that United can’t afford to lose ground against rivals like Chelsea, not even in these early stages. Herrera might also point to United’s varied past to justify his point.
During the 2011/2012 season, Manchester United was six points ahead of City as the season began to wind down, and they still lost the title. There is so much that can happen, for better or for worse, in the premier league.
Herrera admits that the team should have triumphed over Stoke City. That much everyone expected; they have every reason to feel unhappy about the defeat. But they can’t afford to wallow.
Liverpool is waiting at Anfield in just two weeks; the Chelsea game will follow the next Sunday, marking the first time Jose Mourinho will return to Stamford Bridge since he lost his job as Chelsea manager last year.
Those two games will test United; they will have a chance to exam their strengths and weaknesses and set the pace for the rest of the season. Everyone is waiting for the team to begin building their momentum.
Herrera believes that the team played very well against Stoke city, and they can still stockpile points if they maintain that level of consistency.
The four points that the team has racked up in the last several games are disappointing, and the fact that they lost the last three games in a row worries a lot of people. Liverpool and Chelsea will present a challenge.
If they can defeat those teams, they will have assuaged all the complaints they are fielding. Herrera still believes they played well against Stoke City, controlling the game, playing wide as well as deep. But, as with every sport, the unexpected can happen.
Herrera doesn’t think that there is any reason to panic just yet.
