Ander Herrera in action against Bournemouth

Herrera: The only way I understand football

Sunday 04 November 2018 11:00

Ander Herrera was praised for making a game-changing impact as Manchester United came back to beat Bournemouth, after manager Jose Mourinho brought him on as a second-half substitute.

The Spaniard's performance was typically selfless, as his high-energy presence in the engine room enabled the Reds' full-backs Luke Shaw and Ashley Young to get forward and attack the Cherries.

Here's what the ever-modest midfielder had to say in his post-match interview with MUTV's Stewart Gardner...

There's nothing quite like winning a game like that, is there?
"Of course, the feeling is fantastic as you all know because you all enjoy it as much as we do. But we want to win games more calmly, and don't let the game go on until the last minute without winning the game. I think the second half was fantastic and I think that's the way we have to face every game this season, with the ball, with confidence, trying to hurt them with all the offensive players moving and making it really, really difficult for them because we have some amazing offensive players. But we have to improve because if they score two or three goals in the first 20, 25 minutes, maybe we lose the game.

Video
Watch our post-match interview with Ander at the Vitality Stadium.
"If we want to win against Juventus, against Man City, we cannot concede what we did in the first half today, even more with the team we have. When I see some players training or some players the way they played in the second half, Anthony, Jesse when he came in, Marcus Rashford, we have to win a lot of games with these players. So let's try to improve for the next game, from the first minute.

"We have to face the game the way we did after 30, 35 minutes because I think also for the last ten minutes of the first half, we played really well. But if we want to be in the top four soon, we have to do it from the first minute."

The manager told us that you added energy and you were pressing higher in the midfield. Is that what he was asking of you?
"Yes, I think have that quality. I only understand football as a team sport. We have an unbelievable squad of 22, 23 players and we all want to play but we also want to help. Of course, I want to play every game of the season as you all know. But when I have the opportunity to play I just try to give everything on the pitch, as I have told you in this kind of interview since the first day I came.

"We have a lot of things to give back to our fans and the only way I can do it is on the pitch. If I have two minutes, it's two minutes. If I have eight minutes as the last game against Everton, I try to give everything in those last eight minutes. And if I have more game time like today, I will give everything. It's the only way I understand football."

Highlights: Bournemouth 1 United 2 Video

Highlights: Bournemouth 1 United 2

Watch all three goals - and the near misses - from United's thrilling 2-1 win at Bournemouth last month...

Why does it seem like we have to go behind in a game before we produce our best football? Is that frustrating?
"It's like I was saying in some interview before. Sometimes we have to see that everything is lost to react. And with the players we have, we can react. We can win games as we did against Newcastle or today. But one day hopefully we can go to the second half winning 3-0 and enjoy the game. Of course, we enjoyed this game because we won in the last minute but it's not healthy for our fans, for our fans' hearts!"

Bournemouth 1 United 2

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Read our match report from the Vitality Stadium after Marcus Rashford, 21 this week, nets the Reds' injury-time winner.

Teams: Alexis starts, Lukaku injured

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See the side Jose Mourinho selected against Bournemouth and read his comments on Lukaku.

'It's the best feeling!' Video

'It's the best feeling!'

Marcus Rashford talks us through his last-minute winner at Bournemouth...

Watch Jose's press conference Video

Watch Jose's press conference

See what the manager said to the media after United's victory at the Vitality Stadium...