Herrera pays tribute to ‘amazing’ kids on pre-season tour, despite poor run of results

Ander Herrera has said the results on pre-season tour are the ‘last thing’ that the fans and the media should be looking at.

He pretty much echoed Jose Mourinho by noting the pre-season has been far from ideal and the fact that United have so few of their first-team has had a negative impact on the tour.

Unlike Mourinho, Herrera praised the kids who have been granted the opportunity to show their worth.

READ MORE: The Battle of Old Trafford: Jose Mourinho vs The Glazers & Ed Woodward

Speaking to the club’s official website, Herrera said: “We are playing with the same players every game. It looks like a Christmas period to be honest rather than a pre-season, but it is what it is. We have to be all together, to try to have minutes in our legs, to not think too much about the results and let’s try to keep improving because the most important thing is Leicester.

“Of course it is never nice to lose. But pre-season is pre-season. Everyone is giving their best, trying to help us. Even the kids, they are doing amazing, they are trying to help. But the difference between us and Milan, or Liverpool, is that they have 16 or 17 first-team players and we just have maybe 10.

“We must say thanks to the kids because they are helping and giving everything, so let’s try to keep improving and always focus on the first Premier League game against Leicester.”

Scrolling through Twitter last night, I felt Mourinho’s reaction (quotes via RTE) to Liverpool defeat was rather harsh. Especially on the younger lads. The ones Herrera has paid tribute to…

Since when have managers forgotten how to coach? These young lads have been given a chance to represent United in the United States, an incredible achievement.

Some of them might not be good enough to play competitively for a club the size of United, but that is beside the point. Why is Mourinho unwilling to teach them how to play his conservative brand of football rather than complain they’re not his players because they are his players.

Every single one of them is a Mourinho player whether he signed them all or not. After all, he is the manager of Manchester United.

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