Mata Backs Herrera To Star At United

Juan Mata has backed his friend and new team-mate Ander Herrera to become an influential figure at Manchester United following the new signing's hugely impressive debut in the 7-0 win over LA Galaxy.

Herrera was one of just two Reds to complete a full 90 minutes at the Rose Bowl, where he pulled the strings in midfield while notching two second-half assists for Ashley Young to score. That was enough to earn the Man of the Match award in Pasadena.

Mata was understandably elated by his team-mate's performance and is looking forward to developing his flourishing relationship with the former Athletic Club midfielder, who he got to know well while both were playing for Spain's Under-21s.

"He did great," Juan told ManUtd.com. "I know him very well from our days with the Spanish national youth teams and he was very good tonight. I am very happy for him. We have a good connection on and off the pitch and I think he will give us a lot of good things this season."

One of the most fascinating elements of United's emphatic victory over the Galaxy was Louis van Gaal's decision to use a 3-5-2 formation, a shape the 62-year-old used frequently while managing the Dutch national team at this summer's World Cup.

The decision paid dividends as the Reds strolled to a comfortable success, controlling possession while providing a potent attacking threat. As Mata says, it was a positive start considering his team-mates aren't used to the new system.

"We are all pleased with the result but we know this is just the first step," the Spanish midfielder explained. “Some of the players have only been training for three or four days so we have more improvements to come, both physically and tactically.

“But I think we had a good understanding of the new system and the football the manager wanted us to play. It was a good game for us. The manager wants us to play quickly with the ball in the middle, try to look for options and also play with width as well. That’s what we’ll keep trying to do.”