Ander Herrera has saluted the impact made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United and billed the club’s clash with arch-rivals Liverpool as “the Clasico of England”.
Two old adversaries are set to lock horns at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The last meeting between the two sides put the final nail in Jose Mourinho’s coffin as Red Devils boss, with the Portuguese relieved of his duties on the back of a 3-1 defeat at Anfield.
Similar calls after often made in the wake of La Liga clashes between Barcelona and Real Madrid, with Julen Lopetegui sacked by the Blancos following a 5-1 mauling earlier this season.
Spain international midfielder Herrera sees similarities between those encounters and the ones taken in by United and Liverpool, with there much more than three points on the line.
He told Marca: “It's the Clasico of England. The maximum rivalry. Our fans push us to win, they tell me we have to win all the time on the street, even if it benefits the city's rivals [Manchester City].
“Here the great enemy is Liverpool despite the big jump of City in the last 10 years. Now they have become competitors, but 10 years ago City and United were more brothers than rivals.”
United’s latest meeting with foes from Merseyside will be a first experienced by Solskjaer as the club’s interim boss.
He has made a stunning impact since succeeding Mourinho in December, collecting 11 wins from 13 games – including a nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
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His strong ties to the Red Devils from his playing days are considered to have made him the perfect candidate for a high-profile post, with his obvious passion having delivered a reversal in fortune and brought the best out of previously underperforming stars such as Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.
Herrera has also enjoyed a welcome return to prominence and form under Solskjaer and is a big fan of the 1999 Treble winner, saying: “Ole is a person who knows what the club is and one who lived through one of United's most successful periods.
“He has brought optimism and reminded us of what it means to be a United player: to be continually offensive, to seek goals, to press, to attack... And as we run, people will respect us.”
He added on Solskjaer’s approach to management: “Many times we go crazy with tactics and systems.
“In football, the most difficult thing is to click with the players. And he has done it. Get the best out of each player and have everyone by your side, whether they are playing or not. Obviously, the ones who are left out are not so happy, but they know that if they work he [Solskjaer] will have options.”
Herrera is proving to be a useful option at present and has seen it suggested that he could be in line for a new contract and potentially the captain’s armband.
“It would be very nice, but what I want is the respect and affection of the people,” the 29-year-old said on the skipper talk.
“[Gerard] Pique was a Barca captain for many years, he did not need the armband.”
