Regarded as a talented and highly promising player in the media in his youth, Anderson later struggled to replicate his precocious performances as his career progressed, and has been accused by some pundits – including Marca's Fran Villalobos and The Guardian's Barney Ronay – of failing to live up to his potential. Keith Griffin of Bleacher Report remarked in 2008 that Anderson was "[o]ne of the most impressive young players to grace the Premier League this season," noting that the midfielder was gifted "with blinding pace, hulkish upper body strength, and vision." Alex Ferguson added that Anderson "can tackle, he's lightning quick, he's brave and he can pass the ball." In 2009, Will Evans of Bleacher Report described him as a player gifted with pace, physical strength, flair, and technical skills, as well noting his range of passing, crossing ability, defensive skills, and accuracy from penalties as some of his key strengths. He also cited that although Anderson was capable of creating chances for teammates, his biggest weaknesses were his shooting accuracy and lack of goals going forward, something which Ferguson had also previously noted. He felt that Anderson's best positions were either as a central midfielder or as a winger, although Evans's colleague Sam Tighe noted in 2013 that the Brazilian was often deployed as an attacking midfielder in his youth, and was also capable of playing in other positions, and was even used as a deep-lying playmaker on occasion; he labelled him as a dangerous free kick taker with good acceleration and dribbling ability. Regarding Anderson's difficulties in living up to his potential during his time at Manchester United, Chris Atkins of Bleacher Report commented: "Before joining Porto, Anderson was touted as the next Ronaldinho. Having emerged through the Gremio academy system as a tricky attacking midfielder, the comparisons were only natural and, prior to his injury in Portugal, the signs were promising. With excellent acceleration, impressive close control and a powerful shot, he certainly appeared to be an important player for Brazil's future." A left-footed player, his other most noticeable trait was his stamina. Anderson's former Manchester United teammate Michael Owen described the former as "very talented" and surmised that his failure to establish himself at the top level was due to his mentality and poor work-rate, combined with his injuries, health issues, and his struggle to operate in different positions, with Tighe noting that Anderson performed poorly when he was deployed in both a holding and a box-to-box role. Former Brazil midfielder Tostão also criticised Anderson for his static off-the-ball movement when commenting on his performance at the 2005 U17 World Cup, during which he won the Golden Ball after leading Brazil to the final, stating: "He was clearly the best player, but there were times when he just stood around."
Anderson Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family
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