What does the future hold for this enigmatic Manchester United star?

When Anderson arrived at Old Trafford in 2007, expectations were high. The new Brazilian brought the amount of anticipation associated with any player from the Samba nation. Ferguson believed he had the creativity needed to ignite the midfield. He quickly proved otherwise, and become the subject of a lot criticism from fans and pundits. Since his arrival, Anderson has struggled to impress and perform consistently at the highest level. He has also endured a career plagued by injury. Are his occasional bursts of brilliance, enough to keep him at Old Trafford?

Two years after arriving at The Theatre of Dreams, Anderson scored his first English Premier League goal. The criticism overshadowed the triumph. Without many valuable contributions, fans were becoming impatient and frustrated with Anderson’s routinely dismal performances.

Anderson does have some career highlights and if his injuries would give him the chance, maybe he could impress, with some regular game time. He has shown his ability to perform on the grand stage. He was able to convert a penalty for Manchester United during the nerve-wrecking penalty shoot-out in Moscow in 2008. He scored 2 goals in Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Schalke in the UEFA Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford in 2010. During Manchester United’s infamous 8-2 demolition of Arsenal, he provided the assist for Danny Welbeck’s opening goal. He regularly finds himself in the Carling Cup/ Capital One Cup starting lineups, where he is one of the more experienced players in the squad. He shows his ability to control the midfield and scores some brilliant goals. Is a good performance in the smaller cups, enough to keep the fans and Ferguson happy?

Most recently, he inspired the 3-1 comeback against QPR, after United were left trailing in the weekend’s EPL fixture. He was brought on by Ferguson, to be a game changer and he did just that. He assisted Johnny Evans’ header and created chances, with his strong presence in the midfield.

It’s difficult to believe that a player from Brazil can fail to impress, but with only 4 goals and 7 assists from 90 games in the English Premier League, Anderson’s figures don’t add up. Do you think that Ferguson’s selection hint for tomorrow night’s EPL fixture against West Ham United at Old Trafford, is really just a trial to determine whether or not Anderson will be put up for sale on the looming January transfer window. Perhaps, Anderson’s recent performance against QPR and Ferguson’s praise, where he told MUTV “I thought Ando won the game for us” and “His performance was outstanding,” will help lure a possible buyer for his contract, which expires in June 2015.

Whether he is selected out of desperation by Ferguson, because of an ailing midfield or because of his recent performance, everyone knows not to question a Ferguson decision. Is this the turning point in Anderson’s career or will he let the opportunity slip by and raise our hopes, only to deliver another below average performance?

Do you think Anderson belongs at Manchester United or should he be sold in the January transfer window?