Marouane Fellaini | 2013/14 Performances

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sullydnl said:
I think the problem is that the flaws he showed today seemed to be apparent to some while he was at Everton too.
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What are they?

The problem today is that he didn't do what he has proven he can do in the middle - provide a presence and break up the play.

His passing was actually fine today and that was the main criticism before he signed IIRC.
 
This was always going to happen with his price-tag wasn't it? He didn't impose himself on the game today, in his other 2 appearances he was good. Broke the play up well and distributed solidly in those 2 games, really harsh to single him out today. He's not worth what we paid but I think he will be a good player for us, he's got legs like fecking tree trunks so I should hope his work-rate wasn't representative of what he can do. Obviously there was a lot of chatter about him vs. Toure so it's natural people will be severely underwhelmed by what he produced. He can do better.
 
He will probably never impress those who've already decided he isn't good enough. The question should be good enough for what: transforming our midfield into the best in Europe? No, clearly not. Improving on what we had? Yes, obviously. But that simply won't do for some people and they will never tire of pointing it out.

We were several players short of fielding our best team tonight. There were problems all over the place. Our wingers didn't do what they were supposedly selected for and our defense as a whole were not up to scratch. And that against a City team who played very well. Fellaini obviously isn't good enough to be the one to drag us out of a mire like that. But that is not a valid argument against us buying him. He'll come in handy in other matches. In my opinion we're still a cog or two away from having a starting XI capable of dealing with any opponent on our own terms. City at the top of their game are one of the best teams in Europe, like it or not. We didn't field our best team and those who were out there generally under-performed to make matters worse. Hardly an ideal environment for Fellaini to shine in - after having been a United player for a couple of weeks.
 
marjen said:
No mobility, no drive, no defensive awareness and no pace - as well as not doing anything in terms of offering a progressive option whenever Carrick was on the ball.
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No drive is a bizzare criticism, he was always extremely up for the games at Everton - probably overly so.

Defensive awareness doesn't add up either as he was breaking up the play all the time, I agree he isn't positionally astute like Carrick but that's not a huge issue when Carrick is playing. The problem is that Fellaini didn't press or win the ball today and match up to Toure - but that is exactly what he has proven he can do. It was just a shite game from him.
 
Theon said:
What are they?

The problem today is that he didn't do what he has proven he can do in the middle - provide a presence and break up the play.

His passing was actually fine today and that was the main criticism before he signed IIRC.
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A lot of people who were in favour of signing Fellaini were suggesting that the "steel" he'd bring to midfield would make us stronger defensively and stop teams running through our midfield. I had concerns over his positioning and defensive qualities generally, the fact that he's big and strong won't shore us up if he's not defensively intelligent. I think Carrick is much better defensively, so I'm not sure why people assumed Fellaini would improve us in that regard.
 
The Toure goal was criminal. Mark your fecking man lad and don't let him go until the ball is cleared.
 
I noticed in the Leverkusen game he was guilty of not staying with his man either. I can't remember if he did this regularly with us or not.
 
I've actually watched Fellaini defensively on a few set-pieces and he doesn't seem to know who he's picking up, did it against Leverkusen too. Needs to bed in, 3rd goal was poor too, he was tracking Aguero then just stopped.
 
He was decent when we were 4-0 down and he was put in his best position, closer to Rooney. He challenged for headers, used his strength and got a decent shot on target. Unfortunately for him in that position he has Rooney and Kagawa to contend with.

I just can't see him being used effectively in the middle of the park where his lack of passing rage and mobility hinder him so much. He will be fine when merely playing the easy pass against mediocre opposition, but it was there for all to see when Cleverley was put next to Carrick. Far more movement, far more pace, far more options for the players around and generally far more balance to the team.

Having a Fellaini-Carrick central midfield baffles me.
 
He's hardly settled in yet. Give it some time. There's not a player in the team who can feel happy with his contribution today except for maybe Rooney. It might not work out, but passing judgement on Fellaini at this stage is silly.
 
Iron Stove said:
He's hardly settled in yet. Give it some time. There's not a player in the team who can feel happy with his contribution today except for maybe Rooney. It might not work out, but passing judgement on Fellaini at this stage is silly.
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Failing to do a job as simple as marking a player from a set piece is not down to "settling in". His problems today were concentration based, not so much what he did or didn't do with the ball.
 
SilentWitness said:
No, that's the thing, in the games for us this year also he had plenty of drive in him so it's surprising that he hasn't shown much of it.
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Like I said earlier I expected more running from Fellaini today. Can only think his reluctance to go forward and support our attacks or show any kind of initiative was because he was under instructions.
 
SilentWitness said:
No, that's the thing, in the games for us this year also he had plenty of drive in him so it's surprising that he hasn't shown much of it.
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Doesn't look 100% fit to me, there was noticeably less intensity/running than at Everton
 
Chesterlestreet said:
He will probably never impress those who've already decided he isn't good enough. The question should be good enough for what: transforming our midfield into the best in Europe? No, clearly not. Improving on what we had? Yes, obviously. But that simply won't do for some people and they will never tire of pointing it out.

We were several players short of fielding our best team tonight. There were problems all over the place. Our wingers didn't do what they were supposedly selected for and our defense as a whole were not up to scratch. And that against a City team who played very well. Fellaini obviously isn't good enough to be the one to drag us out of a mire like that. But that is not a valid argument against us buying him. He'll come in handy in other matches. In my opinion we're still a cog or two away from having a starting XI capable of dealing with any opponent on our own terms. City at the top of their game are one of the best teams in Europe, like it or not. We didn't field our best team and those who were out there generally under-performed to make matters worse. Hardly an ideal environment for Fellaini to shine in - after having been a United player for a couple of weeks.
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Rafael and Van Persie are just the 2 missing of what the I think the manager thinks is his best 11. United are suppose to have the best depth in regards to strikers so I'm not sure what impact Van Persie would have made considering the paucity of chances he had against Chelsea and Liverpool. No doubt United have missed Rafael and Van Persie in this game, but I'm not sure Fellaini would fared any better if both was fit.
 
Theon said:
Doesn't look 100% fit to me, there was noticeably less intensity/running than at Everton
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But he played for Everton several times this season, Belgium too, why would he be unfit? I don't think this is a question of fitness. He simply didn't do it today. Wasn't the only one, but its a fact. He's a work in progress and years away from his peak so you hope with time and patience that he'll develop. He has the physicality and the power, God willing he picks up the passing, positioning and sense to go with it.

From my post history people will know I was sceptical about signing Fellaini but I'm focusing on what he can do and what he may grow to be able to do rather than anything else. Fuzzy hair's not going to be the next Robson, Ince or Keane and for the price they paid for him United have mugged off, but Fellaini can be an asset to this squad. A great squad has two strong options for every position, right now Fellaini's good competition for Carrick and Cleverley in a way Ando has failed to be and with time maybe he can be more..?
 
SilentWitness said:
No, that's the thing, in the games for us this year also he had plenty of drive in him so it's surprising that he hasn't shown much of it.
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Thats what I was surprised about today. He spent the game walking.
 
psychdelicblues said:
Rafael and Van Persie are just the 2 missing of what the I think the manager thinks is his best 11. United are suppose to have the best depth in regards to strikers so I'm not sure what impact Van Persie would have made considering the paucity of chances he had against Chelsea and Liverpool. No doubt United have missed Rafael and Van Persie in this game, but I'm not sure Fellaini would fared any better if both was fit.
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I hope and think you're wrong about that. I refuse to believe Moyes thinks a set-up like that, with Young and Valencia as traditional wingers and a tired-looking Rio at the back is his best team. That would have me very worried. Rafael, Evans, RVP, Nani and Kagawa were missing tonight from what I hope will emerge as our strongest eleven.
 
It's silly to judge him on the basis of a game in which basically all of our team were completely out of depth and our opposition pulled off everything they attempted. He's obviously still got a long way to prove himself here but City away was always going to be too tough for him for the beginning of his United career, it didn't help that our inability to do anything substantial with the ball in their half and constantly surrending possession in the middle zone exposed him even more.
 
Sam said:
Thats what I was surprised about today. He spent the game walking.
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They were all resigned at the start of game to be honest, at no point did we look like team set up to win.
 
It was interesting that today, when you moved him forward late in the game, he actually looked more comfortable with chesting it down and then moving it out wide in a simple manner. It was very back-to-basics football and he thrived upon it. When you're chasing a goal late on, that might be a useful tactic.

But as a CM for United? No, not for me. Not for many people.
 
Immobile, limited passing, not clever on the ball. A bigger waste of money than Anderson. He will amount to nothing The game passed him by.

Was afraid when Moyes signed and then again when he signed Fellaini - nothing thats transpired so far has made change my mind.
 
Commadus said:
Immobile, limited passing, not clever on the ball. A bigger waste of money than Anderson. He will amount to nothing The game passed him by.

Was afraid when Moyes signed and then again when he signed Fellaini - nothing thats transpired so far has made change my mind.
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So much fear...it's bad for the digestive system, you know.
 
Did many people actually think that Fellaini was going to solve our problems in cm though? Even most of the people who wanted us to sign him saw him as an improvement on what we had rather than someone who was going to bring our cm up to the level of our rivals. I don't particularly rate Fellaini but it seems harsh to criticise him for not making our weak midfield far better, especially after only his second start.

If anyone seriously thinks Fellaini-Carrick is the standard we should have in cm then they're idiots. Fellaini has never been a top player, we can't expect him to suddenly be one for us. He'll improve the squad and would be a very useful squad player if we could bring our 1st choice midfield up to a higher standard. The fact that we haven't been able to do that over the last few seasons is hardly his fault.
 
sullydnl said:
Did many people actually think that Fellaini was going to solve our problems in cm though? Even most of the people who wanted us to sign him saw him as an improvement on what we had rather than someone who was going to bring our cm up to the level of our rivals. I don't particularly rate Fellaini but it seems harsh to criticise him for not making our weak midfield far better, especially after only his second start.

If anyone seriously thinks Fellaini-Carrick is the standard we should have in cm then they're idiots. Fellaini has never been a top player, we can't expect him to suddenly be one for us. He'll improve the squad and would be a very useful squad player if we could bring our 1st choice midfield up to a higher standard. The fact that we haven't been able to do that over the last few seasons is hardly his fault.
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Sense. Thanks.
 
Sixpence said:
Failing to do a job as simple as marking a player from a set piece is not down to "settling in". His problems today were concentration based, not so much what he did or didn't do with the ball.
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Well just give him some time to reach the top of his game. Could be anything, pressure, nerves, settling into a new system and not having played with his new team mates before etc.

Just way too early to be making any claims about his ability I feel, especially after this fecking game where the whole team was atrocious.

Not that I expect him to be the solution for all our problems, mind.
 
sullydnl said:
Did many people actually think that Fellaini was going to solve our problems in cm though? Even most of the people who wanted us to sign him saw him as an improvement on what we had rather than someone who was going to bring our cm up to the level of our rivals. I don't particularly rate Fellaini but it seems harsh to criticise him for not making our weak midfield far better, especially after only his second start.

If anyone seriously thinks Fellaini-Carrick is the standard we should have in cm then they're idiots. Fellaini has never been a top player, we can't expect him to suddenly be one for us. He'll improve the squad and would be a very useful squad player if we could bring our 1st choice midfield up to a higher standard. The fact that we haven't been able to do that over the last few seasons is hardly his fault.
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So you're saying we've signed a squad player for £27m?

No. Moyes brought him in to boost the first team, and by default, the squad. Based on what you're saying, we've just got another ordinary midfielder who's cost us the price of a world class one.
 
Liam147 said:
So you're saying we've signed a squad player for £27m?

No. Moyes brought him in to boost the first team, and by default, the squad. Based on what you're saying, we've just got another ordinary midfielder who's cost us the price of a world class one.
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Trouble is mate, you can't buy a world class player (whatever that means these days) for £27 million. You get a fairly average to good player for than kind of money. Just shows you the lunacy that prevails in the transfer market when a player of Fellaini's limited ability costs £27 million. He's worth about half that and even then, we'd have been robbed. I mean, we offered £30 million for a proven midfielder in Fabregas: a lad with a world cup winner's medal and talent in spades who would have improved our team no end. I think Fellaini was a panic buy and a nice safe option for Moyes who's familiar with him and trusts him to do a job in a system he's developed. Trouble is, United don't play that system. I hope I'm wrong and that Fellaini does become an indispensable player for us but the omens ain't good.
 
Moriarty said:
Trouble is mate, you can't buy a world class player (whatever that means these days) for £27 million. You get a fairly average to good player for than kind of money. Just shows you the lunacy that prevails in the transfer market when a player of Fellaini's limited ability costs £27 million. He's worth about half that and even then, we'd have been robbed. I mean, we offered £30 million for a proven midfielder in Fabregas: a lad with a world cup winner's medal and talent in spades who would have improved our team no end. I think Fellaini was a panic buy and a nice safe option for Moyes who's familiar with him and trusts him to do a job in a system he's developed. Trouble is, United don't play that system. I hope I'm wrong and that Fellaini does become an indispensable player for us but the omens ain't good.
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I disagree, to an extent. £27m won't buy you many top players (Thiago was one however), but if you're prepared to go in that much, go the whole hog. In for a penny...

Herrera I believe we'd have got for ~£30m. Ozil at £42m. These are all better signings than Fellaini at £27m.
 
Liam147 said:
So you're saying we've signed a squad player for £27m?

No. Moyes brought him in to boost the first team, and by default, the squad. Based on what you're saying, we've just got another ordinary midfielder who's cost us the price of a world class one.
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No, I agree that he was bought to improve the first team. I'm saying that the fact that a player like Fellaini can improve our 1st team highlights how weak that part of the team is. We should be aiming to have a midfield that's as good as those of our rivals, if that ever happens then Fellaini will be a squad player. For example, if we had the same strength in cm as we do up front, then a player of Fellaini's quality could only expect to be a squad player. None of that is Fellaini's fault, we can't expect him to solve our midfield problems when he's never been that kind of quality.

We all know we overpaid for Fellaini, for various reasons. He is not worth 27m and he never has been. We can't expect him to suddenly become a top player because we screwed up and paid over the odds for him. Anyone who expected him to play like a 27m pound player is delusional.

Anyway, I don't think 27m necessarily gets you a world class player these days. The likes of Fabregas and Ozil would cost 40m +.
 
The Neviller said:
What? They walked through our midfield. Fellaini didn't even bother his arse tracking runners. The whole game passed him by. It'd be great to know what was going on under that big fro.
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What runners? Agüero is hardly his responsibility and the only players like Yaya and Fernandinho weren't even that involved in attacking to begin with. Yaya had a few good runs but nothing that threatened to destroy us.

Our plan was also to sit deep and stand off if that was intended by Moyes or just a fallback into what we played the last two years is unknown to me but the whole team did it.

3 of those 4 goals were all assisted from wide positions and one was a corner. The 4th goal he needs to close down Navas better but then again you don't really want a slow player like Fellaini to track a fast winger like Navas and the way he just jogged after him pretty much shows the entire passive attitude we as a team had yesterday when it came to defending. Evra and Young didn't even make an attempt to come back they were just jogging back lazily after we had lost the ball if you are that slow in transition of course you will get hit on the counter.

Was Fellaini good yesterday? No way. But so was the entire team. We were way to passive and City was so much faster in transitions it wasn't even funny to watch. It was also quite obvious that we had no idea how to deal with Agüero operating between the center backs and defensive midfielders. Either one of the defenders has to be aware of his position if the other is occupied or you put an additional midfielder on Agüero and have Rooney help against Yaya and Fernandinho but we did non of that.

Team effort wise our defending was shocking yesterday and I also hate that we were so unbelievably passive. No closing down across the board just stand off and let them do their thing like we did so often over the last two seasons. We looked like a scared relegation candidate yesterday that was in awe of the big Manchester City's attacking prowess completely intimated by the tempo at which they were having a go at us.
 
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