Fellaini back injury

I am saying jose rates him and maybe he has a special plan to destroy city's play. LOL!

or

At the very least, Pep and his coaching stuff will try to figure out how we will play just like us here. To make them busy at least. Because people seem to think he is the vital part of how we defend atm.

Fair enough i see what you're getting at now mate.

But in any case we aren't faking injuries to Marouane Fellaini to play mind games with City. They won't really care if he plays or not, i doubt their approach to the game would change much either way.
 
The part about Carrick lacking grit and aerial presence is a myth. He's not afraid of a challenge but he's positionally the smartest player we have. Last season Carrick won 60% of his aerial duels per game as opposed to Fellaini's 51.61 (got this off Squakwa comparison matrix). I don't know how one can say Herrera and Schneriderlin are not really holding mids when Fellaini himself has been used further up the pitch by our last two managers. He's not a proper holding mid himself is he? Or have things changed after these last three 'easy' games?

I said he lacks the grit and aerial presence that Fellaini gives us which is true. Fellaini has won countless aerial battles in the box (3.7 - most in our team so far), which we struggled with when he wasn't in the team last season.

Moyes played him as a defensive midfielder in his first season at Everton, IIRC. He also played there a few times for us under Moyes, where he did very well.

Van Gaal felt he was more useful further up the pitch, and to be fair to him, with the way we played, he was very effective.

He's a versatile player who can do a good job as a 6, 8 or 10, but it seems that Mourinho prefers him as a 6, and Fellaini himself has constantly come out and said that's where he wants to play, despite other managers playing him elsewhere.

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...ould-prefer-to-play-as-a-defensive-midfielder

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/manchester-...i-sees-man-utd-future-as-defensive-midfielder


As for easy games, it was the same 'easy games' we were losing last season. It's only been a few games, but you can only play what's in front of you, and he's done very well, in my opinion. Give the guy some credit.

With him looking likely to be out, it will be interesting to see who Jose goes for.
 
Come on, Southampton have a decent midfield and pass the ball around very well, he did fine in that game too. He's been great the first 3 games, and clearly Mourinho is happy with what he brings to the squad.

Obviously City will be the "big test" to see if he can do it against Silva/De bruyne, but the way he's playing I am sure he will be fine.

I actually think his hair cut helped the most, he can actually see what he's doing and where he's going now :lol:

He was decent against Southampton, and also against Bournemouth. Surprisingly so in fact...but I thought he was poor against Hull and he wasn't very good against Leicester either in the Community Shield. I wouldn't mind him playing against City but I wouldn't see it as a massive blow if someone else did. We don't know what our best option for that position/role is. Fellaini has put himself in with a shout and that's giving him credit considering LVG just had him running round like an oaf most of the time.

It's way too early in the season to be saying this player is great or this player is crap, but the theme on the caf is always that people just see what they want to see and then react ridiculously defensively if anyone disagrees with them...or if reality gradually makes it more and more difficult for them to pretend they are right.

Must be some kind of mass conspiracy or you know you could just be wrong or so much smarter than the rest of us. If you have to start a post claiming your objective then its not a good start. We all have our biases for and against players, i doubt that you're above that.

Rooney has played poorly but had a few moments, he created an assist but also killed plenty of attacks. Fellaini has done a basic job and done it well, he did a role where he cant do much more than that.

Its like Darren Fletcher all over again.

Well taking Fellaini as a lone example. The caf decided they hated him and Moyes because Fellaini was used to deploy "dinosaur tactics"...which never actually happened...in fact he was used in a similar role by Moyes to the one he's being used in now.

Then the caf decided LVG was a genius when he DID use Fellaini to deploy "dinosaur tactics"...then changed their mind and hated Fellaini when LVG carried on doing exactly the same thing.

Now Fellaini is suddenly this vastly important player, based on two games. So yeah I'll think I'll stick with the idea that listening to the general consensus on redcafe rather than watching for yourself isn't always advisable.

I was responding to a post claiming I wasn't objective, but you have eyes and can read so you know that. Unsure why you've decided to pretend to put a different context on it. You're not supposed to be pretending to be a shite journalist.
 
If I was in charge, with Fellaini injured I would make straight swap with Herrera to come in.
I'd give Valencia the week off, and replace him with Mensah.

No....

I've always believed in making as few changes as possible - if the first choice DM can't play, for whatever reason, then don't change the first choice RB as well.

And I reckon that TFM has never looked as comfortable or as good at RB as he has when playing CD or DM - remember the Everton semi-final ?

So if no Fellaini, then TFM or Carrick or Schneiderlin or even Jones as DM, and Tony V at RB still....
 
No....

I've always believed in making as few changes as possible - if the first choice DM can't play, for whatever reason, then don't change the first choice RB as well.

And I reckon that TFM has never looked as comfortable or as good at RB as he has when playing CD or DM - remember the Everton semi-final ?

So if no Fellaini, then TFM or Carrick or Schneiderlin or even Jones as DM, and Tony V at RB still....
Tony is coming back literally a day before the game from South America. May not be able to play.

fecking stupid internationals
 
Tony is coming back literally a day before the game from South America. May not be able to play.

fecking stupid internationals

Ah...OK....Didn't know.

A bit off track, but anyone know if and / or when we will lose Bailly for the next African Nations stuff ?

Think SAF always said this was a reason not to sign Africans - however good they are.
 
Fellaini is ok. He completed an entire trainingsession yesterday.
He is available for the national Belgian team against Cyprus next Tuesday
 
Ah...OK....Didn't know.

A bit off track, but anyone know if and / or when we will lose Bailly for the next African Nations stuff ?

Think SAF always said this was a reason not to sign Africans - however good they are.
Bit stupid of SAF to say that because I would've taken Yaya and Drogba in their prime any day
 
Ah...OK....Didn't know.

A bit off track, but anyone know if and / or when we will lose Bailly for the next African Nations stuff ?

Think SAF always said this was a reason not to sign Africans - however good they are.
He probably won't be. He is going to miss some important games as well. Oh well, we've Blind and Smalling.
 
Look at that terrible back injury. He just can't stand up straight.
 
Not only has he become a very good player, he saved an old lady, and now he miraculously instantly recovers from a "serious back injury". Even his hair actually looks in that pic. This man can do no wrong right now.
 
Was just being cheeky but I genuinely believe with big fella + pogba and our defence we are very solid
Fellaini has done very well this season tbf, nevertheless, he has yet to be tested against smaller, but quicker and technically stronger players. So let's wait and see
 
He usually plays well against the better teams. So if he is fit then it's pretty important I believe.
 
Fellaini has done very well this season tbf, nevertheless, he has yet to be tested against smaller, but quicker and technically stronger players. So let's wait and see
He played against Silva / De bruyne before, it's not like they've grown another leg because Pep has joined. If Fellaini keeps his early season form I have no doubts he will do OK. It's more the role in the team that's helping him which has got his good form - not having to sprint into the box every time the ball goes wide probably helps keep him sharper to tackle.
 
He played against Silva / De bruyne before, it's not like they've grown another leg because Pep has joined. If Fellaini keeps his early season form I have no doubts he will do OK. It's more the role in the team that's helping him which has got his good form - not having to sprint into the box every time the ball goes wide probably helps keep him sharper to tackle.
Hasn't he graded out fairly well in recent matches against City?