He seems to be going about things in the right way and showing nerves from a professional is a fantastic thing for me as it means they want to do well and care. He played a few really good passes but he did give us the steel we have missed. Leverkusen were trying to pressure us off the ball a lot, a tactic that I feel without Fellaini in the team would have worked. Instead he gave us a solid performance and helped neuter that threat.
Marouane Fellaini | 2013/14 Performances
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It was his first ever CL match right ?
I didn't think there were much nerves on display really. He looked composed and calm throughout to my eyes.
As the dust settles after the transfer window I guess the price won't matter, or really it should not matter. He'll be a slight upgrade on our other options and help make us more solid throughout the middle, and I guess we just have to try and judge him based on what he brings to the table - not what a £27 million player should bring to the table.
In comparison to the way I've seen him play , which is when he gets his full passion into his game. I feel his performances so far haven't shown that and it's just a professional do no wrong start to his career. As I said he has a couple more gears yet.
So far so good. The expressiveness will come. But I'm happy with the signs.
Also, hopefully next summer we get that proper playmaker which is the one thing we lack right now.
Also, hopefully next summer we get that proper playmaker which is the one thing we lack right now.
I believe so and his first eveer champions league game for Manchester United as well.
Evra looks like he's going to do the haka. Bottom line is, it was his debut! needs to get fitter and not ball watch as much which I saw on a few occasions. Once he settles, he'll carry the ball more and be more adventurous with his passing.
Also: Concentration at all times. That's the job description as a holding midfielder for United, you can't go to sleep at times and let opposition players overrun you. (Anderson, take note).
Depends - we have Kagawa as the proper playmaker - if Carrick and Fellaini can neutralise the opponents' midfield, then Rooney or Kagawa, and the wingers, can focus on creating.
Kagawa isn't a proper playmaker. It's a misconception. He's as much a playmaker from what I've seen as Gerrard. Different type of player of course but he's more a pass and move and get into the box and make things happen type of midfielder. He's nothing like someone like silva or Ozil who love poking and prodding sides looking for openings.
I just you look through our list of central midfielders and we now have solidity and brute force but we lack that special technical player. A club like united should have one. Hopefully we get that one next season and the cm area is sorted until carrick's level drops.
Sure about Kagawa? Admittedly, I didn't see that much of him at Dortmund, but I thought he excelled as goal scoring playmaker there - I thought he was great at looking for openings, and if he is able to find players and assist and make stuff happen, that makes him a playmaker in my book.
Considering Fellaini, I do think his hard pressing and defensive abilities will facilitate a more creative front four where the need to backtrack somewhat diminishes.
You're right about kagawa, I just don't think he's "enough" of a playmaker to do away with the need for one in central midfield. He likes to play quick football and do all the things you say but someone in the fabregas/scholes mould should be something that would basically completed the set.
I agree with you last bit.
Eriksen for 12 million still makes me shake my head.
He's going to be brilliant for Spurs. At that price and at his age it was a no brainer IMO.
We'll have to see how the Carrick/Fellaini partnership pans out as Carrick has shown he hit those through passes. No doubt we could do with a Fabregas/Scholes mould - there aren't many of those who can create and defend well though - any team would do with those
From what I've seen he is class but he's a no. 10 really.
Well do well. This partnership will do well. And I use the term "need" as an exaggeration. Of course we don't need need that sort of player, but it would be the "sorting" out of our midfield completely.We'll have to see how the Carrick/Fellaini partnership pans out as Carrick has shown he hit those through passes. No doubt we could do with a Fabregas/Scholes mould - there aren't many of those who can create and defend well though - any team would do with those
Regarding that type of player I'd say the best teams have at least one. Barca have three of them, real have Modric, bayern have thiago. Not sure what to class schweinsteiger as, he's got pretty much everything. Also, I'd like us up get one because they tend to help a teams creative threat through the middle and that's on area we lack in. Carrick and Fellaini are solid but I'm not sure they will carve teams open that much through the middle.
Anyhow I digress, this is th fellaini thread.
Well no doubt fellaini should carry the greater threat though we'll have to see how many he gets in a deeper role. I actually thought that fletcher was steadily improving his goal return, it was always awkward for a few years when you're covering scholes/ronaldo, I reckon he'd have been good for 6 or 7 maybe more each season, were he fully fit these last 3 seasons or so.
I'm baffled that there are people who thought he had a poor game. He faded as the match went on (still getting used to the intensity and tempo) but put in a good performance I thought. He is obviously trying to avoid making any mistakes and therefore not doing anything too risky, which is fine for now - he won the ball well, held it up under pressure and his passing was accurate. He played a few longer balls but generally kept it simple although he did try to play the ball forwards.
As others said, once he has bedded in and expresses himself a bit more he will move up the gears but his performance last night for me highlighted how welcome it is to have a proper partner for Carrick. When Nani is back and Kagawa is firing on full cylinders, along with Rooney and RVP we will have a solid lineup.
As others said, once he has bedded in and expresses himself a bit more he will move up the gears but his performance last night for me highlighted how welcome it is to have a proper partner for Carrick. When Nani is back and Kagawa is firing on full cylinders, along with Rooney and RVP we will have a solid lineup.
Yeah he's actually awesome. It's the "playing model" that's making him look otherwise..
I sense he's very much like Yaya Toure, better in a three man midfield as a box to box rather than a disciplined holding mid, but we'll see. With Carrick alongside him it gives him that leeway to not focus on defensive duties but it'd be interesting to see him paired up with someone like Anderson and see if he can be as good defensively as Carrick and still dominate the midfield.
That's it really. Pulled up no trees, but, while he was on the pitch, I wasn't worried about the opposition running through our midfield like a meadow of daisies, as has happened with lamentable frequency in recent years.
Carrick's the only one who has it, really. Rooney looks like he's meditating and Evra seems to be preparing for a sumo bout.
Yeah, I haven't seen us look that solid in midfield for a very long time. He's a much better passer than he showed last night though, I'm sure it'll improve with time. After all, it's only his first full showing for us.
Agreed.
Not a great performance but he's still finding his feet in a very different side to teh one he played in at Everton, and adjusting to what will be a new role for him. Promising.
I don't really care about his individual performance, but I think he brings a lot of stability to the team and frees up Rooney to really operate between the lines rather than having to serve as an almost 3rd midfielder. He has a physical presence and seems tactically aware, and though his individual game was nothing special yesterday, I think he brings a lot to the team and ultimately makes us a more complete proposition. Which is why his acquisition could end up being much more useful than I'd originally believed.
I'm now looking forward to the battle of him against Yaya...that will be some duel.
Moyes out, even our team photos are shit now with him in charge.
Seems a great price for a quality player. However, he's not what was required at United. We have Kagawa, Rooney, Young, Adnan, and Powell playing or can play similar roles.
Well that's hysterical what's the next joke? Hahahaha
There's very little creative or difficult passes made by him unless he's trying something unnecessarily difficult like pinging it 40 yards onto RVP's toe. Which just isn't happening.
The balance between a tough pass and a simple pass and when to try it just isn't there. Doubt it ever will be.
Why are you getting preoccupied with his ability to pass creatively? The way Moyes seems intent on setting up - in a 4-2-3-1 formation - the job of Carrick and Fellaini is the protect the defence and provide a platform for the front four. Theoretically, there's more than enough incisive passing in that 3-1 part of the formation to render it an irrelevance whether the holding duo can produce such balls or not. As it happens, Carrick is capable and I think you're doing Fellaini a disservice.
There's a lot to be positive about from yesterday's game.
I thought Fellaini was good last night. Neat, tidy, and very solid... bit bemused that he's coming in for some stick to be honest.
We visibily and clearly controlled the midfield last night... this is the start of something good!
We visibily and clearly controlled the midfield last night... this is the start of something good!
What surprised me was how much his performance dipped in the second period compared with his first half showing. I've always had Everton down as an ultra-fit side, but Fellaini's come in and it's clear he's still got to adjust to our pace. Another issue may be that he hasn't played in the heart of midfield for a while; playing higher up the pitch is more conducive to taking a regular breather.
It wasn't that clear to all it seems. In think he delivered exactly what was asked of him and imposed himself better than all of our other CM options have done.
Yes he was quite poor in the second struggling to get into the game.
Actually it's the other way round. He's used to being in the thick of things in that crucial position at Everton with everyone looking to play the ball to him to hold it up and get everyone involved. At united we have other much better players than him and he plays deeper, so he isn't as much a " go to guy". So he has to work on taking the lead and getting involved rather than it simply happening by default at Everton.
Midfield? What's that?
I remember doing an analysis of Fellaini last season at Everton and his average position was about 15-20 yards higher than the sort of spaces he occupied yesterday. He also had assistance from two other holding players. He was effectively their Rooney.
I reckon the permanent move back into the engine room is going to require a period of readjustment. It sounds strange, but he's probably going to improve physically over the coming months, which will be a sight to behold!
I heard some Spanish lads on about it, tried google translate.....
I don't think it's a case of physicality, but rather getting involved and having more influence over a game. Its something kagawa can also improve at. He too tends to go through periods where he's not involved much at all.
You're right about him being their Rooney, which made it impossible for him not to be in the thick of it. That position generally involved that by default. Now that he's in a different position he has to learn to demand the ball and get involved all the time.
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