Marouane Fellaini | 2013/14 Performances

[Andrew~]

How many aerial duels did he win today? Tackles made and attempted? What do you want from someone who's main role is to win the ball back, to have the technical ability of Pirlo?

Fellaini won only 33% of his tackling duels today.

 

[Chorley1974]

Definitely one of our better players today, but that's not saying much. However, after a nervous start didn't shirk responsibility, and played quite well in a baffling tactical set up.

 

[Red Shorts]

Fellaini won only 33% of his tackling duels today.

To be fair, in one of those two failed duels he did get absolutely twatted by Gerrard.

 

[Sam]

How many aerial duels did he win today? Tackles made and attempted? What do you want from someone who's main role is to win the ball back, to have the technical ability of Pirlo?

To be able to read the game, to have top quality positional sense. To be strong, and not shrugged off the ball. Thats what I'd expect from someone 'excels' defensively.

 

[MajorTom]

Fellaini won only 33% of his tackling duels today.

Who had a greater percentage for us? As Carrick stood still he was up and down, interchanging his position and putting himself about. I can't recall Gerrard, Henderson or Allen controlling the centre as they normally do and that was only down to one person in the centre of the pitch.

 

[Revan]

He was wank today but I don't get why he (and Rafael) are being singled as today's culprits when basically every player (bar De Gea) were shit today.

 

[MajorTom]

To be able to read the game, to have top quality positional sense. To be strong, and not shrugged off the ball. Thats what I'd expect from someone 'excels' defensively.

And he wasn't that? Where exactly did he get found out today?

 

[Andrew~]

Who had a greater percentage for us? As Carrick stood still he was up and down, interchanging his position and putting himself about. I can't recall Gerrard, Henderson or Allen controlling the centre as they normally do and that was only down to one person in the centre of the pitch.

Which game were you watching? Gerrard, Henderson and Allen did really well through the centre today.

 

[Sam]

And he wasn't that? Where exactly did he get found out today?

No he wasn't that. He got found out long before today.

Sadly, today was actually one of his better performances for us. But its still not good enough, not for a team that has aspirations to win things anyways.

 

[Steven Seagull]

Who had a greater percentage for us? As Carrick stood still he was up and down, interchanging his position and putting himself about. I can't recall Gerrard, Henderson or Allen controlling the centre as they normally do and that was only down to one person in the centre of the pitch.

They were both shite and did nothing to impose themselves on the game, mainly because they're so immobile as a pair it's untrue.

 

[LR7]

Seriously, he's a terrible footballer.

I agree. He adds nothing whatsoever.

 

[Glanville95]

Did quite well in the first half - all things considered. But very poor in the second, that is partly a resultant effect of our system - or lack of. Absolutely no shape in the second half and Liverpool's second killed the game.

 

[Red Shorts]

He was wank today but I don't get why he (and Rafael) are being singled as today's culprits when basically every player (bar De Gea) were shit today.

He wasn't wank, he did an alright job. His only real fault of the game was where he almost tripped up Suarez in the pen box, but he did a good defensive job on the whole, and made urgent passes when we needed them.

 

[SirAF]

The big lad was quite good today, he'll be really handy come next season (if football still exist)

 

[MajorTom]

Which game were you watching? Gerrard, Henderson and Allen did really well through the centre today.

The same one as you. Of course those three won the midfield battle but if it wasn't for Fellaini they would have walked past our midfield. At least he put up a fight.

 

[Revan]

He wasn't wank, he did an alright job. His only real fault of the game was where he almost tripped up Suarez in the pen box, but he did a good defensive job on the whole, and made urgent passes when we needed them.

I don't see how he did an alright job today but I don't want to single anyone out in a collective pathetic performance.

 

[Red Shorts]

The same one as you. Of course those three won the midfield battle but if it wasn't for Fellaini they would have walked past our midfield. At least he put up a fight.

Wasn't this much obvious as soon as he left the pitch? Granted the red card completely dashed our midfield plans, but that presence was lost straight after.

 

[MajorTom]

Wasn't this much obvious as soon as he left the pitch? Granted the red card completely dashed our midfield plans, but that presence was lost straight after.

You would imagine so but that isn't the case is it going by these lot.

 

[Andrew~]

The same one as you. Of course those three won the midfield battle but if it wasn't for Fellaini they would have walked past our midfield. At least he put up a fight.

Sure, he showed a lot of guts and fight. But no quality. He was bad, not as bad as some other players, but saying 'he was our best player today' suggests something more positive than what actually happened. Less bad doesn't become good next to really bad.

 

[Jev]

He wasn't our worst performer today but to say he was decent is simply absurd. He was really bad, as were his teammates.

 

[Lawman]

The team was awful, however, Fellaini was a big part of that problem.

Don't agree with this Fellaini and Rafael were our best players. Out two centre halfs were abysmal and our shape in the team non existent.

 

[MajorTom]

Sure, he showed a lot of guts and fight. But no quality. He was bad, not as bad as some other players, but saying 'he was our best player today' suggests something more positive than what actually happened. Less bad doesn't become good next to really bad.

What do you mean by quality? He performed his role very well.

 

[thepolice123]

I thought he was quite decent. Don't quite get the criticism

Second this. Honestly he was pretty decent. Broke up their plays and used the ball well. We got outnumbered in midfield but he still did his job.

 

[Red Shorts]

I think people also forget to mention he was playing against a 3 main midfield with Carrick; not exactly the easiest of tasks to nullify.

 

[Brophs]

I don't blame him at all for today. He tried his best even though we were playing poorly all around the pitch. But looking at him today just highlights the problems we have. He has a relatively poor touch, little or no awareness of and ability to use space and lacks any real sort of mobility. He'll get much better than he's been this far but really at this level (or at least the level we aspire to) all he is, or at least should be, is a squad player.

 

[LR7]

The team was awful, however, Fellaini was a big part of that problem.

This sums it up perfectly.

 

[Eugenius]

He went charging around like a crazy man, giving away fouls, getting skinned without actually breaking up play much. Left huge holes in behind which he couldn't get back and fill

 

[a_devil_inside]

He was decent today but I think he needs to react a bit quicker

 

[Kostur]

He went charging around like a crazy man, giving away fouls, getting skinned without actually breaking up play much. Left huge holes in behind which he couldn't get back and fill

Whole 3 fouls ( been fouled twice ) with 9 tackles (11 total, 2 failed ). Yea, got skinned without breaking up the play so many times and his enourmous amount of fouls, thank feck he didn't kill somebody.

Just how many times is such bullshit going to be spouted about him ?

 

[Red Shorts]

Whole 3 fouls ( fouled twice ) with 9 tackles ( 2 failed ). Yea, got skinned without breaking up the play so many times and his enourmous amount of fouls, thank feck he didn't kill somebody.

Just how many times is such bullshit going to be spouted about him ?

Until he leaves. The haters will keep on hating.

 

[bosnian_red]

Whole 3 fouls ( been fouled twice ) with 9 tackles (11 total, 2 failed ). Yea, got skinned without breaking up the play so many times and his enourmous amount of fouls, thank feck he didn't kill somebody.

Just how many times is such bullshit going to be spouted about him ?

He was okay at best today but that's the problem with him. He's just not a good enough footballer to be a starter for us. And that's what we need, and that's why he'll always be criticized. If we bought him for 15m last summer with the intent on being a squad player, along with buying someone like Vidal to start actually, we'd all be fine. But we spend £27.5m on what is just giving us more of a problem there rather then genuinely improving our midfield.

 

[R.N7]

He lumbered around like a downspout full of shit. He kinda sums up Moyes tenure so far.

 

[Kostur]

He was okay at best today but that's the problem with him. He's just not a good enough footballer to be a starter for us. And that's what we need, and that's why he'll always be criticized. If we bought him for 15m last summer with the intent on being a squad player, along with buying someone like Vidal to start actually, we'd all be fine. But we spend £27.5m on what is just giving us more of a problem there rather then genuinely improving our midfield.

He didn't set the price tag for himself really, did he ? Blame Moyes, Woodward, whoever fecked it up. As it stands, with horrible state of our midfield, yes, he is good enough to start for us and the last 3 games he's played for us, he was better than Carrick in every single of them. 'What is just giving us more of a problem' ? Care to elaborate how he 'gives us a problem' ?

You know, this is quite funny, we've been begging for some midfield reinforcements for some time now, at last we've got somebody who's doing his job quite properly and today he was against a three-men midfield partnered by Carrick who probably shit himself several times today and yet people will give him Fellaini shit for anything. It's the same midfield of Liverpool who gave City hell of a game, dominated Arsenal in their 5-1 win and probably put in several other good performances ( I don't care about ).

Now, we're playing with a front four of our dreams, they manage to score whole 0 goals against dippers and look pretty clueless all over the pitch, our defenders ( who are our 'future' ) gift Liverpool 2 penalties and are all over the place but hey, let's go to Fellaini's thread and give him some shit because he costed 27 mln quid. Definitely one to be worried about this season.

Fellaini's biggest problem is that he isn't one of Caftards' darlings, Gündogan, Vidal, nowadays Kroos. No matter what kind of performance he puts in, he gets shit from the same boring, repetitive people who spout same shit without backing it up.

 

[bosnian_red]

He didn't set the price tag for himself really, did he ? Blame Moyes, Woodward, whoever fecked it up. As it stands, with horrible state of our midfield, yes, he is good enough to start for us and the last 3 games he's played for us, he was better than Carrick in every single of them. 'What is just giving us more of a problem' ? Care to elaborate how he 'gives us a problem' ?

You know, this is quite funny, we've been begging for some midfield reinforcements for some time now, at last we've got somebody who's doing his job quite properly and today he was against a three-men midfield partnered by Carrick who probably shit himself several times today and yet people will give him Fellaini shit for anything. It's the same midfield of Liverpool who gave City hell of a game, dominated Arsenal in their 5-1 win and probably put in several other good performances ( I don't care about ).

Now, we're playing with a front four of our dreams, they manage to score whole 0 goals against dippers and look pretty clueless all over the pitch, our defenders ( who are our 'future' ) gift Liverpool 2 penalties and are all over the place but hey, let's go to Fellaini's thread and give him some shit because he costed 27 mln quid. Definitely one to be worried about this season.

The problem is we bought another player who should just be a squad player for united. Carrick, cleverley, fletcher, fellaini are all squad players at the very most for a team of our stature. That's what the problem is. We wasted 30m on a player who doesn't bring us to the level we need. We needed a top class midfielder, or somebody who can become one. Not another squad player. Yeah he's good enough to start for us at the moment, but only because our entire set of midfielders are all average at the very best. They are all mid table midfielders, not top class ones.

If we but kroos/gundogan and carvalho/Vidal this summer, fellaini will be a useful player to have as a squad player. But he'll still be a waste of money because of the amount we paid. That money would have been much better spent on somebody else who is capable of starting.

Saying all this, fellaini wasn't good today at all. Sure he wasn't as shit as most players, but that's not the point. Are people going to start praising someone because they were less shit? He still didn't play that well, regardless of the circumstances. He's slow and clumsy on the ball and that's the reality of it. Liverpools midfield of Gerrard, Allen and Henderson was on another level to ours because they are all mobile and neat and tidy on the ball. Ours aren't.

 

[Kostur]

The problem is we bought another player who should just be a squad player for united. Carrick, cleverley, fletcher, fellaini are all squad players at the very most for a team of our stature. That's what the problem is. We wasted 30m on a player who doesn't bring us to the level we need. We needed a top class midfielder, or somebody who can become one. Not another squad player. Yeah he's good enough to start for us at the moment, but only because our entire set of midfielders are all average at the very best. They are all mid table midfielders, not top class ones.

If we but kroos/gundogan and carvalho/Vidal this summer, fellaini will be a useful player to have as a squad player. But he'll still be a waste of money because of the amount we paid. That money would have been much better spent on somebody else who is capable of starting.

Saying all this, fellaini wasn't good today at all. Sure he wasn't as shit as most players, but that's not the point. Are people going to start praising someone because they were less shit? He still didn't play that well, regardless of the circumstances. He's slow and clumsy on the ball and that's the reality of it. Liverpools midfield of Gerrard, Allen and Henderson was on another level to ours because they are all mobile and neat and tidy on the ball. Ours aren't.

Now try to imagine this: we don't buy Vidal, we don't buy Gündogan, we don't buy Kroos, most people here haven't seen Carvalho yet would want him in ( the most cringeworthy part to be fair ), what then ? Will the same people come here and complain about him next season even though he might be the best we'll have ? As I've said, and your post partially proves that, his biggest problem is that he's not one of the above. Not how he performs.

No, that's an utter shite and not 'the reality of it'. You're talking about three man midfield against Fellaini and Carrick who's had two fecking tackles and two interceptions this game, add crab passing to it while he was meant to be our creative central midfielder and you wonder why they looked better? Funnily enough, you mention them being on another level while they couldn't dominate us in possession in the first half, created feck all chances and were up 1-0 just because Rafael went full retard. 'They are all mobile', yea, Gerrard is as mobile as Giggs. Christ.

 

[Eugenius]

Whole 3 fouls ( been fouled twice ) with 9 tackles (11 total, 2 failed ). Yea, got skinned without breaking up the play so many times and his enourmous amount of fouls, thank feck he didn't kill somebody.

Just how many times is such bullshit going to be spouted about him ?

I have been exaggerating but stats don't tell the full story. It doesn't show in the stats when you charge forward at a player, trying to press them, and they pass around you and you're caught out of position. He didn't "foul" Suarez in the first half but could easily have given away a penalty had Suarez gone down. He generally quite ill-disciplined, particularly considering the number advantage that Liverpool had in that area.

He generally looked slow and cumbersome, didn't go forward with any purpose or defend with any purpose. He was just there. Doesn't it tell you a lot that he made 9 tackles in CM yet no-one for one second thinks he had a dominant performance, or that we won the midfield battle?

 

[bosnian_red]

Now try to imagine this: we don't buy Vidal, we don't buy Gündogan, we don't buy Kroos, most people here haven't seen Carvalho yet would want him in ( the most cringeworthy part to be fair ), what then ? Will the same people come here and complain about him next season even though he might be the best we'll have ? As I've said, and your post partially proves that, his biggest problem is that he's not one of the above. Not how he performs.

No, that's an utter shite and not 'the reality of it'. You're talking about three man midfield against Fellaini and Carrick who's had two fecking tackles and two interceptions this game, add crab passing to it while he was meant to be our creative central midfielder and you wonder why they looked better? Funnily enough, you mention them being on another level while they couldn't dominate us in possession in the first half, created feck all chances and were up 1-0 just because Rafael went full retard. 'They are all mobile', yea, Gerrard is as mobile as Giggs. Christ.

Okay, if we don't buy one of the top class midfielders then we go down to the next tier of players who are around 23 years old, very good but with potential to improve. Pjanic, koke, carvalho, rakitic, bender, etc. There are literally loads of players we should have bought to improve the midfield before we went for Fellaini. You say his problem is that he isn't one of the above doesn't really matter. He's playing decently for his standards, but that's still not Manchester United standard. Would he get in any other midfield in a top team? No chance. Look at bayern, Dortmund, Barca, Madrid, atletico, juventus, Roma, city, arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, even spurs ffs. Fellaini wouldn't get in any of their teams. As squad player, yes for some of them, but never as a starter. That's his problem. Just isn't good enough, no shame in that.

So you're trying to tell me that he's good on the ball and is quick and agile? That's what I meant. It's a basic requirement for being a midfielder at a top team and he comes up short.
Also, them having a 3 man midfield doesn't make all the difference. How did we absolutely piss all over Liverpool every time we play them the last few years when we had midfields of jones and giggs, Carrick and scholes, or Carrick and cleverley? It's about the willingness to make runs and open yourself up. Half the time when our defenders have the ball, they have nobody to lay the ball off to because fellaini is running up the pitch to knock down a hoof or is standing out wide for whatever reason. He's not opening himself up to receive a short pass.

 

[Devil may care]

If him and Carrick were any fecking slower they'd be stationary. I think Fellaini is the answer to a question nobody asked, but he'll look doubly shit next to an invisible and lethargic Carrick. We wasted a shit load of money on him so he'll stick around for a couple of seasons even if Moyes gets the boot, but we need two CM's in the summer.

 

[Gannicus]

The problem is we bought another player who should just be a squad player for united. Carrick, cleverley, fletcher, fellaini are all squad players at the very most for a team of our stature. That's what the problem is. We wasted 30m on a player who doesn't bring us to the level we need. We needed a top class midfielder, or somebody who can become one. Not another squad player. Yeah he's good enough to start for us at the moment, but only because our entire set of midfielders are all average at the very best. They are all mid table midfielders, not top class ones.

If we but kroos/gundogan and carvalho/Vidal this summer, fellaini will be a useful player to have as a squad player. But he'll still be a waste of money because of the amount we paid. That money would have been much better spent on somebody else who is capable of starting.

Saying all this, fellaini wasn't good today at all. Sure he wasn't as shit as most players, but that's not the point. Are people going to start praising someone because they were less shit? He still didn't play that well, regardless of the circumstances. He's slow and clumsy on the ball and that's the reality of it. Liverpools midfield of Gerrard, Allen and Henderson was on another level to ours because they are all mobile and neat and tidy on the ball. Ours aren't.

Spot fecking on. I don't know what they serve Bosnians in Canada these days but you've nailed it on Fellaini.

Yes, he can "do a job" yada yada, but we already have a squad full of squad players. (Speaking to Fellaini's apologists here.) What was required in August was an outstanding midfielder, not a marginally acceptable one.

Whoever succeeds Moyes in May -- and the sacking has to happen in May, not December -- will have to bring in 2 and probably 3 proper midfielders to begin sorting out the mess that Moyes as well as Fergie left us.

 

[Kostur]

Okay, if we don't buy one of the top class midfielders then we go down to the next tier of players who are around 23 years old, very good but with potential to improve. Pjanic, koke, carvalho, rakitic, bender, etc. There are literally loads of players we should have bought to improve the midfield before we went for Fellaini. You say his problem is that he isn't one of the above doesn't really matter. He's playing decently for his standards, but that's still not Manchester United standard. Would he get in any other midfield in a top team? No chance. Look at bayern, Dortmund, Barca, Madrid, atletico, juventus, Roma, city, arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, even spurs ffs. Fellaini wouldn't get in any of their teams. As squad player, yes for some of them, but never as a starter. That's his problem. Just isn't good enough, no shame in that.

So you're trying to tell me that he's good on the ball and is quick and agile? That's what I meant. It's a basic requirement for being a midfielder at a top team and he comes up short.
Also, them having a 3 man midfield doesn't make all the difference. How did we absolutely piss all over Liverpool every time we play them the last few years when we had midfields of jones and giggs, Carrick and scholes, or Carrick and cleverley? It's about the willingness to make runs and open yourself up. Half the time when our defenders have the ball, they have nobody to lay the ball off to because fellaini is running up the pitch to knock down a hoof or is standing out wide for whatever reason. He's not opening himself up to receive a short pass.

Yea, and as we're proving this season having the best players possible on the pitch is always working, right ? 'On paper' Fellaini wouldn't get into midfields of teams you've mentioned, 'on paper' their strikers ( bar Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez and possibly Aguero ) wouldn't get ahead of Rooney or RVP. Do they fail to score because they've got 'worse' strikers than we do ? Do we score more goals because our strikers are 'better' ? No. It's not about the best players but about players that they do their job, Fellaini does his job for us.

He's good on the ball, he's not agile, no, but he's not a stagnated statue as some make it sound here, nor is he lazy which is implied as well every fecking match. Them having 3 man midfield doesn't make all the difference? Are you for real? You bring up examples of midfields when our attack was working, so no matter if they dominated us in the midfield ( even though they played with just 2 in the midfield as well ), we've outscored, outsmarted and outskilled them. Today, we've got 2 creative attacking midfielders or a CAM and a winger if you will who should create something yet create nothing and two strikers who can't partner each other.

And actually Fellaini makes himself available for the pass quite often, only time when we 'hoof' it to him is when de Gea is starting the play. Even if he's not making himself available for the ball ( which he is ) then there's our 'deep lying midfielder' Carrick and Rooney who's supposed to link attack with midfield as a #10. Which he isn't doing.