Fellaini | Gone

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devilish said:
Fellaini was signed and he remained there because the managers in question lacked support and he was one of the few who showed them loyalty. He did so, not because he had a particular love towards us. In fact when he started to believe his own hype he came up with the 'they should have extended my contract when they had the time' which remained there up until reality kicked in. He did so because he knew that the moment a half decent manager is signed then he would be on the way out. In fact that's exactly what happened.

Also you might notice but you're at Manchester United not some mid tier club. Winning the league cup or the Thursday Night cup are not big cups.
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I don't buy the fact that he survived just because he was loyal to the managers. Moyes didn't get the best out of him at United. LVG did as did Jose. He was hurt when inherited by Ole. Could he have played a part of this squad for the remainder of this season, of course and we wouldn't have complained like we did when he first came to the club. But again, he's been hurt/on the block.

Darmian has showed loyalty, but then Fellaini has played more and probably contributed more than him or Rojo...yet they are still here. Why? Loyalty for the manager(s)? Mata has showed loyalty to the managers and loves the club.

If anything, the managers saw a use out of him when there weren't any other better options at the club for whatever reason. I do not believe McTominay is a better option than Fellaini. Andreas is not a better option than Fellaini. We're talking about backup/squad players, not first XI.

And you might notice but the reality is, Manchester United isn't the same club anymore compared to 2012. The standards have always been there and it will remaining, to win the league, challenge to make deep runs in Europe and domestic cups. But applying yourself and reaching those standards, no, not really close. We've been in transition and still are. However, winning matters a lot at this club. Winning the Europa League was a calculated gamble to forego a run at 4th place and go all in for the trophy, yet get passage into the CL. Winning the FA Cup is still a big deal if you're a top team because it's part of the treble (which Fellaini did with United and played a central role mind you with Mata, Rooney and Lingard). Win the league - great. Domestic double - greater. Treble - greatest.
 
Weird.

We didn't suddenly become stacked on plan B forward targets and central midfielders just because we sacked Mourinho...?
 
Trophy Room said:
Nope that's not true. He had terrible games for us and by all means call him out on it objectively but I feel that when Fellaini had a 'bad game' he suffered a lot more abuse than other players who also over the years have had terrible games.

I personally don't think that he ever disrespected the shirt and I have never associated lack of effort with Fellaini despite suboptimal quality at times. Therefore I don't think that its fair that his departure warrants such disdainful comments from some posters. Its just my opinion.
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The problem is bar was so lowered so far for Fellaini that any meaningful contribution was massively exaggerated. Yeah he won us games but Manchester United midfielder is expected to do this.
Fans lowered their expectations so far it was very easy for Fellaini to be success in their eyes compared with other players. Just work hard, score some goals from bench and be a nuisance is enough.
 
endless_wheelies said:
Weird.

We didn't suddenly become stacked on plan B forward targets and central midfielders just because we sacked Mourinho...?
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Fellaini was always an embarrassing plan B for a top club to use, Lukaku can be the new plan B for a while.

Don't wish him any bad will, but glad to see the back of him finally.
 
Toad said:
Good luck to him. Scored some important goals for us.
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Same. He had a work ethic many of our 'flair' players could learn a lot from. He always put a shift in, had a knack of scoring big goals any criticusms of his perceived quality or appropriateness as a Utd player should be levelled at successive managers, not him.
 
Was always struggling coming in as Moyes man in that first dreadful window.
What was most surprising, was that Moyes tried to use him deep in centre mid, when he should have been the best man to know his actual strengths, which are sticking as close to the other box as possible.

Scored a fair few goals, but caused no end of havoc with his stray elbows, the long balls up to him, and the sheer immobile presence in midfield.

Did well to stay here if we're honest.
Seems surprising that this China lot didn't come in for him in the summer when he was free!
 
Jippy said:
Same. He had a work ethic many of our 'flair' players could learn a lot from. He always put a shift in, had a knack of scoring big goals any criticusms of his perceived quality or appropriateness as a Utd player should be levelled at successive managers, not him.
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I see a lot of this "Put a shift in business". I can only imagine people mean "battled", as obviously his mobility issues meant he was hardly racing back Herrera style the whole time.
 
Sandikan said:
I see a lot of this "Put a shift in business". I can only imagine people mean "battled", as obviously his mobility issues meant he was hardly racing back Herrera style the whole time.
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He was never one of the players to cover the most distance, so when anyone says he always worked hard I guess they must mean he got in the faces of everyone and was a bit of a menace. Basically the sort of rubbish you'd expect from the stereotypical Stoke team, a team that regularly got hammered for that style of play on here. Always remember the abuse Charlie Adam would get when we played them, yet Fellaini gets praise for getting up to the same tricks.
 
endless_wheelies said:
How embarassed should Belgium be having used him as a Plan A at the World Cup?
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Don't really care about how Belgium use him, for me he will always be remembered as the go to guy when the manager runs out of ideas, stops playing football, and lumps it forward, it has its place for some teams, but not for us anymore thank you, even it means not having it as a potentially successful fallback on rare occasions, plan B just needs to be less medieval in approach.
 
Felé :(

One of my favorite underdog players. In the Alan Smith fighter-mould. Very important goals from him too, and some good contribution in big games too. Juve, Young Boys. Scored against Tottenham, City too. Thank god for him and his CL-winner if we go far in CL this year.
 
Jippy said:
Same. He had a work ethic many of our 'flair' players could learn a lot from. He always put a shift in, had a knack of scoring big goals any criticusms of his perceived quality or appropriateness as a Utd player should be levelled at successive managers, not him.
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Wasn’t his fault Moyes wanted him, he wasn’t going to say no to United. Maybe not the top quality player we are used to but like you said the shifts he put in can’t be argued with. Better work rate than most players and used what he had to good effect, can’t knock him to be fair.
 
Sandikan said:
I see a lot of this "Put a shift in business". I can only imagine people mean "battled", as obviously his mobility issues meant he was hardly racing back Herrera style the whole time.
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Ok fair enough but he never had that frustratingly petulant body language you see so often. God that's a low hurdle!
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
Don't really care about how Belgium use him, for me he will always be remembered as the go to guy when the manager runs out of ideas, stops playing football, and lumps it forward, it has its place for some teams, but not for us anymore thank you, even it means not having it as a potentially successful fallback on rare occasions, plan B just needs to be less medieval in approach.
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Wouldn't you say it's a bit weak-minded to throw away a "potentially successful fallback" for just £10m just for the symbolic reasons you outline? Would it be worth, for example, failing to get those vital last goals that prevent us going out of the Champions League, FA Cup and top four?

Also you say you don't care about how Belgium used him in their free-flowing World Cup system but doesn't that suggest that he could also have had a use in Solskjaer's?
 
Bojan11 said:
Not the worst player in our history as some make him out to be. By far not the worst player in our squad in recent years.

Rather than posting smiley faces and celebrations he deserves respect. He gave his all and scored some vital goals. Did he fit in our club? No. Was it his fault that three managers kept picking him? No.

£10m good fee and good luck to him.
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Possibly not *the* worst, but absolutely one of the worst.

Certainly in premier league times there have been less than a handful of midfielders that have played for the club that have been objectively worse than he has been.
 
endless_wheelies said:
Wouldn't you say it's a bit weak-minded to throw away a "potentially successful fallback" for just £10m just for the symbolic reasons you outline? Would it be worth, for example, failing to get those vital last goals that prevent us going out of the Champions League, FA Cup and top four?

Also you say you don't care about how Belgium used him in their free-flowing World Cup system but doesn't that suggest that he could also have had a use in Solskjaer's?
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But it's not though, Ole, (and whatever help he is getting), is now setting the team up to win games without the need for us to rely on 'plan B', and now we have a happy bench with very talented players who can't get in the team, isn't it better to call on Lukaku to try and do something, or Sanchez, or Mata, or now we have someone who wants to play the youth, Greenwood, Gomes, or Chong, rather than change our whole approach in the hope Fellaini can knock the ball down for someone, or knock one in from some part of his body, personally I'd far rather these guys giving it a go at doing something that fits in with how we should be playing, rather than the Fellaini approach.

I just don't see how Ole could be expected to use him how he has been used anymore, and it's pleasing that option has now gone.
 
I'm not sad to see him go but I think the stick he got was unfair.

He scored some important goals for us and put in a few top quality performances when we needed it. It's not his fault that Moyes signed him and then he became a symbol for everything that went wrong under Mourinho.

All the best Marouane
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
But it's not though, Ole, (and whatever help he is getting), is now setting the team up to win games without the need for us to rely on 'plan B', and now we have a happy bench with very talented players who can't get in the team, isn't it better to call on Lukaku to try and do something, or Sanchez, or Mata, or now we have someone who wants to play the youth, Greenwood, Gomes, or Chong, rather than change our whole approach in the hope Fellaini can knock the ball down for someone, or knock one in from some part of his body, personally I'd far rather these guys giving it a go at doing something that fits in with how we should be playing, rather than the Fellaini approach.

I just don't see how Ole could be expected to use him how he has been used anymore, and it's pleasing that option has now gone.
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The "throw forward a big guy and load up the box" is the last resort option of choice for every team in the world, it quite simply is the only tactic that allows a team to score a goal within a second of having had the ball in their own half. No-one was better for this than Fellaini - Lukaku certainly is no target man.

I don't see why there's such shame in it - go and watch Pique in the last 10 minutes of Barcelona 6-1 PSG.
 
endless_wheelies said:
The "throw forward a big guy and load up the box" is the last resort option of choice for every team in the world, it quite simply is the only tactic that allows a team to score a goal within a second of having had the ball in their own half. No-one was better for this than Fellaini - Lukaku certainly is no target man.

I don't see why there's such shame in it - go and watch Pique in the last 10 minutes of Barcelona 6-1 PSG.
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It's not a tactic for those teams. Its literally a last second thing with no tactic behind it. Certainly doesn't warrant keeping a player behind around just for the sake of last second ball.
 
adexkola said:
I don't take the attitude for granted. But why do you care why I like a certain (now ex-) United player?

I think one of the weirdest things about this whole thing is how some fans were baffled/offended at the idea that some other fans dared to actually support and/or like a United player (one that looked like he gave a shit, compared to some others). But he's gone now, so both camps can look forward.
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Hey, you could have a shrine for him if you want, its none of my business, but we're on a forum so I can ask why you hold this opinion, you're not obligated to answer. Im not in the slightest offended, just baffled as well. The vast majority of players at United do not have attitude problems and its not something worthy of praise IMO when a player does a job he's handsomely paid for without bitching and moaning all the time. I agree with your last point, he's gone now and we can look forward to better days
 
abdo99 said:
It's not a tactic for those teams. Its literally a last second thing with no tactic behind it. Certainly doesn't warrant keeping a player behind around just for the sake of last second ball.
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Well let's hope so when the crunch minutes of our forthcoming games come around, although I'd also disagree that that's his only means of usefulness given his effectiveness in Belgium's system.

ravi2 said:
Belgium have Hazard, De Bryune and a host of other world class stars.
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So...?
 
He hasn't officially gone has he?

How will they manage to complete a medical on him i thought he was injured? I'm not sure what a medical involves but surely there's some running etc? Would they just factor in the injury and work round it?

Is the Chinese transfer market bound by the same rules as us or can they complete it past the deadline?

I'm just hoping we haven't suddenly decided to keep him around as a plan B following the Burnley game.
 
United Hobbit said:
He hasn't officially gone has he?

How will they manage to complete a medical on him i thought he was injured? I'm not sure what a medical involves but surely there's some running etc? Would they just factor in the injury and work round it?

Is the Chinese transfer market bound by the same rules as us or can they complete it past the deadline?

I'm just hoping we haven't suddenly decided to keep him around as a plan B following the Burnley game.
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Chinese window doesn't shut until 28th Feb
 
United Hobbit said:
He hasn't officially gone has he?

How will they manage to complete a medical on him i thought he was injured? I'm not sure what a medical involves but surely there's some running etc? Would they just factor in the injury and work round it?

Is the Chinese transfer market bound by the same rules as us or can they complete it past the deadline?

I'm just hoping we haven't suddenly decided to keep him around as a plan B following the Burnley game.
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Chinese window is open til the end of Feb.

And apparently, he's already passed his medical.

And some of the bitterness in this thread :rolleyes:

Some of you lot are right salty little bitches :lol:
 
A Manchester United team with 30mins to go should never use hoof ball into the box hoping Fellaini “does something”. Its lower league tactics and doesn’t belong anywhere near this club.

That being said, he’s scored a few important goals for us when Plan B involved him.

The philosophy of this club should never change, and now OGS is manager we play how we’re supposed to play.

It was Moyes fault for signing him, typical small time mentality. He went for Ronaldo that summer apparently and ended up with Fellaini.

I do wish him well on his way and hope he does well.
 
Eyepopper said:
Chinese window is open til the end of Feb.

And apparently, he's already passed his medical.

And some of the bitterness in this thread :rolleyes:

Some of you lot are right salty little bitches :lol:
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Not sure why folks would be bitter, all the best to him and its great the club is finally moving in a direction where we dont need to play hoofball to get back in a match. Its good news all round
 
He was good at one thing and one thing only. He had a world class touch with his chest to get the ball down and come out of a crowd of players. However when he did come out he usually didn’t have any quality to actually do anything with it.

As for the “plan b” nonsense, I can count on one hand how many games he had a positive effect in after coming on. Those games in no way make up for the loads of games where he looked hopelessly out of depth or the penalties he gave away when put on to defend a 1 goal lead.

But I don’t really blame the guy. He was given something I can only dream about, a chance to play for man united. But now it’s time to actually raise our standards to we don’t have to need a “plan b” very often. I think he was holding back the team cos managers always had an easy out to put Fellaini on when chasing and as a consequence we usually lost all composure and any thought of actually playing football went out the window.

The last 10 minutes against Burnley? That’s how you chase a game. That’s what a “plan b” should look like. Not lobbing balls to a stationary tree in the hopes that one defects in of the branches.
 
AngliaRed said:
A Manchester United team with 30mins to go should never use hoof ball into the box hoping Fellaini “does something”. Its lower league tactics and doesn’t belong anywhere near this club.

That being said, he’s scored a few important goals for us when Plan B involved him.

The philosophy of this club should never change, and now OGS is manager we play how we’re supposed to play.

It was Moyes fault for signing him, typical small time mentality. He went for Ronaldo that summer apparently and ended up with Fellaini.

I do wish him well on his way and hope he does well.
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That was the worst transfer window I could have ever imagined. Moyes was going for (very publicly) Cesc, Bale and Baines and all he had to show for it was Fellaini...who if he had a bid for a few days earlier he could have acquired him for approximately 5 million less.
 
Never good enough for Utd. But he did have some memorable, important moments for us. All the best Marouane.
 
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The epitome of a panic buy, and that by an incompetent manager already struggling to keep his head above water less than 60 days after appointment. Served the club admirably despite never being "United quality" and wish him well elsewhere. Vamoose!
 
endless_wheelies said:
The "throw forward a big guy and load up the box" is the last resort option of choice for every team in the world, it quite simply is the only tactic that allows a team to score a goal within a second of having had the ball in their own half. No-one was better for this than Fellaini - Lukaku certainly is no target man.

I don't see why there's such shame in it - go and watch Pique in the last 10 minutes of Barcelona 6-1 PSG.
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Certainly not, most teams do it in dire circumstances by throwing a defender up front for the last 5-10 minutes. I can even remember Ferguson doing it at times.

But let's honest here thats not exactly what we did with Fellaini the last few years, especially under Mourinho. Where it was quite often a favourite tactic if we were losing or drawing when Fellaini was available. Hoofing balls up to Fellaini for 20-30 minutes when chasing games was a bit embarrassing for a club with United's history and resources.
 
A parting stat:

Marouane Fellaini scored in the semi-final of each major competition Manchester United have won since Sir Alex Ferguson retired:

⚽️ vs. Everton (FA Cup)
⚽️ vs. Hull (League Cup)
⚽️ vs. Celta Vigo (Europa League)
 
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