I don't claim to be a scout so I don't really have an answer to that. Over the last couple of years I haven't been able to watch as much European Football as I used to so it's difficult to keep track of players. With that said though, I have watched enough of Fellaini to have formed the opinion that he's a triangle peg we'd be asking to fit into a Pentagonal shaped hole. I just feel we need more dynamic players, he's got a physical side which I can appreciate would be a positive for us and he's got a few other attributes both defensive and offensive that we might be lacking but we shouldn't be targeting those attributes alone for the answer. They still need to be able to play the United way and I'm not convinced he's well rounded or technical enough to do that for us.
Fellaini
- Thread starter Bilbo
- Start date
- Status
I don't claim to be a scout so I don't really have an answer to that. Over the last couple of years I haven't been able to watch as much European Football as I used to so it's difficult to keep track of players. With that said though, I have watched enough of Fellaini to have formed the opinion that he's a triangle peg we'd be asking to fit into a Pentagonal shaped hole. I just feel we need more dynamic players, he's got a physical side which I can appreciate would be a positive for us and he's got a few other attributes both defensive and offensive that we might be lacking but we shouldn't be targeting those attributes alone for the answer. They still need to be able to play the United way and I'm not convinced he's well rounded or technical enough to do that for us.
Please God can he join United and leave us out of it?
Maybe Moyes has plans for it to be different but traditionally at United, if you're playing in a midfield two, you need to be prepared to help out in both defence and attack. We don't have "one guy doing the defensive work and one guy doing the passing". We have two guy's doing the passing and both players chipping in defensively. It's why Scholes became a bit of a burden to our midfield at times this season, his partner was left with just too much work to do defensively.
I agree with this. Unless we buy a Verrati or Wilshere we are not going to find a deep playmaker like Carrick.. They will process deferent qualities and our playmaking can start further up the field with the likes of a Cleverley Thiago.
I've already said that Fellaini is good enough at passing to make it at United, so I'm not trying to make out he'll have no impact passing wise.
But there isn't a chance that we don't or won't use CM's who are better at a certain aspect of the game. Obviously they will both 'chip in' and do both passing and defensive work, but look at Fletcher/Carrick for a partnership with defined roles or even this season with Cleverley and Carrick.
On your bolded - that happens quite often and it isn't limited to Scholes (though he is the worst for it) Carrick always gets shafted with too big a job to do, which is precisely why we need someone like Fellaini to give us other options
I disagree a bit, Scholes became a burden because his legs went rather than solely because of his duties to the team. The 1 Defensive + 1 Creative midfielder system can work, and just because it's not how United have done things in the past doesn't mean we should discount it, imo. And in fairness Fellaini is not just a defensive or just an attacking player.
£22 million? Arsene Wenger to make Fellaini Arsenal's record transfer?
Cant see this one. Like most Arsenal stories actually, just link them to all kinds of expensive players although for once this one wont get their fans excited
Cant see this one. Like most Arsenal stories actually, just link them to all kinds of expensive players although for once this one wont get their fans excited
Fairly convoluted way of saying he's not MUQ.
Fellaini would be a decent addition to either of Arsenal or United, to be honest.
Surprised United have rivals in supposed interest though, but there you go.
Surprised United have rivals in supposed interest though, but there you go.
Fellaini isn't anywhere near good enough for Arsenal in CM and we certainly don't need a clumsy AM either.
He's more than good enough for your midfield.
He's had more of a contribution to the Premier League than Diaby. Wilshere is apparently always injured. Ramsey hasn't developed as hoped, largely due to the leg break. Rosicky is in and out. Cazorla and Arteta could do with accompanying steel in the midfield.
He's all yours. £24M is it?
£22 million, apparently.
I wouldn't be his biggest fan, but I do think some fans write him off pretty harshly because of how he's been utilised in recent season at Everton. The reality is he's an effective young midfielder, with talent.
He'd be an upgrade to Anderson, for United. And he'd be a more than capable addition for Arsenal.
£22m if the club is in CL. Are you glad Arsenal made it, saves them £2m...bargain for Wenger.
The reality is that he can't pass the ball well enough to play CM for a top4 team (or indeed Everton). Practically any PL central midfielder would be an upgrade on Anderson (who like Fellaini isn't a CM). He'd be shit for Arsenal.
Genuine question Cunto, have you ever seen him have a good game in midfield? I haven't. He's played well at times when off the striker for someone to lump balls up to him. I see him like a taller, more aerially proficient Giroud. Could you imagine playing Giroud in midfield?
Another thing I don't understand is how he'd be utilised at Arsenal. As Pete said, he can't pass well enough to be a midfielder, and I'm not convinced he an tackle well enough. He doesn't seem to show any of the attributes required to be a good midfielder, besides strength.
Of course, they could play him like Everton do, and completely changed the footballing philosophy to accommodate him.
He wants to play as a defensive midfielder, and if that Times piece is to be believed that's where Arsenal intend to use him. It's not as if he requires the ability to play inch perfect forty yard passes to be effective in that role. Especially if he never has Arteta or Cazorla too far away.
Can't believe I'm rationalising the potential signing of Fellaini to an Arsenal fan. Maybe it's my subconscious acting on what I would perceive as a fairly underwhelming signing.
He's not as bad a passer as people are making him out to be. He's no Scholes, but he has a decent range
I've watched a fair bit of Everton, mainly to keep an eye on Coleman and Gibson, and yes for the most part Fellaini has been played up top. So, I'd have to go back a fair bit to remember seeing him play in midfield. But I know he's more effective there then some seem to believe. Is he an excellent passer? No. But he's a decent one. And like I said above, he allegedly wants to play as a defensive midfielder, a role in which passing isn't as important.
Fellaini's biggest attribute to date is to be a foul-machine and get away with murder (must be that 'cute' hair).
You can't play CM if you can't pass. End of.
Plenty of defensive midfielders in the modern game wouldn't be renowned for their passing ability.
How does Lucas Leiva get picked all the time then? He couldn't pass his way out of a 10yard drill. But the jammy cnut can foul and shepherd play.
If Fellaini could come in and have a similar effect as Javi Martínez has had at Bayern, it'd be a quality signing.
Really... Carrick, Arteta, Alonso, Gundogan, Martinez...
I think that's a little harsh. His long-range passing I've never seen exploited, but you don't see him give the ball away much.
I assume he was talking more about the old-fashion DMs; your Makeleles, Essiens etc. whose passing was never a highlight of theirs (not to say they were inadequate at it).
In that role, I know what you're saying KC, but it's not the passing as such, as the composure to be able to receive the ball and distribute it under pressure. Neither of these things I've seen Fellaini do especially well.
Fellaini would be a better passer than the likes of Khedira. The said players are more deep lying playmakers than defensive midfielders, in fairness.
I get you, his control is very impressive though. He's excellent at taking the ball in. As for his composure, I could see where that might let him down in the centre of the park.
For feckk sake Liam..That bolded part is especially mental - he is nothing like Giroud. Fellaini is a midfielder, Moyes has said so as has Fellaini himself. And you don't need to 'imagine' Fellaini playing in midfield because he has done it plenty
He absolutely can tackle well enough - When he played in midfield in 2011 he was one of the top ballwinners in the entire league, the stats from that season are in here somewhere.. but feck knows where. Even this season playing as a striker he made more tackles than anyone else in Everton's team, so he can blatantly tackle.
Passing wise he's okay but not great, certainly not a liability like some seem to be portraying. He would be a clear upgrade from Cleverley and Anderson to partner Carrick, though we'll hopefully bring in a more progressive/creative CM as well
I'm with Pete here, really don't want him. Even at the reported £15m I'd rather not have him.
Moyes will buy him and play him in CM - it will be a clusterfeck. He'll then try him off RvP a la Everton, won't work. Moyes will be sacked after 18 months and the new manager will sell him to Stoke.
It's harsh. I will admit but do we not remember the bleating of Liverpool fans "He's an attacking midfielder that has to play as a DM to get a game".
Basically he's gone from being an attacking midfielder, to not getting a game and having to play as a DM to get game time, to being a DM who is playing well as a DM to 'one of the best DM's in the world'.
His role becoming so limited now that he really only runs around in front of the CB's snapping at attackers and then dishing off an easy pass to recycle on the counter. He just fouls players so much that 10/11 season he served a yellow card accumulation ban after just 5 appearances.
I know Pete is saying that you need to be able to pass when you play in "central midfield" but there are various roles for various types of players who range from the technically and passing limited players like Lucas who run around fouling and chopping players to rolls royce players like Carrick who have an elite passing and positional game and spend more time looking for intercepts and 'smart' plays in defense rather than directly challenging opponents 1on1.
I don't want him either.
Just think he gets a bit of a raw deal on here, he's not the stocking of shite some would have you believe.
If the manager and staff see fit to sign him, I'll trust their judgement.
Ferguson's gone - you can get used to it from now on.
That bolded part is especially mental - he is nothing like Giroud. Fellaini is a midfielder, Moyes has said so as has Fellaini himself. And you don't need to 'imagine' Fellaini playing in midfield because he has done it plenty
He absolutely can tackle well enough - When he played in midfield in 2011 he was one of the top ballwinners in the entire league, the stats from that season are in here somewhere.. but feck knows where. Even this season playing as a striker he made more tackles than anyone else in Everton's team, so he can blatantly tackle.
Passing wise he's okay but not great, certainly not a liability like some seem to be portraying. He would be a clear upgrade from Cleverley and Anderson to partner Carrick, though we'll hopefully bring in a more progressive/creative CM as well
I'd like to see the stats. Then I'd like to see him make these tackles. Whenever I think of Fellaini I can't help but think of his game against us.
When I compared him to Giroud, I was speaking strictly in the sense that they're both target men. Giroud less so.
I also could not disagree more with you saying he'd be an upgrade on Cleverley to partner Carrick. I don't know when he fell out of favour with the caf. He was near-worshipped when he was injured. He brings so much tempo and directness to our play. Could you even remotely imagine Fellaini laying off intricate passes and sprinting into space to receive the ball?
I really hope Arsenal do get him, and I really hope he does play in midfield. Time will tell, but I'd feel pretty confident that he'd be an absolute failure.
I am pretty sure it's true. But he does foul a lot. I remember seeing his tackle/ground duel stats were very impressive a while back.
He's just NMUQ - trust me
- Status