[Joga Bonito]

We probably missed Herrera's creativity and pass-move game more than Fellaini's defensive gameplay today, given that we were screaming for some incisiveness and impetus with the possession we had.

That said, Fellaini should return to the team when he recovers.

 

[togg]

oh ok ok...not everyone....

 

[the hea]

You could say the same with Blind or Herrera in place of Fletcher, my point was that this notion that if Fellaini or either of the other 2 started we would have won is simplistic and wrong. If anything Herrera was the bigger miss as he quickens up our passing in the final third and would have added the dynamism we lacked with Mata up there. However what we had on should have gotten the job done, player A, B C being missing is no excuse.

You said that Fellaini starting would not have made a difference today and to me that sounded that you think that Fellaini would not have made a bigger impact on the game than Fletcher managed to have. Fellaini has been one of our best players since he came back from his injury and to think that he would not have been able to make bigger impact than Fletcher today is just ridiculous.

 

[Devil may care]

You said that Fellaini starting would not have made a difference today and to me that sounded that you think that Fellaini would not have had a bigger impact on the game than Fletcher managed to have. Fellaini has been one of our best players since he came back from his injury and to think that he would not have been able to make bigger impact than Fletcher today is just ridiculous.

Overall I don't think how poor Fletcher was for one half made any difference, we dominated the second half and created nothing, that had nothing to do with who was in the holding role as Carrick was there for the 30 minutes of ball possession against ten men we had. We didn't suffer from not having a more physical player in midfield, we suffered because Di Maria and Mata created nothing up front for our strikers, if we'd been bullied out of the game then I'd agree he was a miss, but we weren't and he wasn't.

 

[Cassidy]

You said that Fellaini starting would not have made a difference today and to me that sounded that you think that Fellaini would not have made a bigger impact on the game than Fletcher managed to have. Fellaini has been one of our best players since he came back from his injury and to think that he would not have been able to make bigger impact than Fletcher today is just ridiculous.

To be fair, what Fellaini has been good at, breaking up play etc wasn't exactly what we needed today. What he hasn't been good at however, inventive passing, moving the ball forward quickly etc is what we were lacking today.
However I'm sure he would have been 10 times better than Fletcher

 

[the hea]

Overall I don't think how poor Fletcher was for one half made any difference, we dominated the second half and created nothing, that had nothing to do with who was in the holding role as Carrick was there for the 30 minutes of ball possession against ten men we had. We didn't suffer from not having a more physical player in midfield, we suffered because Di Maria and Mata created nothing up front for our strikers, if we'd been bullied out of the game then I'd agree he was a miss, but we weren't and he wasn't.

To be fair, what Fellaini has been good at, breaking up play etc wasn't exactly what we needed today. What he hasn't been good at however, inventive passing, moving the ball forward quickly etc is what we were lacking today.
However I'm sure he would have been 10 times better than Fletcher

If you take the worst player out of a team and replaces him with a better player the team will have a better chance of winning the game, at least that is how I see it. Today had we been able to play Fellaini instead of Fletcher I think we would have had a better chance of winning the game, the same goes for Blind and Herrera also they are all better players than Fletcher. For me Blind is the best of those three in that deep laying midfielder role and it should be him or Carrick who starts in that position.

 

[Hed Zitin]

We chucked a load of crosses in. The big man in there would of been good for that sort of thoughtless football.

 

[Devil may care]

If you take the worst player out of a team and replaces him with a better player the team will have a better chance of winning the game, at least that is how I see it. Today had we been able to play Fellaini instead of Fletcher I think we would have had a better chance of winning the game, the same goes for Blind and Herrera also they are all better players than Fletcher. For me Blind is the best of those three in that deep laying midfielder role and it should be him or Carrick who starts in that position.

This would be true if the role the worst player was playing in had any affect on the result, but today it didn't. We didn't win the game because the trio of Mata, Di Maria and Rooney didn't create enough in the final 3rd, it had nothing to do with who was playing in the deeper CM role.

 

[the hea]

This would be true if the role the worst player was playing in had any affect on the result, but today it didn't. We didn't win the game because the trio of Mata, Di Maria and Rooney didn't create enough in the final 3rd, it had nothing to do with who was playing in the deeper CM role.

For me all eleven players have an effect on the result, for example Fellaini might have been able to do a better job marking Benteke at the Villa goal or he could have scored at one of our set pieces. the point is had he not been ill he would have made a bigger impact on the game than Fletcher did and thus we would have had a better chance of winning.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

How times have changed. We missed Fellaini today.

 

[Walrus]

The simple fact of the matter is despite whatever people can say about limitations, not being good enough, poor style of play or whatever else... Our points per game with Fellaini playing 90 minutes is far higher than without, and we have played tougher opposition with him than without. Call it coincidental if you like but we won the last 6 games, today Fellaini didn't play and we drew against a poor team.

 

[Sultan]

We hardly missed Fellaini. Villa neutralised our midfield by narrowing the field. There was simply no room for Mata and Rooney to operate. We simply drew the game due to not reverting to 4-4-2 and bringing on wingers earlier in the game.

 

[Ekeke]

I think he'd have helped, Villa didnt look the best when we crossed and from our set pieces and he'd have been someone else would could put on Benteke from corners, keeping him well away from Evans

 

[Walrus]

We hardly missed Fellaini. Villa neutralised our midfield by narrowing the field. There was simply no room for Mata and Rooney to operate. We simply drew the game due to not reverting to 4-4-2 and bringing on wingers earlier in the game.

I am basing this on MotD highlights but Benteke bullied our defence. Fellaini would definitely have helped in that regard.

 

[Hojoon]

wow...look at the theads last season about Fellaini....everyone was catatonic about getting rid of him....hated him...now, he's like...well..someone we need? Fickle fans eh?

Fellaini is Matthäus compared to the current Fletcher.

 

[Massive Spanner]

I am basing this on MotD highlights but Benteke bullied our defence. Fellaini would definitely have helped in that regard.

I doubt he would've stopped Evans getting steamrolled by Benteke.

 

[Isotope]

If Fellaini play in our next game, and we win; can we all agree that his importance to our play shouldn't be questioned?

 

[Rossa]

If Fellaini play in our next game, and we win; can we all agree that his importance to our play can not be questioned?

He is an important player for United. I thought about our team today when Villa had set-pieces. I don't think we had one single player that would be considered a big, strong player. Evans isn't that tall, nor is Jones. We struggled in the air and in those duels inside the box. Get Smalling back and have Fellaini there, and we are much tougher in both attack and defense at set-pieces. Also, Fellaini is quite good at keeping the ball in midfield.

 

[Isotope]

He is an important player for United. I thought about our team today when Villa had set-pieces. I don't think we had one single player that would be considered a big, strong player. Evans isn't that tall, nor is Jones. We struggled in the air and in those duels inside the box. Get Smalling back and have Fellaini there, and we are much tougher in both attack and defense at set-pieces. Also, Fellaini is quite good at keeping the ball in midfield.

Yup. Without him in today, couldn't help but thinking how our team look like a bunch of pussies against a determine Villa side.

 

[Ekeke]

Yup. Without him in today, couldn't help but thinking how our team look like a bunch of pussies against a determine Villa side.

He looked the same against Southampton so its not quite that simple

 

[Loublaze]

I am basing this on MotD highlights but Benteke bullied our defence. Fellaini would definitely have helped in that regard.

Did he help Evans from getting completely bullied by Balotelli against Liverpool? Balotelli had several clear shots on goal when he came on. Wanyama bullied Fellaini against Southampton. His physicality is vastly overrated. He's just a tall guy with good chest control and average physicality which is shown for what it is when he's up against genuinely physical players.

 

[Loublaze]

He is an important player for United. I thought about our team today when Villa had set-pieces. I don't think we had one single player that would be considered a big, strong player. Evans isn't that tall, nor is Jones. We struggled in the air and in those duels inside the box. Get Smalling back and have Fellaini there, and we are much tougher in both attack and defense at set-pieces. Also, Fellaini is quite good at keeping the ball in midfield.

Are we talking about the same guy who's been giving the ball away for fun in his last two games? He redeemed himself in the closing stages of those games, but he started them poorly, losing the ball and giving it away, he was even punished for this when Southampton scored off his poor pass directly to one of their midfielders.

 

[Walrus]

Did he help Evans from getting completely bullied by Balotelli against Liverpool? Balotelli had several clear shots on goal when he came on. Wanyama bullied Fellaini against Southampton. His physicality is vastly overrated. He's just a tall guy with good chest control and average physicality which is shown for what it is when he's up against genuinely physical players.

Obviously it is still possible for opponents to get chances against us, especially when our defenders are being idiots. I am not going to get drawn into another endless debate of subjective opinions because there is no point, suffice to say that Fellaini has shown plenty of times over his career and plenty of times for us, that he is very capable of physically dominating a match. We saw it when he bullied our midfield/defense as an Everton player, we have seen it in the way he very rarely gets tackled or pushed off the ball where other players would do.

 

[Loublaze]

Obviously it is still possible for opponents to get chances against us, especially when our defenders are being idiots. I am not going to get drawn into another endless debate of subjective opinions because there is no point, suffice to say that Fellaini has shown plenty of times over his career and plenty of times for us, that he is very capable of physically dominating a match. We saw it when he bullied our midfield/defense as an Everton player, we have seen it in the way he very rarely gets tackled or pushed off the ball where other players would do.

He's average physically. Its funny that people still have to mention that game against us when he was an Everton player two seasons ago. Every time he's come up against a fellow physically imposing player like Toure or Wanyama he's come up desperately short, even against smaller players. He's definitely made some good contributions, but lets not make him something he's not.

 

[ZDwyr]

I think he would have helped. Defensively he would have been better marking Benteke than Evans. People can bash Fellaini's physicality all they want but he would have put in a better effort than Evans. Also when we were chasing the win he would have been handy up front.

 

[Raw]

He's perfect for those tough away games where you'd expect to get a little pegged back, but I'd still have Herrera and Di Maria over him when we're playing a bottom half team at home.

Bit cliché but there was a Fellaini-shaped hole in the team today. Stupid illnesses.

 

[acnumber9]

If Fellaini play in our next game, and we win; can we all agree that his importance to our play shouldn't be questioned?

Not really. That isn't the way football works.

 

[Sultan]

I am basing this on MotD highlights but Benteke bullied our defence. Fellaini would definitely have helped in that regard.

Our defence was bullied in most previous games Fellaini played.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

We weren't having trouble holding the ball as such, it was actually doing something dangerous with it when we got it. For a big guy Fellaini can get bullied with the best of them. Yes he would have been of help if it meant Fletcher didn't play, but he wasn't what was missing today. Mata and DiMaria are not creative to me, they are the recipients of other peoples creativity.

 

[Lawman]

We had numerous corners in a row and our centre halfs were nowhere near them. Fellaini provides a threat both attacking and defending set pieces.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

We had numerous corners in a row and our centre halfs were nowhere near them. Fellaini provides a threat both attacking and defending set pieces.

So why has he only scored one goal all season from a cross of any kind? Yes I do think he would have given them something to think about. It is academic as he was ill.

 

[Lawman]

So why has he only scored one goal all season from a cross of any kind? Yes I do think he would have given them something to think about. It is academic as he was ill.

He tends to take their best header with him to pick him up. Plus he does pose a threat (RVPs Chelsea game came of him also)

 

[DomesticTadpole]

He tends to take their best header with him to pick him up. Plus he does pose a threat (RVPs Chelsea game came of him also)

Would the quality of the crosses coming in have been of any use to him yesterday? As he was ill we will never know. If he was available he would probably have played. I think people are forgetting that he wasn't actually dropped.

 

[Lawman]

Would the quality of the crosses coming in have been of any use to him yesterday? As he was ill we will never know. If he was available he would probably have played. I think people are forgetting that he wasn't actually dropped.

Tadpole I know he was ill I was just saying that we missed him. Nothing more nothing less. Same as Smalling but to a lesser extent.

 

[Rossa]

Are we talking about the same guy who's been giving the ball away for fun in his last two games? He redeemed himself in the closing stages of those games, but he started them poorly, losing the ball and giving it away, he was even punished for this when Southampton scored off his poor pass directly to one of their midfielders.

He's good at retaining the ball, awful at passing, especially sideways. Agreed?

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-ace-fellaini-cleared-4851363

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

When's he back. I miss the big man.

 

[Litch]

Clearly missed against Villa, and will be tomorrow too.....

 

[Brightonian]

He's good at retaining the ball, awful at passing, especially sideways. Agreed?

Retaining the ball generally means helping the team to retain the ball. He's not good at that at all. He's good at holding up the ball.

 

[Cassidy]

He's good at retaining the ball, awful at passing, especially sideways. Agreed?

I don't think you can have good ball retention if you are a bad passer...