It's better than what we playing a few weeks back, at least.
27
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 7
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
It might be effective, but playing Fellaini up top and constantly hitting diagonals to him for the knockdown is so unambitious, especially looking at the technical players we have, and the money we have to buy players.
I hope this wont be a long term thing.
I hope this wont be a long term thing.
Well he's better used as a target man than on the right of the diamond as it suits his strengths.
Big guy's doing a nice job. He provides a target and makes trouble for the opposition. Would be interested to see he and Rooney switch places though.
We had probably around 50 long balls/crosses in first 20 minutes, hardly anything like under Fergie.
Anything is better than that.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole
Yeah, but it was really like watching Fulham game again, and I am quite sure no one enjoyed that.
Yah but it wasn't really, that game was dire. This wasn't
Yah but it wasn't really, that game was dire. This wasn't
Because Fulham aren't league two side.
Yet we couldn't break Cambridge down last week. We've changed our strategy a little, while we're still playing lots of short passes along the ground we have added aerial threat up front. Imo that's not the same as a game where we literally went out with the intention of putting as many crosses into the box as possible, regardless of the level of the opposition.
I am enjoying watching Fellaini marauding the left wing at the moment, I'll answer you later.
I am enjoying watching Fellaini marauding the left wing at the moment, I'll answer you later.
sounds good to me I really hate people moaning about him. He has been one of our best players this season imo.
Fellaini provides a viable option as a plan B. And having an alternative plan when the original plan isn't working is always worthwhile.
However, the worry is that Fellaini may be looked at as part of our plan A - even when he does not possess the footballing qualities of several other players who should be ahead of him.
He did well for Everton by being good in the air and physically strong, which was how Everton scored a lot of their goals. But that certainly shouldn't be Manchester United's main attacking outlet.
However, the worry is that Fellaini may be looked at as part of our plan A - even when he does not possess the footballing qualities of several other players who should be ahead of him.
He did well for Everton by being good in the air and physically strong, which was how Everton scored a lot of their goals. But that certainly shouldn't be Manchester United's main attacking outlet.
I like Fellaini very much but that position tonight is a waste of his talents. He's much better than a pidgeon-holed target man. The idea that he plays as a striker while Rooney plays in midfield is laughable. Both are considerably better in their natural positions.
I was frustrated with him tonight. There were a couple of occasions where I was shouting at the screen. Why the feck he played up top when Rooney is in midfield...should be a crime and automatic sacking for the manager. Baffling
You're right on the whole but from Van Gaal's perspective I think he wanted the game won quickly. Fellaini up top causes more direct problems as he occupies their defenders so crosses are more of a threat. Too often we play in front of the opponents which lets them settle into the game. Second half he was deeper as the plan was just to see the game through.
Credit where it's due to Van Gaal. He sure knows how to troll us fans. Drop Herrera and Falcao, then play Fellaini as a striker and Rooney in central midfield. When the summer transfer window closed you couldn't have imagined a more effective pisstake than that little combo.
Personally I didnt even think that tonight was a case of hoofing it to Fellaini. We worked our fair share of chances through the middle of the pitch, but as Michael Owen said in commentary, the fullbacks were going to be key to winning the game, and so obviously there were crosses and chances coming in from out wide as well. It was a stark contrast to some of the games last season where we were just aimlessly swinging in crosses however.
That said, I prefer to see Fellaini in a box to box role as that is - in my opinion - what he is best at.
That said, we have struggled to create chances and score goals recently. Our defence has actually conceded very few goals in the last few months - our problems have been at the other end of the pitch despite our array of world class attacking talent. With this in mind, I really dont mind LVG trying something a bit different. Pace is all well and good, but pace is not useful when the opposition is parking the bus (acceleration and agility are a different matter..) as we will likely not be counterattacking but rather trying to break down a stubborn defence, as was the case tonight. In these situations, having someone high up the pitch who can win the ball in the air and present a threat is invaluable, as it gives us an option.
Plenty of times last season, it wasnt just that we were crossing the ball endlessly, it was that the opposition let us, they were not worried about us crossing because they could defend it. Tonight, the fact that we could actually pose a threat from our crosses (due in no small part to Fellaini being up front) meant that they had to defend the flanks more vigilantly, which in turn opened up more space in the middle for the likes of Mata and Rooney to exploit.
That said, I prefer to see Fellaini in a box to box role as that is - in my opinion - what he is best at.
That said, we have struggled to create chances and score goals recently. Our defence has actually conceded very few goals in the last few months - our problems have been at the other end of the pitch despite our array of world class attacking talent. With this in mind, I really dont mind LVG trying something a bit different. Pace is all well and good, but pace is not useful when the opposition is parking the bus (acceleration and agility are a different matter..) as we will likely not be counterattacking but rather trying to break down a stubborn defence, as was the case tonight. In these situations, having someone high up the pitch who can win the ball in the air and present a threat is invaluable, as it gives us an option.
Plenty of times last season, it wasnt just that we were crossing the ball endlessly, it was that the opposition let us, they were not worried about us crossing because they could defend it. Tonight, the fact that we could actually pose a threat from our crosses (due in no small part to Fellaini being up front) meant that they had to defend the flanks more vigilantly, which in turn opened up more space in the middle for the likes of Mata and Rooney to exploit.
Happy for Fellaini, played very well today best player on the park for me
Obviously an effective tactic, but not one I really like seeing us use, having him up top. Grabbed an assist, but I don't think he did too much all game. Him and RvP were both relatively ineffective, though in the second half Van Persie was getting chances at least. Didn't do poorly or anything, just average. Pointless playing him up top with Rooney wide, but it makes more sense then Fellaini in a wider position like he used on occasion when he played in a diamond.
This.
Fellaini chesting the ball in the box and hitting it almost with his outside of his foot is becoming his trademark finishing move.. He is best as CAM. Fullstop
Making Rooney his captain, selling Kagawa and Welbeck, giving Fellaini, Valencia and Young important roles in the team, happily leaving Herrera and Rafael on the bench, playing Di Maria as a striker, letting Phil Jones take corners.....
Imagine someone had suggested all that when he was appointed.....
It would be stupid to not use his height and aerial ability.
He played a part in our first two goals. We have struggled really bad to cut through teams who sit deep and stay compact narrow. He allowed us to combat that and it worked. He was bringing down balls with ease. Sure, you can complain all you want about it not being the ideal style but if the other team is going to give the open space on the wings and try to cram the box then you have to do what you have to do to break through them. Fellaini allowed us to do that today.
I thought his use up top was utilized well. I'm sure Cambridge had not planned for that at all. Using his height helped unlock them and led to a goal.
He did well enough, I still hate the idea of him playing up top though. We shouldn't have to play like that, or changing our tactics around to beat Cambridge.
Surprised to see him up top, especially when we had a striker in midfield, but I thought he did pretty well, especially in the first half, where he provided an assist for Mata, and was generally a threat in the box and linking up of play. Went quiet second half, though.
Can't imagine this is something Van Gaal will do often, putting Fellaini up top. Think he just thought we'd try and play Cambridge at their own game (getting it into the box) and cause them problems, which we did.
Can't imagine this is something Van Gaal will do often, putting Fellaini up top. Think he just thought we'd try and play Cambridge at their own game (getting it into the box) and cause them problems, which we did.
At least, It will give West Ham something more to chew about dealing with potential tactic of Fellaini as no. 10.
That's the best way to use him, once we get the team fully sorted I hope we don't have to resort to it much, but LvG was smart to not use him in RM as he doesn't have the mobility that Rooney has.
He's been useful practically everytime he's played for a long time now. Always want to see him put on the bench at least.
I have no idea why people think he was some stoke type of player for Everton who scored because of his physicality. He played some real technical football there, had great passing and really good finishing for someone who isn't a forward.
On his day he's simply unstoppable. His main weakness that I've noticed of him in his Everton days is his consistency and just how he slumps in form when he's low on confidence.
He's better near their box than in/near ours and it does make the crosses involve some kind of plan behind the tactic, a target I suppose, but I don't like it and it's not how we 'should' play. Then again, the how we should play hasn't been creating chances for/with these forwards so it's sensible to change and go to a different Plan B, even if it's just for a while. Which I hope it is - just a while.
Needs to start next game. Put him in the box as West Ham are short of CBs at the moment.
Seemed like one of the few times we actually looked for him on crosses, made a difference.
He's been quite poor as a proper striker given that his movement and positioning has been quite poor, overall, but I see why van Gaal put him there, and his plan did work. Fellaini offered an aerial threat that no one else offered, and when Cambridge tried to park the bus in the middle, at least we had someone dangerous to aim for from the wide areas, which meant that Cambridge couldn't just let our wide players have the ball. He won quite a few aerial duels in the box, and it was his header that allowed us to get the first goal. His presence attracted opposition defenders towards him, and this gave the likes of van Persie and Mata the spaces in the box to get the goals.
I don't think this will be van Gaal's long-term solution, though. I do believe that he might go for someone better than Fellaini who can provide the same physical presence, but for now, Fellaini is someone who can provide us with something different and, essentially, a plan B.
I don't think this will be van Gaal's long-term solution, though. I do believe that he might go for someone better than Fellaini who can provide the same physical presence, but for now, Fellaini is someone who can provide us with something different and, essentially, a plan B.
Because that's not what his role is when he's played as a target man.
Well, of course, but for much of the time, he stayed high up the pitch and was rarely involved in the match once we scored the first goal. Still, though, it worked out, so it's not as if Fellaini was useless up front.
I don't think any United fans know what style they want. We seem to moan when this team keeps the ball instead of attacking, we moan when this team attacks and loses the ball, we moan if this team plays a pass off the ground, we even fecking moan when we cross the ball.
In essence no one knows what they want accept a good old moan(You would've thought this of all seasons we would be a bit happier).
- Status