Far from something awe-worthy but he added a new option to our play, something different for their defence to care about, just like Herrera would today I feel. With amount of our crossing and WHU's aerial threat it was fecking stupid not to start him.
27
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 7
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
I've been banging this drum for ages but he needs to play. Whilst he didn't get the assist for the goal he forced the mistake from the defender and generally speaking we look far more threatening with him on the pitch. Perhaps we'd have dealt better with Big Sam's set pieces had he started.
He's come on today as a Plan B, but he should be used as part of a varied Plan A. A gameplan where we're equally likely to score from a Fellaini knock-down as a Di Maria run is a far more difficult one to defend against than whatever our current 'Plan A' is.
He's come on today as a Plan B, but he should be used as part of a varied Plan A. A gameplan where we're equally likely to score from a Fellaini knock-down as a Di Maria run is a far more difficult one to defend against than whatever our current 'Plan A' is.
He's feckin' great... has easily justified a start place.
Yes, Falcao and RVP should have scored their chances.
Fellaini should have scored his header
For any of the Fellaini haters who think he will be gone in the summer. Id say no chance.
He is officially our plan b and LVG I bet loves him a lot
(I do too
)
He is officially our plan b and LVG I bet loves him a lot
(I do too
)Thought he was pretty useless. A big man who can't play big.
Hate
This. Hoofing the ball to Fellaini is our plan B, I am sure Moyes is proud.
If he started, I believe there's a big chance we'd have won this game.
The header was impossible to score from, was too high for him. Did well to even get close to putting it on target.
Having said that, I thought he could have done better when he came on. Still, made an impact.
This game was ideal for him to start and I'm not sure why he didn't really.
He's much more than a player to just put on up top, in my opinion. Put him in the midfield, and allow him to make late runs into the box - similar to his goal against Hull. By doing this, we can still have his physical presence in midfield.
It's about as pretty as a fat chick with a cock but "Angel passes to the big man" are getting us into better scoring positions than the hopeless strike partnership.
He should have started. At the very least LvG should have realised he needed to come on sooner than he did. Games like West Ham away are the games that suit him. He's really grown on me. I was probably his biggest detractor on here.
Do not understand why he didn't start, perfect type of player needed in the middle of the pitch for today.
Do not understand anything Van Gaal does.
Do not understand anything Van Gaal does.
I thought he was average after he came on. He didn't do anything special, although his presence played a big part in the goal I think. However this is all on the manager. He should have started in midfield, not been forced to come on and play as a target-man. He's better than that. We struggled all match defending set pieces - Fellaini would have helped that. Blind was left isolated in midfield all match - Fellaini would have helped that too.
Personally I would have had him and Herrera on at halftime but LvG for whatever reason didn't. He took too long to make the sub too.
Personally I would have had him and Herrera on at halftime but LvG for whatever reason didn't. He took too long to make the sub too.
Almost had a great goal too.
Although seems like he's still not fully fit.
Although seems like he's still not fully fit.
Why don't we play Fellaini from the start? He's our best (only?) attacking threat lately and our Plan B is better than our Plan A!
He should be starting, our best form coincided when he was a regular in the starting lineup, drop either RVP/Falcao and put Rooney upfront to make way for Fellaini.
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The only issue I have with him is that when he plays, we’re too much direct in our play.
I don’t think that he can be the player we need to balance the team in our midfield. He excelled when he played as a number 10, when he was close to the box and playing high on the pitch. He provides an extra solution to the midfield.
And he has to compete, normally, Mata and Rooney who are also good at that
He should have begun the game as a second striker against the Hammers yesterday to give a solution when our defense where struggling to find somebody free under pressure
He should start every game. In central midfield. Ok as a plan B up front when we're chasing the game but all his best performances this season have been as a CM. We'd still have the advantage of his height at set piece.
Last year has wasn't playing big. This season he is.
Most hate it but I don't mind lumping to a big man. Difference with us is that the knockdowns fall to Rooney RVP Di Maria Mata etc.
Most hate it but I don't mind lumping to a big man. Difference with us is that the knockdowns fall to Rooney RVP Di Maria Mata etc.
I don't mind it because it - by default - means that there is at least one person on the pitch for us who isn't acting like a complete fanny.
West Ham were playing with a makeshift CB. So I would have started with him up front anyway as it was known West Ham had CB problems.
He is a handful unlike our current strikers.
He is a handful unlike our current strikers.
IF we could play sexy on the floor football then fine, but at present we can't, especially away from home.
If that is the best LVG can come up with then we better hope Fellaini performs. I hope we play him in midfield rather then upfront
How's this going for you? You seem to be sticking with it from what Ive seen.
If we are going to play dohsgite football and create absolutely feck all through craft, imagination and speed...like we are right now then start him in the number 10 role. He causes havoc and even we are capable of hitting him with a long ball.
Quite frankly he would be more use in the current style of utter shite we are intent on playing.
Quite frankly he would be more use in the current style of utter shite we are intent on playing.
Why? He is positionally shite in CM, can't dribble, can't pass and is a liability in the tackle. What possible qualities does he have to play centre mid based on the above?
This seems like a fair and objective assessment.
I think Fellaini is a useful nuisance. You can see defences don't know how to handle him, Jesus he caused us all sorts of problems.
Great thing about Fellaini is that he creates space for others while being that nuisance. I have no issues with keeping hold and using him so.
However his general game just isn't good enough. Christ the amount of ball he gives away in the middle of the park with a simple 10 yard pass is astonishing at times. Stick him in behind Rooney/Falcao/Wilson/RVP with Di Maria/Herrera and Blind behind him and I think you have a real threat.
I don't understand why he still gets stick. He has been one of our only consistently good performers during this entire season. I for one think he deserves more starts in the current set up... and long term he'd be a great squad member too.
Do I want him to be a first team regular past this season? no but I do like the fact he brings something else tactically to the table and he isn't a technical eyesore as some make out.
Do I want him to be a first team regular past this season? no but I do like the fact he brings something else tactically to the table and he isn't a technical eyesore as some make out.
Play Fellaini as a false 9, he'd be better than RVP and Falcao at this rate.
I think he is a decent option...but I don't want to see him in CM. Further forward I think he provides something very different.
Considering the appalling starting XI selected, add in the form of our "attackers" (RvP, Falcao, AdM), add in Rooney's poor play in midfield....then yeah, if we'd started a balanced formation with either of (or even ALL!) Fellaini/Herrera/Mata in midfield, it would have increased our chances of victory ten fold IMO.
Makes the team selection, and the constant use of Rooney in midfield fecking infuriating.
Rooney is a forward. Stop it. It's fecking nothing short of incompetent management IMO.
Based on this season's form, and the form of others, you are spot on.
But I think the objective answer is a couple of things, IMO.
i) one, is his price tag, and association with Moyes - it's not fair on Fellaini, but it is what it is. Some will never let it go
ii) his playing style - I think most of us "dream" of United playing brilliant, direct football, and we're comfortable in possession without panicking when pressed. Fellaini seems to be utilised best as a number 10, higher up, which at his very best, causes problems from "long balls". Yeah it's a great plan B to have (like yesterday) but it's not what we should be striving towards. Simply put, he's way too expensive to be an impact sub.
Just as a side note though - I agree with what you said. I don't dislike the guy - but essentially he's not what we need at either DM, CM or AM, IMO.
But he is an option further forward for me. Especially against sides who are playing 10 behind the ball. It's different and if plan A is misfiring(as it seems to be more often than not) he is a menace and decent as a plan B.
This should be our team:
DDG
Valencia (ergh) - Smalling - Rojo - Shaw
Blind
Fellaini - Herrera
Mata - Di Maria
Rooney/RVP/Falcao (in that order)
Valencia (ergh) - Smalling - Rojo - Shaw
Blind
Fellaini - Herrera
Mata - Di Maria
Rooney/RVP/Falcao (in that order)
Yeah, you'll get no disagreement from me there. As i said, opinion is just - he's an extremely "expensive" plan B, and I'd assume that would be another issue some would have with him.
My personal opinion on Fellaini - good footballer (and very good footballer if used in his position higher up), but it limits the team into playing a certain way - mainly lumping in tons of crosses/long balls up to him. So yeah, if you don't mind building our game plan around him, he might get close to justifying that price tag, but it's not really something i would want us to do.
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