hehe gotta love that goal! one for the career reel when he hangs up his boots
27
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 7
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
He can do better too, there is further improvement to be realised by the big man.
Should we sell him when the right offers comes along?
Players like Welbeck don't have the killer instinct that Fellaini has when getting into space. Top 3 players of our season so far for me.
No way, contrary to popular belief, he will required for certain games next season and so on. As he's shown over the last 6 months, he got a set of skills which makes him unplayable, at times, which can irritate opposing teams. He's the kind of player, when starting, will have opposition teams setting up plans to stop him from playing.
I think there is every chance that he will continue in this role next season, and go from strength to strength. If he was a new player this year and we weren't biased by last season's shit show with Moyes, we wouldn't be contemplating moving forward without him. He has beaten out Mata, Di Maria and Rooney for a spot as a forward thinking midfielder, he's scoring goals at club and international level, and I see no reason why he won't continue in the role. Like it or not, he is a very good player.
I love how he makes those back post runs when we have possession in midfield, isolates the full back and when the ball is drifted in to him it causes huge problems, its good to see we don't have to play long ball football to accommodate him.
Not a chance. Should we have sold Park, Ole and O Shea in their prime just because a right offer came in? Fellaini is an invaluable player to possess rather he starts every game or not.
Depends on who would come to replace him and if Van gaal are serious about the club/system/philosophy thing.
He is a good player so a priori there is no need to sell him.
I have no idea why discussions about selling Fellaini are even coming up - he's been one of our best players this season (arguably the best outfield player, definitely top3), he's going nowhere.
GO FRO GO
Interesting point regarding how he might have been perceived if we signed him this year. I think as far as redcafe goes his reputation damages him - if it was some player signed from a foreign club who was putting in the performances that afro has, nobody would be talking about selling him. but 'because it is Fellaini' he simply "can't" be a first team starter for us.... Just, because.
It's not just because, one of Mata, Herrera or Fellaini will lose his place for a Box-to-box, and I think that it will be Fellaini, I'm maybe wrong though.
And from there you have to think of the fact that Fellaini isn't the direct replacement for the defensive box-to-box who will probably come, so Fellaini could be the victim here.
But it could be Mata or Herrera.
When given parameters to work in, he can be unplayable. His form is such right now that other teams have to gameplan for him, which is extremely valuable.
If we achieve Top 4 then I think it will be less of an issue as we'll have more games, they can't all play every game. If we don't mess up the league cup so early as well then I can't forsee any issues in giving them all plenty of game time
It will be an issue, if we want to sign two b2b, and give Pereira and Pearson an opportunity.
I guess we could benefit from having extra games finishing fourth and playing qualification rounds. More players involved, I hope the two have a good preseason if the former stays.
This.
Given that he is now a regular first team starter and one of our most important players, I would say that he is integral to our Plan A.
Obviously if we have to switch to long ball (Plan B), then he becomes the focal point.
For those wanting to sell him - why would you sell someone who is playing well in our team, just to replace him with an identical player, such that we dont know if the identical player will be able to play as well as Fellaini. It makes no logical sense.
Fellaini is arguably one of our most important players, behind De Gea, Rooney, Carrick and Blind.
Why does anyone have to lose their place? The point being made is that if Fellaini had come to the club this season - from some exotic far away league where nobody had heard of him - and was performing as he has done this season, there would be no talk about being him being sold, upgraded or replaced.
Yes, van Gaal made a comment about bringing in another midifelder, but that was a while ago and since then we have started playing some very good football. This notion that we need to go out and sign another 5 CMs this summer and Fellaini should be first out the door, seems not only ludicrous but a bit spoilt.
The midfield of Carrick, Herrera and Fellaini has a great balance to it as is. The only one who may need replacing soon is Carrick, and that is due to age (although the way Carrick plays, I can see him playing another couple of years at least without declining too much). After most of us have spent the last 5-6 seasons bemoaning how crap our midfield is, it baffles me that we finally have a good one, and everyone is desperate to change it.
Fellaini will get competition. One of the reasons van Gaal didn't play 433 before (not the only reason!) is that he lacked his 4th defensive player. The BTB midfielder always is his 4th defensive player and he's tried Herrera, Rooney and Fellaini there.
A combination of Herrera and Fellaini works fine (although it's a bit weird), but we're still buying that CM. If Fellaini doesn't play van Gaal would stick Blind next to Carrick to still have that 4th defensive player, this isn't ideal. Fellaini will duke it out with the new signing and always be a plan B/great alternative. He'll get his fair share of games still.
As it currently stands:
6: Carrick, Blind
8: Fellaini
10: Herrera, Mata, Rooney
So we're just going to add depth, in current form Fellaini isn't going to get dropped though.
The thing is, I don't agree with you, I appreciated in his performances for 30mn but he hasn't done anything special after that in our current setup.
Against Arsenal he was as good as he was against Tottenham or Liverpool, but after 30mn he dropped and we all struggled in midfield, for me in a sense that shows how good he is when at 100% and how short he is when he isn't. We need someone who doesn't have a gulf between his best level and his average level, we need a better standard.
The same thing applies to Young and Di Maria, we can't afford that, if we want to be the best, keeping Fellaini is in my opinion a good thing because of his attitude, because of the tools he can bring but I also see his limitations. But that doesn't mean that he is a starter and if he isn't a definite starter then like everyone else, he isn't intransferable.
He's really turned into a beast. A unique weapon whose size and height adds a unique dimension to both our attacks and defensive setups.
If we buy a top class CM and Fellaini keeps him out, then we have a top class CM in Fellaini playing. If the top class CM pushes Fellaini out, we have a top class CM playing. Win win.
I think some people are getting ahead of themselves here. Fellaini's been good, but he's been playing as a number 10. He was pretty poor when played deeper. He's making a real difference to our play mainly because he can actually hold the ball up and allow us to get up the pitch (RvP doesn't have the athleticism anymore, and Falcao's touch is dog). But he's not that player that LvG was looking for when he was shoving Rooney into midfield i.e. a powerful player who can play a disciplined role and pass the ball. When it comes to doing the actual centre midfield nuts and bolts like defending, passing, controlling the game it's Carrick, Blind and Herrera who are much more important and Fellaini can't do what they do.
well I don't believe that there are many people on caf who think Fellaini will succeed as midfielder. I can speak for myself but I think he's a really unorthodox number ten we are excited about. He's too slow to be a box to box and too clumsy and not enough on the ball to play deep as midfielder either..
ie Yaya is also better in the advanced role but Fellaini is different to anyone..
His playing style is such that 10 minutes into the game yesterday can basically tell what kind of day he will have. If I see a ref who isn't biased about him and allows him to be a bit physical without fouling then I kind of know that he will do well but as soon as I see a ref who gives free kicks against him just coz its Fellaini he completely falls apart
As it currently stands, I don't think Van Gaal sees Fellaini as an 8, otherwise he wouldn't be playing him so high up. This could all change next season, and I like Fellaini as an 8, but at the moment, it looks like Van Gaal prefers Fellaini as a number 10, where he can use his aerial presence, great hold up play and goals.
That's why I said it's a bit of a weird one. Normally his 4th defensive player would be the 8, Fellaini is unique though. In a midfield 3 with the point backwards he is the most forward (10), with Herrera a little closer to Carrick. It works though, and ticks van Gaals' defensive boxes.
The new man would be a real 8 and Herrera would become the number 10. If Fellaini plays they'd switch around.
Ahh right. I see what you mean. It is definitely a weird one. Van Gaal's currently using Fellaini like Blanc uses Matuidi for PSG, in my opinion, in the way he's always the most advanced midfielder, does all the running in behind, but also gets through a lot of defensive work.
Just looking at some of the posts about Fellaini at the start of this season....
^this one is particularly apt
and some wont give any credit regardless of how well he plays
^this one is particularly apt
I lot of these I told you so posts are getting silly now. He's played well for most of the season and in particular our last 2 games.
It still doesn't come close to justifying the fee we paid for him and he still isn't good enough to play for us long term.
It still doesn't come close to justifying the fee we paid for him and he still isn't good enough to play for us long term.
Playing well for most of the season as a key player in a top four side does not justify £27.5m????
why have you quoted my post here?!
If you want to name and shame then take a look at last seasons Fellaini thread - the abuse he was getting then and over the summer from certain posters was ridiculous
I know, they would be much worse but I just wanted to look at the start of this season. To be fair there was also a fair amount of optimism with LVG coming in and how he might help him. I wasn't looking to name and shame, it was just interesting. I am amazed as anyone how well he has done this season.
In terms of your particular post it just goes to show, if you play well, the fans will come round and give credit where it's due - same for Young.
Outside of last season, he's shown he is good enough to play for us long term. As far as his fee, last season has taught us that it's hard to say a player's fee wasn't worth it after one season. Whether his fee will be justified or not will be have to be revisited in a few years.
Its not just van Gaals defensive boxes that it ticks. I love the balance that having Fellaini in the false-10 role (yes, I made up another role).
For me, Herrera is not a #10, he is a box to box midfielder but with more creativity and flair than most players of that type. He is combative, high energy, good technique etc. The problem with Herrera however is that he isnt disciplined enough to play as a holding midfielder, which limits how you can use him in a number of formations (a classic 4-2-3-1 requires two fairly disciplined holding CMs, for example, as do most variants of 4-4-2). We have all been frustrated when Herrera has struggled for gametime this season, but I dont think LVG has ever felt comfortable playing him as a CM with the likes of Mata or Rooney in front of him at #10, because the lineup then lacks a bit of balance.
Yes I am aware that this is not the Herrera thread - the reason I say all that is that it takes us back to the point @NL Max made - Fellaini is rather unique. He can play that attacking role, contribute goals, assists, holds the ball up well etc etc, but he still contributes a lot more defensively than most #10s. This extra defensiveness gives LVG the freedom to play Herrera in the [slightly] deeper CM role. Hence the Carrick/Herrera/Fellaini system which I love.
Basically, if we bought a box to box midfielder in the summer, we would be looking at Carrick/New signing, with Herrera as a #10. Personally, I think Herrera is wasted as a #10 and if I am being honest I actualy think Fellaini is more effective in that role and brings more to the team. So basically I dont think we gain anything from that change, as the new signing is unlikely to be lightyears better than Herrera in the #8 role. The only player I can really think of that offers a definitive upgrade on what we have now, is Pogba replacing Fellaini as the most advanced of the three midfielders.
@JPRouve you have stated that you think we will buy an 'upgrade' to Fellaini in the summer (or at the very least some stiff competition for him) - my question is how would you see our midfield three lining up next season then? What sort of player would we buy and what would our first choice midfield trio then be?
What you described about Fellaini is right. He offers defensive balance from 10 since he's no good further back, to a normally too adventurous 8 for van Gaal. It's a little different but it works. But if Fellaini gets injured/needs a rest, we're screwed.
This means van Gaal has nobody to partner Blind/Carrick-Herrera/Mata in midfield. Following his own rules he'd field Blind-Carrick-Herrera if that happens. So we're buying a defensively good box-to-box player who will compete with Fellaini. This does mean Herrera will play as a 10, but he'll be partnered by the new midfielder who can also contribute in attack. I'm pretty sure this is what van Gaal wants to do next season.
@Sparky Rhiwabon To be fair, I still don't think he has the passing range of Clev or Fletch, but he did well to displace them.
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