Marouane Fellaini image 27

Marouane Fellaini Belgium flag

2014-15 Performances

View full 2014-15 profile

5.9 Season Average Rating
Appearances
31
Goals
7
Assists
2
Yellow cards
7
Red cards
1
Status
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JPRouve said:
I don't believe in the notion that one half is supposed to be the creative side, that's plain wrong and it will limit us strongly.
Fellaini sees the opportunities but doesn't manage to deliver the final balls, that's on him and no one else. Our entire midfield need to improve but you have to admit that the most active side is also the most ineffective.
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You are dodging the question - I haven't claimed that all the creativity should come from one side, but rather than currently, the majority of our threatening play is done down the left, with Young and Fellaini both typically involved, and yet these are the two that you and others seem to feel aren't pulling their weight.

At present, for all their aesthetically pleasing linkups, I struggle to think of chances and dangerous moves that they have created - they merely recycle possession around the box and play it backwards or sideways. Sometimes the ball gets to Valencia who swings in a cross from the right, but that is about it.

Regardless of what you want from a midfielder, Fellaini is clearly not in the team to be a playmaker. He is generally neat and tidy in possession, he wins the ball back regularly, can hold the ball up, dominates in the air and is a goal threat, as well as being an asset when attacking and defending set pieces. This is quite plainly his game, and judging by the fact that LVG has continued to pick him in the starting XI, it would seem that the manager values those qualities in that position, otherwise we might have seen Di Maria or Mata in that role.
 
@Walrus What was the question?

Our most 'threatening' duo registered 9 goals and 8 assists while the under performing spaniards registered 18 goals and 9 assists. I don't expect Fellaini to be a playmaker but I don't think that he pulls his weight offensively, I think that his contribution is meager and the same applies with Young.
Now the right side of our midfield also needs to improve there is no doubt about it, we need more assists and more activity from them.
 
JPRouve said:
@Walrus What was the question?

Our most 'threatening' duo registered 9 goals and 8 assists while the under performing spaniards registered 18 goals and 9 assists. I don't expect Fellaini to be a playmaker but I don't think that he pulls his weight offensively, I think that his contribution is meager and the same applies with Young.
Now the right side of our midfield also needs to improve there is no doubt about it, we need more assists and more activity from them.
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You are right that there wasnt a question in fact! It was supposed to be along the lines of "do you feel Herrera/Mata pull their weight in an attacking sense?" with the context of the rest of the post.

I have been avoiding talking just about goals and assists because that isnt the point of the discussion for me - it is about the amount of our attacking play that goes down each side and the amount of chances created, which are less readily available stats.

For instance, Herrera scored our goal yesterday, but it was assisted by Young, and Fellaini's contribution of drawing the defenders to him and created space for Herrera is not attributed to any statistic - but it was (or should have been) plain to see for those watching the match that the goal probably wouldnt have happened if Fellaini wasn't there.

I think there is significant room for improvement on both flanks, and I think the team will be aided if we sign a top quality striker who is capable of getting on the end of chances. It is easy to forget that we have Di Maria waiting in the wings, and have just signed Memphis, so for me that is plenty of options for the wingers/CMs going into next season. As I argued repeatedly in my "Great teams are built, not bought" thread - I think that as the players grow more used to LVG's system and develop a greater understanding with each other, we will start to see more chances being created and further improvements to our all round play. Overall, I am quite optimistic and excited to see what next season brings, but I do think that Fellaini should, and will be a big part of that - he provides qualities and strengths that virtually no other player in the world does (in that position), let alone our squad. That alone makes him a very unique weapon, and I think that LVG - being the sort to enjoy tactics and strategy in general - probably likes having that sort of a unique player in his squad.
 
He is much better in the number ten role, nowhere good enough to play any deeper but it's weighing up his effectiveness against his limitations. You lose a lot playing him there but he has been very effective because we lack quality and being able to play longer balls and get goals from crosses makes up for the lack of creativity and pace elsewhere in the side.

If everything goes to plan next season I think he will be sat on the bench a lot and will be plan B again.
 
He caused Coquelin several issues when he had the ball, and whenever he moved to the left, Coquelin drifting towards him created quite a bit of space in the middle that Young could have frequently exploited, but every time, Young stayed out wide, and we had to recycle the ball back! Too often did I get annoyed at Young staying out wide so close to Fellaini when he could have cut in and caused Arsenal even more problems.

However, as we saw against Everton, Chelsea, and West Brom, he is quite limited when going forward, and if Young isn't creating chances from the left, then our left side basically becomes ineffective. With Mata cutting in frequently and Valencia not being dangerous as our main wide player, we rely heavily on our left side to stretch opponents and provide crosses, and with Fellaini not being that effective at creating chances, much of that burden goes onto Young.

At this stage, Fellaini is quite useful to disrupt the opposition and free up our creative players, but when our main creators aren't at their game, then Fellaini doesn't have enough in him to contribute to our attacks as seen several times this season.
 
Shit player who's performed as well as he can for a big club. If we're to challenge on all fronts next season we need better. Stick him on the bench as a plan B player or sell
 
Loublaze said:
Shit player who's performed as well as he can for a big club. If we're to challenge on all fronts next season we need better. Stick him on the bench as a plan B player or sell
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and when he performed as well as he could he was more than good enough?
 
That's the trouble with Fellaini. He's always seem to play on a tight rope between doing well and get dismissed
 
It's not funny though. He's an embarassment to the club. Can't play football at even a competent level and behaves like a twattish child for no reason at all
 
ZDwyr said:
and when he performed as well as he could he was more than good enough?
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Correct and a big part of winning the games against the top teams. The doubters will be out now the seasons over. Anyone for Ashley Young too....?

Stupid late tackle though
 
Why would you risk a red card like that in a game with zero value. Especially now that its going to compromise our start for next season. completely stupid
 
Terrible challenge, luckily for us that side of him has come in a nothing game and won't cost us.
 
Does he have previous with McShane? That looked premeditated. Either way, he's a dick for that type of behaviour.
 
Nice to see the brainless thug in him return.
 
Jando said:
He will miss the first 3 games of next season now

Not that thats a bad thing ...
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Yeah, it's not as if he won us a bunch of points, this season...

Hopefully, the FA permanently ban him and take away all the goals he's scored, this season.
 
Really idiotic from him, especially given that he'll miss first three games of the next season and we'll probably get a midfielder in, thus he won't be able to even pick a fight with whoever will be there to displace him.

This thread will turn into shambles though.
 
Now we have to plan for the start of the season without him. That's a good thing, a step towards more fluent attacking build-up.
He's done well this season but we need a different player in his position to evolve.
 
I'm a Fellaini fan but that was beyond stupid. It gives a chance to bed in a new midfielder early next season though. He will have to fight for his place again, which is good.
 
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