You and I'd say a fair few opposition players that's come up against him lately especially with the way he's operating constantly sticking in, getting in the way and in general just annoying the crap out of the opposition or lads he's marking. Look at the way he pissed off poor little Jackie there today, he basically just got in the way. Job done.
27
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 31
- Goals
- 7
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
You and I'd say a fair few opposition players that's come up against him lately especially with the way he's operating constantly sticking in, getting in the way and in general just annoying the crap out of the opposition or lads he's marking. Look at the way he pissed off poor little Jackie there today, he basically just got in the way. Job done.
I don't think Arsenal were way better than us apart from the first 25 minutes, and if we had Herrera in there I think him and Carrick would have helped us control the game better. We were using the hoofing tactic against West Brom as well.
I think he had a good game today and I am one of his worst critics
But the statistics have shown that we played just as many long balls this season without Fellaini, as we do with him in the team?
And do you really think that our defenders play long balls with the aim of finding Fellaini as a deliberate tactic, rather than that they are simply trying to clear their lines, given the amount of mistakes that have resulted from "playing out from the back" this season?
You are criticising style of football but ignoring that we have an entire (and pretty good) XI of players out injured. What about our style of football for the winning goal today? A nice counterattack that Fellaini was involved in by playing a great pass through to ADM?
Or is it the fact that Arsenal pressed us high up the pitch and dominated the first half Fellainis fault?
You are criticising his lack of a "ground game" and again, I will point you to the goal vs West Brom, the pass today, the possession retention statistics...etc, the list goes on.
Basically, you are entitled to your opinion of course, but it contradicts most of the statistics and therefore unless you care to actually try to back up your opinion rather than just throwing out words like "cumbersome" "lumbering" "mobility lacking" and all that jazz, then it can be argued that it is a pretty stupid opinion.
Strange performance. Got us in terrible trouble with some shocking play at times but also opened them up with some super passing, especially for Rooney's goal. By my count the number of good pieces of play just about equalled the number of poor moments.
at the bolded bit, be careful you dont give some of the others in this thread ideas!He's nullified Febregas, held his own at city and again today against the leagues best midfielders. He's playing a well as anyone has in our midfield this season.
I imagine our long balls are played as that is what LvG has instructed the team to play, as far as the ground game goes one good strike and one good pass do not a good ground game make, Watch Pogba, De Rossi, Matic, Marchisio, Vidal, Scwheinstieger, Alonso, Gundogan, Modric etc...play and you'll see the type of CM I like watching, and that is what we are talking about here, the elbow out disruptor stuff is not something I want to see from a United CM, it's not the way we have ever played, most keep lauding the fact that he irritates the opposition and plays spoiler, that is not the type of CM I like to watch, it's the type of player that I loathe in other teams, like Tiote for Newcastle as an example.
Is it his fault that Arsenal dominated the first half hour? His and Carricks because the midfield job is to get on the ball and win control of the game so you earn the right to play, at times Wilshire just ghosted past the two of them like they weren't there. It's not a huge surprise that Fellaini got more into the game once he no longer had Wilshire running around him.
That would be scary. Both of them like to get forward; Fellaini, if he's going to be useful, has to be allowed to do his own thing...
Didn't he use his physical strength to push Lescott away in the air and take down a long, high ball on his chest for that goal?
I don't know why, but for a quick second, I thought someone had photoshopped a copy of beers into Wilshere's left hand. I must be losing it....
Exactly, if we're going to use two box to box midfielders then we need either Carrick or Blind behind them to get it covered.
Because we had 2 CMs and 1 of them needs to help protect the defence.
Neither Fellaini nor Ander can do this, Blind and Carrick do. If we play with 2 CMs (and Rooney in front) then its 1 of the former with 1 of the latter
If we play the diamond, Fellaini and Ander could take one of the sides each. However that means picking between Rooney, Mata and Di Maria in the hole and most likely leaving at least 1 of them out of the team. Rooney can obviously play as 1 of the strikers, Di Maria tried a similar role today and didnt do great
My point is just that Ander was in on form and a key part to the team being in form. So Fellaini having a couple of good games shouldnt mean he's in on merit, if the merit is also with who he is keeping out.
I highly, highly doubt that LVGs instructions involve hoofing the ball to Fellaini. When we are crossing, he provides a target to aim for, and when we play it long, the same applies, but we still do this with or without Fellaini, he simply provides a better target.
He did indeed, and he then took a touch to take it round one of the defenders and finished with aplomb.
I don't like him at all but it is genuinely very useful to have someone who can win aerial balls with ease from goal kicks. It puts the team in a great position on the front foot instead of cheaply losing possession or taking an age to build possession from the back. It's something we used to do an awful lot with Ronaldo - isolate the midget centre mid or left back and ping it out to Ronaldo, safe in the knowledge he's got the strength and skill to bring it under control and start another attack high up the pitch.
Wilshere's got some big balls. It's a shame they're made out of glass, though.
He will be forever associated with the hoof ball tactics that always remind people of a less sophisticated playing style. Whereas that is true, I feel some people are really extreme about these things. I remember Guardiola employing Javi Martinez as a target man against Dortmund and instructing his players to hoof the ball to him when he felt that it was too risky to play around Dortmund's midfield. The problem is when it is your main tactic but it is a perfectly legitimate tool to use unless you have Xavi, Iniesta and Messi in their pomp.
Some of the posters keep banging on same old stuff and completely ignoring how he played today and every other game. They keep on repeating the same nonsense that we're playing hoofing ball to Fellaini and that all he is doing is barging and elbowing players and similar. It seems some of you just cant pay credit where credit is due.
HE can play the best game ever and some will spout same old nonsense over and over again.
We havent played hoofball to Fellaini and he has had few very good games. Why dont you watch the games and based your opinion on that.
HE can play the best game ever and some will spout same old nonsense over and over again.
We havent played hoofball to Fellaini and he has had few very good games. Why dont you watch the games and based your opinion on that.
Like a few others, he had a very good second half... He's really starting to win me over.
That could be the funniest basketball match ever.
No they wouldnt, we hoofed the ball cause our defense was under pressure and didnt know what to do with the ball when Arsenal pressed. Sure, midfield didnt help, hell the whole team didnt. Herrera wouldnt make a difference I think.
But go ahead find sthing, anything to bash Fellaini.
it's finally getting to a point where he's another United player in his own right, rather than being a sign of the Moyes disaster.
Another decent display. He's keeping Herrera out comfortably at the moment.
Test will come in game we should be on the front foot, and not defensive.
Another decent display. He's keeping Herrera out comfortably at the moment.
Test will come in game we should be on the front foot, and not defensive.
Hes thinking 'shall I bang him?'I have no problem with us playing an accurate 40 yard pass to Fellaini's head and him touching it to a teammate.
I do have a problem with our big physical player being turned inside and out by Oxlaide-Chamberlain, beating him twice far too easily and starting a good Arsenal move down the right
I have a problem with a midfielder playing a poor pass in his own half that goes straight to Arsenal players who are dangerous on the break
I have a problem with a player famed mostly for his heading ability missing a fairly straightforward header, unchallenged and putting it wide
And I would have a problem with any of these things if any of our players did them.
However Fellaini also did a bunch of good things today. After a poor first half he improved in the second where he did track back at times to decent effect cutting out dangerous passes, played the right pass to set Di Maria free for Rooney's goal and he continued to compete for the ball in midfield winning it several times. He saved his performance with the good things he did because there were enough of them, mostly in the 2nd half. After a slow start he was the best of our CMs as Carrick was dissappointing
I do have a problem with our big physical player being turned inside and out by Oxlaide-Chamberlain, beating him twice far too easily and starting a good Arsenal move down the right
I have a problem with a midfielder playing a poor pass in his own half that goes straight to Arsenal players who are dangerous on the break
I have a problem with a player famed mostly for his heading ability missing a fairly straightforward header, unchallenged and putting it wide
And I would have a problem with any of these things if any of our players did them.
However Fellaini also did a bunch of good things today. After a poor first half he improved in the second where he did track back at times to decent effect cutting out dangerous passes, played the right pass to set Di Maria free for Rooney's goal and he continued to compete for the ball in midfield winning it several times. He saved his performance with the good things he did because there were enough of them, mostly in the 2nd half. After a slow start he was the best of our CMs as Carrick was dissappointing
It's easy to have "big balls" when you're on the pitch and you know the other player won't hit you. He is just a stupid, tough wannabe cnut.
Glad fellaini let that little twat go and not engage with him.
My feelings exactly
Doesn't matter how well he does though it's still annoying seeing him play with Herrera and Mata stuck on the bench
Long ball football has its place in English football, it always has. Fellaini will always cause problems in the box attacking high balls, he's often leaning on the ref not giving a free against him for pushing/elbows but he certainly makes it difficult for our opponents.
When he is confident he's quite a captivating player to watch. Not aesthetically speaking like a midfielder of Modric or Fabregas's ilk but his combativeness is impressive. Usually a measured passer. Would be great if he can add those goals he had in his locker at Everton too. He's getting into the positions to do so and in his run of games he had chances to score in all. Very good second half. He and Carrick were very assured, particularly when we went 1-0 up.
I was surprised. Hopefully Van Gaal has had a word with the entire squad about pointless red cards after the Smalling one.
Yes and that is why some of our fans treat like something that only belongs to the dark ages. It's that over familiarity effect where people associate it with old style football. The fact is though it has its place and can be a useful tool that is used by pretty much every manager on the planet. It is only a problem when it is your ONLY tactic. We seem to be in agreement.
I'm very happy that LvG has found him a role in the team. He is tall and strong but he's not Yaya Toure but we already know that. My opinion on him last season was that he could prove useful in some games if he was given a specific role on the pitch, helping his teammates with his abilities and in the same time being helped by them to cover his weaknesses.
The manager has done just that, he is aware of his poor positioning and reading of the game and his lack of concentration at times, so he has instructed him to use his physicality to assist his teammates by being near the ball, where the action is. We currently don't have any other player in our squad who can do that. As long as Fellaini has safe options near him he can prove useful.
It's also nice to see that he doesn't look like an outcast like last season but seems to be accepted by the other players in the team because he has actually helped us this season.
The manager has done just that, he is aware of his poor positioning and reading of the game and his lack of concentration at times, so he has instructed him to use his physicality to assist his teammates by being near the ball, where the action is. We currently don't have any other player in our squad who can do that. As long as Fellaini has safe options near him he can prove useful.
It's also nice to see that he doesn't look like an outcast like last season but seems to be accepted by the other players in the team because he has actually helped us this season.
I was exactly the same, I wasn't for a quick second though, I spent a minute trying to get my eyes right and figure out why the beers would be funny.
I thought it might have something to do with his being Belgian...
By the way, I think Wilshere should be thanking Fellaini for not making a meal of that (ie. falling to the ground clutching his face.) Had Fellaini done that, I think Wilshere would've been sent off. Then again, had he been sent off, he wouldn't have been injured, so perhaps he resents Fellaini's nobility...
He won a lot of the balls knocked up today, but his unique ClumsyTackling(TM) style took a while to get going.
- Status