[JinnerJamie]

Couldn't help shake the feeling he'd get sent off, he pulled his socks up in the second half and played really well. Those loose square balls need to stop, if he can get rid of them then we wouldn't have to rely on DDG as much.

 

[KeninDC]

Awful first few minutes. Grew into the game and threw himself around. Not thrilled with his ball control in front of the back 4, especially when pressed early. Settled down after Liverpool backed off a bit.

 

[NoWinNoFee]

Thought he was really good today, 2nd half especially - Broke everything up.

 

[Ixion]

He player really well today and helped Manchester United beat Liverpool yet he's not good enough for our side?

Berbatov did that too and he wasn't good enough for United.

 

[shamans]

Some people don't think he's good enough long-term to be a first team player for us. It's hardly a ridiculous opinion.

I think it's ridiculous. How is he not good enough if he's helping us win matches? Yeah he's not one of our key players who always start like Rooney, DDG and RVP but he definitely is a notch above being just a rotation/back-up/squad player.

 

[Enigma_87]

Pretty poor today again. His movement is awful( with the most highlighting moment when Balotelli hit the bar). Doesn't cover his ground well or fast. A lot of passing errors in the first 30 mins. Still he can't win a header despite being like 3 inches higher than the opposition player, poor positioning sense. A good solid 5 today.

 

[Cheesy]

I think it's ridiculous. How is he not good enough if he's helping us win matches? Yeah he's not one of our key players who always start like Rooney, DDG and RVP but he definitely is a notch above being just a rotation/back-up/squad player.

His passing isn't very good, and he's often very rash to the point where he could've easily been sent off today. He contributed a lot defensively though, and did improve in the 2nd half, but he was under nowhere near as much pressure on the ball as the game wore on.

Just because a player is involved in a win doesn't automatically make them brilliant, though. Long-term it would make sense for us to improve on him, and that's hardly a ridiculous opinion.

 

[khoazany]

Wouldn't deny his defensive contribution but his passing was so poor and might potentially cost us on other days.I still can't find a reason to like him as I really hate midfielders who are poor passers.

 

[Bobcat]

Shite in the first half, very good in the 2nd imo. No doubt his physical presence is welcome in our side, but he needs to cut out those silly errors. The first 5 he played like he was drunk

 

[shamans]

Erm it's not without basis. He gave the ball away in horrendous positions, scythed down a player about about an hour late in the opening minutes, before almost getting himself sent off a couple of times because his first touch was shit, and his second touch was a clumsy tackle. The further he plays from our goal the better, because he's not very good at starting attacks from deep and doesn't have any real intelligence - two things with Carrick and Blind excel at.

He had some good moments, but you can't ignore that when he's bad, he's VERY bad.

No I don't think he's "VERY bad" when he's bad. He is over scrutinized beyond my understanding. Of course he does some bad things but because of his last season and just his style (being big and standing out on the pitch) some will say he's terrible.

You go to Match day thread and if Fellaini loses the ball everyone hurls abuse at him while other players lose the ball the same amount of time. I might be wrong but I strongly believe this and wish there were some statistics to show how many times Fellaini loses the ball compared to other attacking players.

 

[Ji_Maria]

Is saying a player was "poor" actually "insulting your team"?

Making up facts to say a player is shit is unwarranted. The man said Fellaini offers nothing in the build up when in fact Fellaini was directly responsible for the creating the build up to our 3rd goal.

I dont know why I have to spell this out for him or you. He made a statement of fact regarding build up play to say Fellaini is shit. His statement was and is factually incorrect when you look at his offensive contributions this season. Along with all those other "facts" about Fellainis supposed poor passing, when in fact he is about on par with anyone else in our team (80-90%).

Again, if you have to make up facts to insult your own players (supposed poor passing, supposed no contribution to buildup), that is uncalled for.

Clear enough?

 

[kopviolator]

Shite in the first half, very good in the 2nd imo. No doubt his physical presence is welcome in our side, but he needs to cut out those silly errors. The first 5 he played like he was drunk

Agree with this. Does some necessary dirty work for us and on occasions he can string decent passes together. But he's a bit inconstant and also lacks a bit of mobility. I think he's shown he can give good performances but certainly there are better options out there.

 

[Enigma_87]

His passing isn't very good, and he's often very rash to the point where he could've easily been sent off today. He contributed a lot defensively though, and did improve in the 2nd half, but he was under nowhere near as much pressure on the ball as the game wore on.

Just because a player is involved in a win doesn't automatically make them brilliant, though. Long-term it would make sense for us to improve on him, and that's hardly a ridiculous opinion.

Just look at the replay for the Balotelli bar and how he tracked back. He contributed well when the ball was near him at slow pace. We pulled back for most of the time in the second so it made him look good. As soon as there is a bit more pace in midfield he struggles.

 

[Cheesy]

Just look at the replay for the Balotelli bar and how he tracked back. He contributed well when the ball was near him at slow pace. We pulled back for most of the time in the second so it made him look good. As soon as there is a bit more pace in midfield he struggles.

I agree. He's good for standing tackles and interceptions a lot of the time though. Definitely more suited to that then tracking back, although that's a big part of his game, or at least should be.

 

[Ji_Maria]

His passing isn't very good, and he's often very rash to the point where he could've easily been sent off today. He contributed a lot defensively though, and did improve in the 2nd half, but he was under nowhere near as much pressure on the ball as the game wore on.

Just because a player is involved in a win doesn't automatically make them brilliant, though. Long-term it would make sense for us to improve on him, and that's hardly a ridiculous opinion.

Go to whoscored.com and look at his passing percentage. Thanks.

 

[Cheesy]

Go to whoscored.com and look at his passing percentage. Thanks.

I'd prefer to discuss the game from actually watching it than just quoting pass percentages that can often be distorted and don't give full context. He's often sloppy on the ball, and can give it away in dangerous situations.

 

[shamans]

His passing isn't very good, and he's often very rash to the point where he could've easily been sent off today. He contributed a lot defensively though, and did improve in the 2nd half, but he was under nowhere near as much pressure on the ball as the game wore on.

Just because a player is involved in a win doesn't automatically make them brilliant, though. Long-term it would make sense for us to improve on him, and that's hardly a ridiculous opinion.

It's not just "a win". He's been part of a winning team for us for some time now so it's quite a few wins. Also, like you say he performed well and yes had some bad moments but you can't expect him to have a stormer every week.

As for improving on him, no one really plays a "best eleven" anymore so it's not as if Fellaini has just occupied that midfield spot. You need to different players for different teams, especially in a long season. In that sense he's a really valuable player to have and I do think it's ridiculous how some want to "improve" on him so badly given we have other areas (defense) that need to be addressed first. The only way you could improve on Fellaini is to get a world class midfielder but you don't need a worldie for every position.

 

[Ji_Maria]

Pretty poor today again. His movement is awful( with the most highlighting moment when Balotelli hit the bar). Doesn't cover his ground well or fast. A lot of passing errors in the first 30 mins. Still he can't win a header despite being like 3 inches higher than the opposition player, poor positioning sense. A good solid 5 today.

You too, please go to whoscored.com and compare his passing percentage to others in our team.

Unbelievable. It seems we are watching different games. Numbers dont lie..

 

[stu_1992]

Thought he was poor in the first half, seemed to be early signs his passing from the Southampton game would continue. The fact he got a yellow so early and is always a candidate to get booked made me think he would not last the full game. Certainly improved as the game went on, though I always cringed when he went in for a challenge.

 

[Ji_Maria]

I'd prefer to discuss the game from actually watching it than just quoting pass percentages that can often be distorted and don't give full context. He's often sloppy on the ball, and can give it away in dangerous situations.

Yes he was sloppy, yes he made mistakes. Yes his vision is wanting and his passing not creative. Those are all good starting points go have a real conversation. Coming out and saying he is shit or is a terrible passer is not a good or constructive comment because that simply is not true.

 

[Kostur]

Just look at the replay for the Balotelli bar and how he tracked back. He contributed well when the ball was near him at slow pace. We pulled back for most of the time in the second so it made him look good. As soon as there is a bit more pace in midfield he struggles.

And look how Herrera (didn't) track back for the same ball Fellaini recovered and started the counter for the third.

Sometimes players don't track for various reasons really. And no, Fellaini wouldn't have 11 tackles and 3 interceptions if he was standing in place one game and didn't track back and retrieve the ball, not with the possession we've had.

 

[shamans]

I'd prefer to discuss the game from actually watching it than just quoting pass percentages that can often be distorted and don't give full context. He's often sloppy on the ball, and can give it away in dangerous situations.

I hate to defend his passing because it sounds as if I'm saying his a really good passer but he gets so much criticism for it that I have to. His passing isn't all that bad. It's not Herrera/Mata's level obviously but it's good enough given all of his other abilities. It's much better than Cleverly's that's for sure and he can spot some really good passes if he's playing in an attacking role.

If you don't like stats you should've watched him for Everton. His passing/attacking play was a key part of their games.

 

[Kayo]

Touch is horrendous but I thought he was superb at breaking up the play, best game for United.

 

[Trigg]

Poor in the first half and some misplaced passes but in the second half I thought he was brilliant at breaking up the play. I worried he might have got sent off but he was disciplined. Very good performance.

 

[shamans]

Yes he was sloppy, yes he made mistakes. Yes his vision is wanting and his passing not creative. Those are all good starting points go have a real conversation. Coming out and saying he is shit or is a terrible passer is not a good or constructive comment because that simply is not true.

This is exactly how I feel.

 

[Ixion]

You too, please go to whoscored.com and compare his passing percentage to others in our team.

Unbelievable. It seems we are watching different games. Numbers dont lie..

How about comparing his numbers before and after we were 2-0 up and the game was done and dusted.

 

[Cheesy]

It's not just "a win". He's been part of a winning team for us for some time now so it's quite a few wins. Also, like you say he performed well and yes had some bad moments but you can't expect him to have a stormer every week.

As for improving on him, no one really plays a "best eleven" anymore so it's not as if Fellaini has just occupied that midfield spot. You need to different players for different teams, especially in a long season. In that sense he's a really valuable player to have and I do think it's ridiculous how some want to "improve" on him so badly given we have other areas (defense) that need to be addressed first. The only way you could improve on Fellaini is to get a world class midfielder but you don't need a worldie for every position.

He's been in some decent form for about a month or two now. This statement makes it look as if I'm slagging off Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes.

For all that Fellaini's fans are saying his supposed haters are too harsh on him, it now seems as if any slight criticism of the man, or any suggestion that we wouldn't want him to be a main player long-term, is now taken as some sort of admission that he's terrible. Far from it. I've actually given him some praise here, but I still think he can often be very unreliable and while he could be a useful squad player, I hope we upgrade on him as well. He'll have his uses, but I'd rather he be used in more of a rotation role.

 

[Eugenius]

No I don't think he's "VERY bad" when he's bad. He is over scrutinized beyond my understanding. Of course he does some bad things but because of his last season and just his style (being big and standing out on the pitch) some will say he's terrible.

You go to Match day thread and if Fellaini loses the ball everyone hurls abuse at him while other players lose the ball the same amount of time. I might be wrong but I strongly believe this and wish there were some statistics to show how many times Fellaini loses the ball compared to other attacking players.

Well he gave the ball away for Soton's goal last week, then almost did the same today in a similar position. His ball watching has cost us goals, and he's gotten away with a few things too. He got away with letting Balotelli go in the box for one of DDG's saves. Then there's the sending offs, random elbows and then today he could have been sent off after chasing his first touch with a tackle a couple of times. In my books, that's "VERY bad".

 

[Cheesy]

Yes he was sloppy, yes he made mistakes. Yes his vision is wanting and his passing not creative. Those are all good starting points go have a real conversation. Coming out and saying he is shit or is a terrible passer is not a good or constructive comment because that simply is not true.

I've said he's a sloppy passer, which you've agreed with here sort of by saying he made mistakes. I'm not sure what we're necessarily disagreeing on in that respect?

And if his passing is not creative, why are we playing him as our central midfielder?

 

[Ji_Maria]

I hate to defend his passing because it sounds as if I'm saying his a really good passer but he gets so much criticism for it that I have to. His passing isn't all that bad. It's not Herrera/Mata's level obviously but it's good enough given all of his other abilities. It's much better than Cleverly's that's for sure and he can spot some really good passes if he's playing in an attacking role.

If you don't like stats you should've watched him for Everton. His passing/attacking play was a key part of their games.

Yeah it is weird that we have to defend Fellainis passing, since I dont think he is that great of a passer either. But completion wise I remember one game where he was on 85% and Januzaj on 60 something percent and people were calling out Fellaini for being a bad passer. It is a bit weird.

 

[Kostur]

I've said he's a sloppy passer, which you've agreed with here sort of by saying he made mistakes. I'm not sure what we're necessarily disagreeing on in that respect?

And if his passing is not creative, why are we playing him as our central midfielder?

Because there's more to being a central midfielder than just creative passing ?

Especially when teamed up in a midfield with two #10s.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Mixed bag from Marouane today. Thought he did some great defensive work, but his contribution on the ball could have been a lot better. Had a shaky start, but I felt he grew into the game. He just needs to concentrate a bit more. Overall, I felt he had a decent game, though.

Defensive stats were pretty awesome:

Tackles - 10
Interceptions - 3
Blocked Shots - 4

 

[shamans]

He's been in some decent form for about a month or two now. This statement makes it look as if I'm slagging off Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes.

For all that Fellaini's fans are saying his supposed haters are too harsh on him, it now seems as if any slight criticism of the man, or any suggestion that we wouldn't want him to be a main player long-term, is now taken as some sort of admission that he's terrible. Far from it. I've actually given him some praise here, but I still think he can often be very unreliable and while he could be a useful squad player, I hope we upgrade on him as well. He'll have his uses, but I'd rather he be used in more of a rotation role.

Yeah because that's exactly what the haters are saying and nothing more....

 

[BennyBlanco]

Passing was erratic, but he did well winning back the ball in our last 1/3rd, it's hard to give him a rating because it was so up and down, disciplined performance both in tackles but also positional wise, not getting caught high up the pitch.. i thought, overall he did well I suppose.

 

[izec]

i like Fellaini, he just bosses it in midfield. He needs to do it more often, i was disappointed in the last game, the 2nd half was great. I always have the feeling the Herrera lovers slate him and in the Herrera thread the Fellaini lovers slate Herrera. They bring different qualities to the team, LvG decides and people should get behind the team. Fellainis performance was good today and he helped us win with his defensive contribution.

 

[Cheesy]

Because there's more to being a central midfielder than just creative passing ?

Of course there is, but it's a bit like saying "He might not be a good goalscorer, but he's not a bad striker." If you're playing in midfield and you're not a particularly brilliant or creative passer, you're leaving a lot to be desired. And before I get jumped on - I don't think he's a terrible passer. Just a sloppy one who's not particularly great at it.

 

[Boycott]

Won the ball a lot second half. He's no footballer though. Absolutely shocking ability with the ball, which I maintain is below Premier league standard.

He's been a very good Premier League player for a number of years. Ridiculous post.

 

[Ekeke]

He played a lot better once Liverpool's attackers started to tire in the 2nd half and not close down aggressively. Not the only one who is better in those conditions

 

[Amar__]

I really don't understand what he brought to the team today apart from physical presence, and how is it possible that van Gaal sees him as a defensive midfielder? His passing was poor, his first touch was awful, his shielding of the defence was terrible, it's like our midfield never existed defensively in todays match considering the amount of chances they created. Only thing I can applaud him is that he lasted 90 minutes after he got yellow after five considering his style of play.

I really hope we move him from this position, I don't care where, he simply isn't defensive midfielder for me.

 

[Ji_Maria]

I've said he's a sloppy passer, which you've agreed with here sort of by saying he made mistakes. I'm not sure what we're necessarily disagreeing on in that respect?

And if his passing is not creative, why are we playing him as our central midfielder?

I mean he is not significantly sloppier than Rooney Mata RVP such that it warrants special focus or attention. The high majority of his passes are succesful, if lacking a lot in vision or creativity but thats another subject. Just count the number of posts in the last hour saying his passing is shit...its unbelievable.

I dont prefer Fellaini in CM either, but considering we dont have Di Maria or Blind available, playing Fellaini as a pseudo defensive CM is not bad considering our back four. Who else would we play there at the moment?