He did well.
27
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 33
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
He was just brilliant when he came on. Just what we needed in that game.
He did absolutely nothing tonight. And it's not even down to him,we just acted like he isn't even there. The praise is ridiculous.
Didn't offer much in attack but I thought he did his defensive work well.
So his performance ranged somewhere between brilliant and pointless? Classic Fellaini.
He won back the ball plenty of times deep and in their half and got us moving forward.
Compared to Schweinsteiger who constantly passed slowly backwards or 5 yards to the side.
He did well when he came on I was pleasantly surprised.
Offered us a platform to build from in midfield with his physicality (albeit an inconsistent platform) but worked sufficiently to get us back into the game.
I love Mata but that was not the game for him.
We were getting nothing trying to pass it around and break them down.
Fellaini disrupts and attracts players away from the others.
He did the job that he was brought on for.
Did well enough I thought. Won the ball back several times and got forward into good attacking areas, gave CSKA a problem. If we had bothered to use our free kicks later on to actually try to score a goal, rather than either a) passing back to the CBs or b) hitting it out for a goal kick - Fellaini may have been more threatening*.
*While on that topic, it seems a common theme this season that when we are chasing a game in the dying embers, rather than playing the ball into the box we play stupid short FKs and corners, even if we have Fellaini on the field. Its utterly bizarre.
*While on that topic, it seems a common theme this season that when we are chasing a game in the dying embers, rather than playing the ball into the box we play stupid short FKs and corners, even if we have Fellaini on the field. Its utterly bizarre.
I thought he was decent. He was a little sloppy at times but he hasn't been playing much so that could explain why. He did move the ball around well too and won it back. It is frustrating how we never seem to be able to get the ball near him when he is in the box though.
Him and Hererr as a pair of AMs was a feature of all our best football last season. He was rusty tonight but his arrival and the change in formation made a massive, positive difference.
He is a quality player and at this stage we are better when he's playing.
Yeah, but I still wish he stuck his foot forward when that dangerous ball in front of goal was close to him and regardless of Akinfeev's proximity. In a 50/50, it would be hard to blame him if he hit the CSKA goalkeeper while attempting to get to the ball.
He was far from pointless, he was a big part of the improved second half performance.
yeah I think the formation wth one pivot and two "b2bs" was the best we played last year. Some excellent games against Spurs, Liverpool and City after Arsenal knocked us out of the FA cup..
Fella did well in the same position tonight, provided option to pass, more directly.. chest down all arerial balls/half clearances. All in all decent cameo for the Belgian, with a little bit of luck and better delivery he could score, certainly an option for the city game. I don't htink he will start though..
They are so opposite that they balance each other well. The opposition has to set to defend not only for Herrera's ability in tight spaces and eye for a pass, but for Fellaini's physicality and aerial threat. I know LVG has been going with the 4-2-3-1 but I definitely think we should revert back to the 4-3-3 at times. As you said, our best football last season came from that formation.
Did okay, but when he took the ball down in their box with his chest and just played it backwards and we went back to the CBs, in our half, within 3 or 4 seconds it led me to briefly contemplate the nature of existence and I don't like doing that during football.
Does show how a 4-3-3 is at times our best formation and we need to be able to play it and 4-2-3-1. I think being able to do both is compatible with Mata's versatility, as well.
If we sell Rooney this summer, a fine 4-3-3 would just be 2 signings away:
----------Martial-------- (Wilson)
Memphis------------RW (Mata, Januzaj, Pereira)
------CM------Herrera-- (Mata, Schwein, Fellaini)
--------Schneiderlin---- (Schwein, Carrick)
And when we play 4-2-3-1, it's just one of Herrera or Mata as the 10 and the other on the bench.
Does show how a 4-3-3 is at times our best formation and we need to be able to play it and 4-2-3-1. I think being able to do both is compatible with Mata's versatility, as well.
If we sell Rooney this summer, a fine 4-3-3 would just be 2 signings away:
----------Martial-------- (Wilson)
Memphis------------RW (Mata, Januzaj, Pereira)
------CM------Herrera-- (Mata, Schwein, Fellaini)
--------Schneiderlin---- (Schwein, Carrick)
And when we play 4-2-3-1, it's just one of Herrera or Mata as the 10 and the other on the bench.
It was also simultaneously brilliant and pointless.
Best exemplified, as I mentioned in the post above, by the incredible moment when he took the ball down in the box on his chest in his inimitable manner and then got scared or had no creative ideas and so just popped it backwards to a player who was only in a position to keep going backwards.
I was happy to see that for once his substitution did not lead to us endlessly pinging the ball to him and stop playing football. He showed a good all around game today, used his aerial threat but also defended well and passed reasonably. Still not showing enough to earn more than cameos, mind. Don't know how much more there is to his United career at this rate.
This.
Man Utd 0:0 Man City
Did exactly what he was supposed to do once he came on.
Shouldn't be near the starting XI, but fair play to him for doing his job well today.
Shouldn't be near the starting XI, but fair play to him for doing his job well today.
Wish he came on earlier. Particularly when we were pinning them back deep early in the second half. He could have given us that link play for an opening instead of Rooney constantly killing moves.
His last few sub appearances have been encouraging I think.
Pushing for a start.
Yeah, I think he's put himself in contention and is almost certain to start on Wednesday.
Try Schneiderlin and Herrera-Fellaini as b2bs ahead of him like last year only Morgan on for Carrick. It will work IMO. We need sth different, and somehow bypass Rooney by putting a big man there...
He did more than just the usual "Fellaini thing". He retained possession well, and moved the ball on more quickly and sharply than most. Good cameo.
Man Utd 0:0 Middlesbrough
He's Rooney with a wig
Shoots like a girl, no power or direction.
Been our best player tonight in fairness
His end product has been awful, sure, but he's been great in everything else. Moves very well and constantly asks for the ball.
I find him quite likeable these days, seems to care and works hard, but he repeatedly gets himself into positions where his lack of quality is exposed.
Not sure he has the skill set to be anything more than a bit part player here.
Not sure he has the skill set to be anything more than a bit part player here.
I think he's probably been our best player but every time he gets the ball at his feet in the final third I know nothing will come of it.
I feel fairness needs to be defined here...Out of cutting my cock or thumb off, i'd prefer my thumb to be cut off, that doesn't mean it's mint to have the thumb cut off...
Best is probably not the correct word. He's been the most consistent player but nothing has really come off him which is a usual performance from him.
That chest control.
Does Fellaini actually jump for headers? Doesn't feel like it. He just takes position and if the ball doesn't come to where he is the defender will get it. That Blind cross right now, 117th minuted or so. Straight at him but he expected to chest it down and Ayala just cleared it without a challenge. Pretty annoying to watch when our football is geared a lot toward him when he's on.
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