[iKeano]

With Fellaini playing two games in a row in midfield we conceeded 5 goals. Second goal/corner would never happen if he just moved 3 meters to the left to intercept their runner, but he was lazy and instead Martial chased him through entire feild and Fellaini just watched him get past him. Few players were shouting at him after the move but I guess somehow it wasn't his fault. Apart from that, he is nowhere to be found in defence in last two games, with Carrick and Schweinsteiger being one man midfield in both games. So, he's shite defensively.

This is his "defending" before they won a corner for the second goal:
*

Spoiler: 1

Spoiler: 2

Spoiler: 3

Carrick had 65 passes today, and his partner in midfield- Fellaini, had just 29. De Gea had 23, just 6 less passes than Manchester United central midfielder! Depay tried 37, 8 more passes than Fellaini. Basically, only de Gea, Martial and Perreira made less passes than him, and somehow people are saying our defence is shit, we can't control the game but yet are happy with Fellaini playing cm. So, he doesn't help us control the game, at all. If anything, we lose the control because of him.

As for the attack, apparently his strongest weapon, I heard we create chances with him on the pitch but yet we scored one goal today against the team that conceeds most goals in the league, two goals per game on average. Only chances are coming through him because that's the only way we can create something in opposition box when he is playing as a central midfielder, of course it will always be him because he spends most time in opposition box while our other players are actually involved in the build up, and spend a lot of time helping out our defence, because he doesn't do that, at all. When he is on the pitch our entire tactics are hoofing the ball to him in the box, so of course something will come out of him.
In his last 5 appearances in PL before today we haven't scored single goal, but yet somehow "we create chances with him on the pitch". Actually, in his entire PL campaign this year, we scored just today with him on the pitch, and 3 goals against Liverpool. That's just 4 goals with him on the pitch. He scored just one.
In CL he has 1 assist, so in total in PL and CL he played around 570 minutes and scored one goal and made one assist.

Why exactly he deserves to be on the pitch, at all? Can someone give me one valid reason apart from "he makes something happen" because quite obviously he doesn't, if that's true he would be scoring goals or our team would be scoring more with him on the pitch, and we aren't. Instead we are pretty much the same in attack, but at the same time we don't have any control of the game at all, and our defensive play is terrible when he is playing in midfield because his defensive play is non-existent.

* I know the pics aren't the greatest quality, but they can prove a point.

Nail on head. His alleged aerial threat is the biggest myth in football.
He's crap and brings everyone else's performance down a notch by their insistent urge to hoof it to him.
A clumsy, red-card liability. Even his goal looked like someone felling a particularly odd looking tree!
Has no place at Utd and is a glaring statement of what we've become. How anyone thinks this is acceptable in Utd's centre mid and genuinely thinks we can compete in the PL & especially CL against the top teams, is beyond me.

 

[Loon]

He'll never be United sexy, but he does give.

 

[ZDwyr]

He's shit.

When the Bournemouth player broke free and they won the corner from which they scored from, instead of Fellaini stepping in to block his path when he was running forward, he steps to the left to block an imaginary pass and lets the bournmoth player have a free run towards goal.

How anyone actually believes that this fecking tool is a defensive midfielder is beyond me, madness, just madness

Schweinsteiger did that against Wolfsburg midweek too.

Anyway, he was our best player. Not sure why he was taken off? He was our only threat and should be playing as the #10 until Herrera is back (unless we revert back to the formation we used last season - which we should). People can spout all the nonsense they want but he was more effective than any other player on the pitch. He is clearly ordered to push up the field too, otherwise he would not be starting.

 

[red_devil83]

Schweinsteiger did that against Wolfsburg midweek too.

Anyway, he was our best player. Not sure why he was taken off? He was our only threat and should be playing as the #10 until Herrera is back (unless we revert back to the formation we used last season - which we should). People can spout all the nonsense they want but he was more effective than any other player on the pitch. He is clearly ordered to push up the field too, otherwise he would not be starting.

I'm inclined to agree with this. If we're going to play him, play him in a role with less defensive responsibility. Possibly more difficult today, but if Jones and Schneid were on the bench, we can assume they could manage 45 each.

 

[Nighteyes]

Why exactly he deserves to be on the pitch, at all? Can someone give me one valid reason apart from "he makes something happen" because quite obviously he doesn't, if that's true he would be scoring goals or our team would be scoring more with him on the pitch, and we aren't. Instead we are pretty much the same in attack, but at the same time we don't have any control of the game at all, and our defensive play is terrible when he is playing in midfield because his defensive play is non-existent.

You can start with watching yesterday's game. If you do Fellaini's level of threat going forward should be blatantly obvious and that's aside from the fact that he scored our only goal. It should also be apparent how toothless we looked once he went off. If you can still come back and say Fellaini was the worst player in the team with a straight face, then we can all admit you have no clue what you're talking about and move on.

Of course, we can also blame poo 'ol Nick Powell since without him and Fellaini we've been playing free flowing football while creating chances left, right and centre.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

For me he can score in every game and I'll still consider him shite.

If he is our best offensive output, we are fecked. Sooner he goes the better.

 

[ZDwyr]

For me he can score in every game and I'll still consider him shite.

If he is our best offensive output, we are fecked. Sooner he goes the better.

That perfectly encapsulates the bias attitude people have toward him. Even if he is a success people will criticise him. He's in a no-win situation.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

That perfectly encapsulates the bias attitude people have toward him. Even if he is a success people will criticise him. He's in a no-win situation.

Indeed, but he hasn't been.

Can't fault me for providing an honest assessment.

 

[ZDwyr]

Indeed, but he hasn't been.

Can't fault me for providing an honest assessment.

But you said even if he was a success (scoring every game) you would still think he was shite. I wasn't arguing whether or not he has been a success. There are people here who hold preconceived ideas about him and they won't change even if he does perform. It's sad.

 

[NK86]

You can start with watching yesterday's game. If you do Fellaini's level of threat going forward should be blatantly obvious and that's aside from the fact that he scored our only goal. It should also be apparent how toothless we looked once he went off. If you can still come back and say Fellaini was the worst player in the team with a straight face, then we can all admit you have no clue what you're talking about and move on.

Of course, we can also blame poo 'ol Nick Powell since without him and Fellaini we've been playing free flowing football while creating chances left, right and centre.

If you think him being a sort of nuisance in the opposition penalty box is all it takes to be considered a threat as a United player, then our standards and expectations have truly hit rock bottom. He could be a good tool to get at the end of crosses but it is not like we were creating chances or playing great football when he was on the pitch. The chances that fell to him were from rebounds or poor clearances. For a big man, he loses so many aerial duels. Also we don't need a target man or a big lumbering player up top for us to have a good return from crosses. Our poor play was for all to see even with him on the pitch. Obviously replacing him with Powell was a blantantly stupid decision but that does not mean he was good. He toepoked a chance in and fair dues but why let go of someone like Hernandez if bundling 1 out of 4 chances from inside the penalty box is what we need.

 

[limerickcitykid]

For me he can score in every game and I'll still consider him shite.

If he is our best offensive output, we are fecked. Sooner he goes the better.

So you are admitting to being an irrational idiot because thinking like that clearly isn't rational at all.

 

[Nighteyes]

If you think him being a sort of nuisance in the opposition penalty box is all it takes to be considered a threat as a United player, then our standards and expectations have truly hit rock bottom.

So we should revert back to our attacking play where we barely had a shot on goal and barely looked like scoring because that would indicate a rise in standards?

Don't get pointless posts like these. It's not Fellaini's faults everyone else is shite thus making him look good (If that is indeed the case). We're in no position to be looking down at players who look reasonably threatening going forward even if it means pumping long balls into the air. It's not like our football has been scintillating before we played him.

 

[NK86]

So we should revert back to our attacking play where we barely had a shot on goal and barely looked like scoring because that would indicate a rise in standards?

Don't get pointless posts like these. It's not Fellaini's faults everyone else is shite thus making him look good (If that is indeed the case). We're in no position to be looking down at players who look reasonably threatening going forward even if it means pumping long balls into the air. It's not like our football has been scintillating before we played him.

Our football is still the same with him on the field. The fact that we created 3-4 chances in the first half and he was involved in the rebounds in a couple of them does not mean he was actually better than the rest. Again he was not the worst player out there but he was not someone I would not think of subbing off either. The very reason I wanted him out despite his decent last season was because the only way he would be useful in an attacking sense is if we pump long balls or crosses to him. Not something I am a fan of and will never actually get used to us using those tactics as our primary way to score goals.

However I will concede taking him off for Powell was as maddening as taking Mata off for Powell against Wolfsburg. A senseless sub which looks as bad in hindsight as it did when that sub was made.

 

[Varun]

Was our biggest threat yesterday. Made his substitution absolutely incredible. I really get the feeling some of van Gaal's subs are predetermined and not based on the actual game. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Kostur]

With Fellaini playing two games in a row in midfield we conceeded 5 goals. Second goal/corner would never happen if he just moved 3 meters to the left to intercept their runner, but he was lazy and instead Martial chased him through entire feild and Fellaini just watched him get past him. Few players were shouting at him after the move but I guess somehow it wasn't his fault. Apart from that, he is nowhere to be found in defence in last two games, with Carrick and Schweinsteiger being one man midfield in both games. So, he's shite defensively.

This is his "defending" before they won a corner for the second goal

So nobody, even not Fellaini, picked up a central defender running with the ball but it's purely Fellaini's fault. If you weren't full of shit, mindless bias that you already displayed several times in this topic you'd probably make it out that our tactics are fecking dumb and our players themselves don't know what to do. You'd figure it out if you watched United play this season, with or without Fellaini.

Carrick had 65 passes today, and his partner in midfield- Fellaini, had just 29. De Gea had 23, just 6 less passes than Manchester United central midfielder! Depay tried 37, 8 more passes than Fellaini. Basically, only de Gea, Martial and Perreira made less passes than him, and somehow people are saying our defence is shit, we can't control the game but yet are happy with Fellaini playing cm. So, he doesn't help us control the game, at all. If anything, we lose the control because of him.

1) It is shit, but it would be strange if it wasn't when we're playing a makeshift of defence at it with all Shaw, Rojo, Jones, Smalling and Darmian injured.
2) Nobody is happy with Fellaini playing as second #6, you wouldn't write such bullshit if you actually bothered to read this thread at times instead of throwing looped boring cliches. I take it you weren't happy with him last season as well when he was scoring against likes of City, Tottenham or bossing the games as second #8 in 4141? Or we were bossing those games despite him?

As for the attack, apparently his strongest weapon, I heard we create chances with him on the pitch but yet we scored one goal today against the team that conceeds most goals in the league, two goals per game on average. Only chances are coming through him because that's the only way we can create something in opposition box when he is playing as a central midfielder, of course it will always be him because he spends most time in opposition box while our other players are actually involved in the build up, and spend a lot of time helping out our defence, because he doesn't do that, at all. When he is on the pitch our entire tactics are hoofing the ball to him in the box, so of course something will come out of him.

Those shit excuses would actually make sense if we weren't abysmal in attack with or without him, failing to score in like 5 out of 10 games and winning just 4 out of last what, 12 or 13 games? We didn't hoof it to him yesterday either but yea, you're seeing what you want to see, yet again. We've all seen how much of a hampering link he is when he went off, all the beautiful, full flow football we've witnessed. Oh wait, we didn't create shit again.

In his last 5 appearances in PL before today we haven't scored single goal, but yet somehow "we create chances with him on the pitch". Actually, in his entire PL campaign this year, we scored just today with him on the pitch, and 3 goals against Liverpool. That's just 4 goals with him on the pitch. He scored just one.
In CL he has 1 assist, so in total in PL and CL he played around 570 minutes and scored one goal and made one assist.

Because today he was probably the only player that actually looked like he wanted to score, same can't be said about our other attacking players. Even if he's not involved himself assists/goals wise, he'll drag somebody with him because for some reason they are always picking him up, that's why he's so far up the pitch, that's an element of a tactic that was used last season as well and not him going AWOL, you'd probably know that if you weren't biased, again.

Why exactly he deserves to be on the pitch, at all? Can someone give me one valid reason apart from "he makes something happen" because quite obviously he doesn't, if that's true he would be scoring goals or our team would be scoring more with him on the pitch, and we aren't. Instead we are pretty much the same in attack, but at the same time we don't have any control of the game at all, and our defensive play is terrible when he is playing in midfield because his defensive play is non-existent.

And again, attributing all of our 'terrible defensive play' to him because he's in midfield (he shouldn't be playing as second #6, mind) is fecking hilarious, that's completely ignoring our defensive crisis we're going through (which has been easy to predict, but that's for another topic). If we're the same, then why shouldn't he be on the pitch? Why is Mata more deserving? Is Pereira more deserving? Lingard? Is there any argument bar being 'younger' for some of them? Or is it just yours 'i don't like him therefore he shouldn't play' bullshit? Guess we both know the answer.

To be fair it's even pretty hilarious how you don't bother to think about those 5 goals we've lost in those two games, desperately trying to make it sound like it's his fault. We've lost 4 out of those 5 from corners if I recall correctly. In Wolfsburg, i.a., Smalling didn't pick Naldo for the first goal, somebody didn't pick Naldo again for the second. In this game, guy scores directly from a fecking corner that DDG should've cleared and then Blind doesn't pick his man. But yea, we've got no control, it's Fellaini's fault. Christ almighty.

And the pictures don't work.

 

[NK86]

Was our biggest threat yesterday. Made his substitution absolutely incredible. I really get the feeling some of van Gaal's subs are predetermined and not based on the actual game. I hope I'm wrong.

On the contrary I feel he sometimes takes off the most likely players to create chances in order to bring in some flavor of the month youth team player to try and massage his ego if we then win.

 

[Varun]

So we should revert back to our attacking play where we barely had a shot on goal and barely looked like scoring because that would indicate a rise in standards?

Don't get pointless posts like these. It's not Fellaini's faults everyone else is shite thus making him look good (If that is indeed the case). We're in no position to be looking down at players who look reasonably threatening going forward even if it means pumping long balls into the air. It's not like our football has been scintillating before we played him.

Exactly. Rather an ugly(for the want of a better word) and more direct threat like him than none at all. It's the same with Ashley Young. Absolutely irritating how some go on about him not being "United level anyways" when he's done better than most.

By all mean, bench them or sell them once we have a better way to go about things. Till then, let them be. Putting Powell as the CF and relegating Martial to the right killed the game for us.

 

[Varun]

On the contrary I feel he sometimes takes off the most likely players to create chances in order to bring in some flavor of the month youth team player to try and massage his ego if we then win.

Will get him sacked. How's that for an ego massage

 

[Nighteyes]

Our football is still the same with him on the field. The fact that we created 3-4 chances in the first half and he was involved in the rebounds in a couple of them does not mean he was actually better than the rest.

It actually does say exactly that. He also scored a goal. He creates problems for the opposition through being a awkward bastard and brings a new (read only) kind of attacking threat to our play.

This guy and Young should be starting games. Without the two of them Van Gaal would have been sacked last season.

 

[Varun]

It actually does say exactly that. He also scored a goal. He creates problems for the opposition through being a awkward bastard and brings a new (read only) kind of attacking threat to our play.

This guy and Young should be starting games. Without the two of them Van Gaal would have been sacked last season.

Don't know about being sacked but don't think we'd be in the top 4.

 

[NK86]

It actually does say exactly that. He also scored a goal. He creates problems for the opposition through being a awkward bastard and brings a new (read only) kind of attacking threat to our play.

This guy and Young should be starting games. Without the two of them Van Gaal would have been sacked last season.

I don't agree. If all players are fit, Fellaini should not be in our first 11. Herrera should always be ahead of him. Fellaini hardly plays as a CM. Herrera would have brought better balance to our play than Fellaini. Nonetheless with our current injury crisis it is a no brainer.

 

[Nighteyes]

Don't know about being sacked but don't think we'd be in the top 4.

Same thing imo. Finishing outside the top 4 after spunking 150m is a good way to get sacked.

I don't agree. If all players are fit, Fellaini should not be in our first 11. Herrera should always be ahead of him. Fellaini hardly plays as a CM. Herrera would have brought better balance to our play than Fellaini. Nonetheless with our current injury crisis it is a no brainer.

Herrera wide right, Fellaini as #10, Young wide left and Martial up top. That's the way forward. Everyone else can feck off.

 

[Litch]

I don't care how good or bad the player is in essence. If Utd comes calling, no player is going to say I don't think I'm good enough to sign so no thanks. It's our recruitment therefore should be in question. He is what he is and if used effective can influence football matches, in fact his form the back of the season actual contributed to us securing the CL place. I think the issues are clearly deeper than individual abilities or performances and even when we were winning everything, take a look at Utd squad was everyone there Utd quality?

 

[Get In Scholesy]

But you said even if he was a success (scoring every game) you would still think he was shite. I wasn't arguing whether or not he has been a success. There are people here who hold preconceived ideas about him and they won't change even if he does perform. It's sad.

Define perform. If performing as our main outlet in a team devoid of any free flowing or cohesive football is your definition then so be it, I suppose we have different conceptions of performance.

So you are admitting to being an irrational idiot because thinking like that clearly isn't rational at all.

Are you serious? There is more to a player than just scoring goals, especially when the player disrupts the teams rhythm and tempo, or even lowers its quality. Perhaps your criteria of rationality is rather flawed. If Marouane Fellaini is Manchester United's best offensive output, there is something wrong. Surely that is not irrational at all.

I'm sure you can string a sentence together without any name calling.

 

[NK86]

Same thing imo. Finishing outside the top 4 after spunking 150m is a good way to get sacked.



Herrera wide right, Fellaini as #10, Young wide left and Martial up top. That's the way forward. Everyone else can feck off.

That worked for like three games last season. No way will we get anywhere with that.

 

[iKeano]

Define perform. If performing as our main outlet in a team devoid of any free flowing or cohesive football is your definition then so be it, I suppose we have different conceptions of performance.



Are you serious? There is more to a player than just scoring goals, especially when the player disrupts the teams rhythm and tempo, or even lowers its quality. Perhaps your criteria of rationality is rather flawed. If Marouane Fellaini is Manchester United's best offensive output, there is something wrong. Surely that is not irrational at all.

I'm sure you can string a sentence together without any name calling.

This.

People who blindly defend Fellaini after his one half-decent performance in every 15 games, in a team made of of emergency drafted youth team players, in a defeat, to Bournemouth.... They need to step back and watch a re-run of Utd of old or a different team & see how proper strikers/midfielder operate.

Anyone that thinks Fellaini is good enough for Utd has been desensitised by Moyes and LVG. Fellaini wouldn't have got anywhere near a Utd team of the past 25yrs & would be nowhere near any top European teams today.

He's the benchmark of where some fans expectations have fallen to and a damning indictment of the current level of the squad on which LVG has squandered millions.

 

[Kostur]

This.

People who blindly defend Fellaini after his one half-decent performance in every 15 games, in a team made of of emergency drafted youth team players, in a defeat, to Bournemouth.... They need to step back and watch a re-run of Utd of old or a different team & see how proper strikers/midfielder operate.

Anyone that thinks Fellaini is good enough for Utd has been desensitised by Moyes and LVG. Fellaini wouldn't have got anywhere near a Utd team of the past 25yrs & would be nowhere near any top European teams today.

He's the benchmark of where some fans expectations have fallen to and a damning indictment of the current level of the squad on which LVG has squandered millions.

Yup, I'll look back at our last title run and see how Tom fecking Cleverley operated or our fat clown who now fails to deliver in Brazil operated. Breathtaking experience that. Now that's some quality.

 

[Walrus]

Herrera wide right, Fellaini as #10, Young wide left and Martial up top. That's the way forward. Everyone else can feck off.

Give me the 4-3-3 we played last year. Carrick or Schneiderlin holding, Herrera and Fellaini in front as #8s, Martial up front, Memphis and Young on the wings.

 

[Drifter]

Got slaughtered in the match day thread but voted MOTM.Go figure.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

Yup, I'll look back at our last title run and see how Tom fecking Cleverley operated or our fat clown who now fails to deliver in Brazil operated. Breathtaking experience that. Now that's some quality.

fellaini wouldn't have got near that fergie team. He just tore it to shreds whenever we played vs him

 

[iKeano]

Yup, I'll look back at our last title run and see how Tom fecking Cleverley operated or our fat clown who now fails to deliver in Brazil operated. Breathtaking experience that. Now that's some quality.

They were bags of shit too, just frustrating that Moyes took more sub-par players on. Let's not forget LVG had Fellaini in the shop window in the summer, but now due to his own managerial shortcomings, he's relying on the tall Evertonian. Again, a symbol of how far we've fallen.

 

[iKeano]

fellaini wouldn't have got near that fergie team. He just tore it to shreds whenever we played vs him

Moyes managed that team that 'tore it to shreds'.... Doesn't mean he was Man Utd quality, history has shown that and it will show the same about Fellaini.

 

[Invictus]

His best performance for us this season IMO.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

Moyes managed that team that 'tore it to shreds'.... Doesn't mean he was Man Utd quality, history has shown that and it will show the same about Fellaini.

I think people who don't think he's a sueful option are nuts. People are obsessed with the 'embarrassment' of it. I don't get it. Mourinho won the CL with a similar target man at inter milan, and last year with that strategy we battered pool city and spurs on the bounce. It is a credible plan B whether it offends you or not

 

[Invictus]

Mourinho won the CL with a similar target man at inter milan

Wut..

 

[Kostur]

They were bags of shit too, just frustrating that Moyes took more sub-par players on. Let's not forget LVG had Fellaini in the shop window in the summer, but now due to his own managerial shortcomings, he's relying on the tall Evertonian. Again, a symbol of how far we've fallen.

Yes, but given that we used to win the title with worse players/midfielder it means that it's merely the players' fault (or in particular one player's fault). Merely manager's ineptitude as shown.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Are you serious? There is more to a player than just scoring goals, especially when the player disrupts the teams rhythm and tempo, or even lowers its quality. Perhaps your criteria of rationality is rather flawed. If Marouane Fellaini is Manchester United's best offensive output, there is something wrong. Surely that is not irrational at all.

I'm sure you can string a sentence together without any name calling.

If you're scoring a goal a game then there really isn't, goals win games and scoring one a game instantly makes you one of the greatest players ever. See that isn't rational at all, there is nothing wrong with Fellaini or anyone being the best offensive output, as long as they are producing and scoring a goal a game would be extraordinary output, that is irrational personal hatred on your side. How would it be wrong for someone who scores every single game to be the best offensive output? How could someone who breaks records and is instantly the greatest goalscorer to ever grace the Premier League be shite? So, yes that is clearly irrational and no one in they're right mind would think scoring every game makes you shit. Some of the greatest strikers ever built their games around scoring and not offering much else and they still weren't scoring a goal a game. It was an idiotic statement and it deserved to be called out on.

 

[JPRouve]

Wut..

Diego Targeti Milito.

 

[Invictus]

Diego Targeti Milito.

Ok, I get it now.

 

[JPRouve]

Ok, I get it now.

The "wut" is still very pertinent though because Milito is everything but a target man, he isn't tall nor powerful.