Marouane Fellaini image 27

Marouane Fellaini Belgium flag

2015-16 Performances

View full 2015-16 profile

5.1 Season Average Rating
Appearances
33
Goals
4
Assists
1
Yellow cards
6
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stevoc said:
I don't really want to join in the bashing but one thing i do wonder after having watched this guy for nearly 3 years now is.

What is his actual position?

For me he isn't a DM, his positional discipline or passing isn't good enough to be a proper CM. And he isn't good enough in general to be a no10, certainly not for a team with any ambition. And he sure as shit is no striker.

He needs to have a team built around him like he had at Everton to really shine i think. I just don't wish to ever watch a United team long term that's built around a player of his type.
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His best performances at United have for me come in the advanced box-to-box role we saw last season. He is similar to Herrera in that he is not quite a proper #10, but nor is he a holding midfielder (though obviously their skillsets differ).

I certainly dont think he fits into the 4-2-3-1 very well, and would say the same for several other players.
 
Walrus said:
I certainly dont think he fits into the 4-2-3-1 very well, and would say the same for several other players.
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This particular part is just so, so frustrating - because we aren't really playing these players in a way that would bring out their best qualities. Juan Mata would do be better as a right inside forward of sorts with Ander providing the mobility behind him as a right sided box to box, Martial can slot in as a Neymar-esque (positionaly) left wide forward with freedom to drift inside instead of being shunted a bit too wide. We could lessen the physical burden on Schweinsteiger, and even Carrick (in limited playing time) by providing 2 runners alongside/ ahead of them. The switch to a 4-2-3-1 was just so bizzare, especially when our best performances under Van Gaal have mostly been in the 4-5-1/ 4-3-3. Started last season with an obtuse 3-5-2, stumbled upon a decent formula, then went back to the drawing board to start from scratch. Just defies common reason - especially when we have to field several players out of their natural positions. In a way the mark of a truly great coach is building his tactics around the personnel at his disposal, not stifling the group in his orthodox scheme - which is what we have repeatedly seen with Van Gaal at United - starting with the ill-fated 3-5-2 experiment.
 
iBoss said:
Behind the striker.
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Seen him play there plenty of times for United. But can't say i've seen him have many great performances in the spot.

He might as i said shine there for a team like Everton when the team is built to service him. But that won't happen at United.
 
Walrus said:
His best performances at United have for me come in the advanced box-to-box role we saw last season. He is similar to Herrera in that he is not quite a proper #10, but nor is he a holding midfielder (though obviously their skillsets differ).

I certainly dont think he fits into the 4-2-3-1 very well, and would say the same for several other players.
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Yeah our players, well a lot of them anyway seem to fit better into the 4-1-4-1 system we played at the end of last season. In that system on the left with Blind and Young he did play very well.

But 4-2-3-1 isn't that different really. We had Schneiderlin on today playing behind Fellaini and Herrera, so the role he's being asked to play while not the same isn't a completely different role and yet to me anyway he just doesn't look comfortable playing as a proper CM.
 
We can complain but he is being used as a squad player and 4th pick in a group of central midfield players. Yesterday we did not have Carrick or BFS so he had to play.

Would be realistically find a 4th choice CM happy with that role as him? If so, please name him.
 
sammsky1 said:
We can complain but he is being used as a squad player and 4th pick in a group of central midfield players. Yesterday we did not have Carrick or BFS so he had to play.

Would be realistically find a 4th choice CM happy with that role as him? If so, please name him.
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I would gladly have played a 433 with one DM in Schneiderlin and played Pereira in Fellaini's place and I don't think the boy would have been worse.
 
Gerald G said:
I remember that moment. I was annoyed because it was a good pass and he was in a great position but he was so lethargic and slow to the ball.
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I remember that and also remember me thinking that in the first 10 mins of the second half, he has misplaced a 5 yard pass out for a throw in, committed niggly fouls unnecessarily, and then when Rooney did put him through in a very good position all he does is dally on the ball while Martial or Lingard made a very good run in front of him and then he gets dispossessed.

Absolutely loathe seeing him start for us. What is Vangle even thinking?!
 
Walrus said:
His best performances at United have for me come in the advanced box-to-box role we saw last season. He is similar to Herrera in that he is not quite a proper #10, but nor is he a holding midfielder (though obviously their skillsets differ).

I certainly dont think he fits into the 4-2-3-1 very well, and would say the same for several other players.
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One can play football, the other can't.
 
I'll be honest, I don't exactly like the guy. Stupid player who often commits stupid fouls, and constantly arguing with the referees. That miss and the way he had that stupid grin on his face afterwards was just infuriating. What, because we were leading, you were allowed to miss a chance like that, hence the stupid grin?
 
Had a good spell last season, but i really don't get what he adds to our team right now. 5 fouls in the first 20 mns, all pretty much pointless, and missed a sitter at the end. Hope we get rid soon, or at least bring someone in to keep him out of our starting eleven.
 
50 shades of shit, every game, every position.

Any Sunday league player could do what he does. Fouls, passes backwards, loses possession.
 
He's our Bogarde. No one will take him off our hands with that salary
 
devilish said:
He's our Bogarde. No one will take him off our hands with that salary
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At least Chelsea had the good sense to keep Bogarde in the stands. They didn't keep playing him despite all evidence pointing to him being a bit shit.
 
we should plant a tree in the middle of the pitch every time we play. it'd be more useful than having fellaini out playing.
 
He's never belonged here.

Astonished at how much game time he gets.

His clearance for the Wijnaldum goal was terrible.
 
The "defending" for their first and the miss at the end at 3-2. Just unacceptable. If he can't put away an easy 6 yard header then what is he actually good for? What Van Gaal sees in him as a midfielder is absolutely beyond me, and most of us in the thread by the looks of things
 
I have been away for the last month and haven't been keeping upto date with all the injury news, but was LVG forced to play him in CM yesterday as Carrick and BFS are injured?
 
2mufc0 said:
I have been away for the last month and haven't been keeping upto date with all the injury news, but was LVG forced to play him in CM yesterday as Carrick and BFS are injured?
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BFS picked up a knock on Saturday, not sure about Carrick.
That says, LVG just plays him. Constantly.
He's down there with Djemba Djemba in terms of complete lack on ability. How he gets so much game time, let alone any game time, is baffling.
 
I still say his miss didnt annoy me as much as other things (but given thats meant to be his strength, it begs the question, what else can he do). Whilst he got into the position (and yes he should be scoring - but at that point were still 3-2 up with 10 minutes to go), its the other stuff like, killing momentum of attacks with fouls, he just cant keep the ball, he lumbers too much for the position hes meant to be playing and doesnt show for the ball as much as he should.
 
Sylar said:
I still say his miss didnt annoy me as much as other things
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Agreed with that. What i dislike most is he seems to have zero ability with the ball. He is sloppy and fouls alot. I just hope he fecks off on the first occasion.
 
He is just a pretty poor footballer isn't he. I think i can pass a football better than him without falling over myself.
 
He's utterly useless. Can't honestly see how LvG think he actually offers anything at all in the starting 11. He's not even particularly good in the air and seems to lose headers against players a foot smaller than him.

If only football was played solely with ones chest, he'd be remarkable.
 
It's not a question of selling him nor not, it's a question of whether we can get in a good replacement for him first. Until then, we don't really have an option.
 
He'll be sold this summer.

At the end of the day, he's got very little that a Manchester United player should have. He's big, strong and can have games where he dominates aerially. Although, even the latter hasn't been happening this season. His all round game is passable, at best, and his record defensively, and in the final third, leaves a lot to be desired. He's the sort of player who can make a big splash at a club with lesser expectations (i.e Everton), or a moderate splash at a big club, when everything goes his way (Manchester United). That's what has happened in his United career. A short burst of performances occurred, which naturally didn't last very long, where he damaged teams through his "unique" qualities, but over the course of a season and a half, it's been mostly the case of a misfit.
 
Ventura said:
It's not a question of selling him nor not, it's a question of whether we can get in a good replacement for him first. Until then, we don't really have an option.
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Are we that pushed for places in midfield though? We've got Schneiderlin, who's a regular, and Carrick and Schweinsteiger who can't play every game but still feature regularly. Blind can slot into midfield. Herrera can play there, even though LVG is terrified by playing a positive-minded midfielder in a deeper role.
 
We really don't need a player whose first intention, always, is to swiftly pass the ball to a team-mate. It's either cowardice or a recognition by him of his limited talent; neither is good enough.
 
SteveJ said:
We really don't need a player whose first intention, always, is to swiftly pass the ball to a team-mate. It's either cowardice or a recognition by him of his limited talent; neither is good enough.
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You're being generous Steve.
 
SteveJ said:
We really don't need a player whose first intention, always, is to swiftly pass the ball to a team-mate. It's either cowardice or a recognition by him of his limited talent; neither is good enough.
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It kind of reminds me of myself when I was playing with mates against another group of mates who were our self-proclaimed rivals. I had...eh, dodgy ability football wise, so my first thought was always to see who I could move the ball to right away. Fellaini's kind of similar, now you mention it.
 
amolbhatia50k said:
He'll be sold this summer.

At the end of the day, he's got very little that a Manchester United player should have. He's big, strong and can have games where he dominates aerially. Although, even the latter hasn't been happening this season. His all round game is passable, at best, and his record defensively, and in the final third, leaves a lot to be desired. He's the sort of player who can make a big splash at a club with lesser expectations (i.e Everton), or a moderate splash at a big club, when everything goes his way (Manchester United). That's what has happened in his United career. A short burst of performances occurred, which naturally didn't last very long, where he damaged teams through his "unique" qualities, but over the course of a season and a half, it's been mostly the case of a misfit.
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Big doesn't always mean strong. The amount of times a player of his size gets shrugged off the ball is outstanding. Strong is Aguero and Dembele.
 
Cheesy said:
Are we that pushed for places in midfield though? We've got Schneiderlin, who's a regular, and Carrick and Schweinsteiger who can't play every game but still feature regularly. Blind can slot into midfield. Herrera can play there, even though LVG is terrified by playing a positive-minded midfielder in a deeper role.
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We need a defender then to push Blind forward. That's where he played in the beginning and was his "intended" position, I think. And Herrera is just barely getting into the side as it is ...
 
Cheesy said:
It kind of reminds me of myself when I was playing with mates against another group of mates who were our self-proclaimed rivals. I had...eh, dodgy ability football wise, so my first thought was always to see who I could move the ball to right away. Fellaini's kind of similar, now you mention it.
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He recognises his own limitations. Personally I dont see that as a bad thing at all.
 
dichinero said:
Big doesn't always mean strong. The amount of times a player of his size gets shrugged off the ball is outstanding. Strong is Aguero and Dembele.
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He's not showing it enough but he's definitely got it in him to absolutely batter defenders and win most challenges. Did it for Everton a lot, in general and against us, and for us during his purple patch last season. But yeah, like I said, even the stuff that he's supposed to be good at has been lacking for most of his United career.
 
Walrus said:
He recognises his own limitations. Personally I dont see that as a bad thing at all.
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I get that you're trying to defend him, and I admire that you're going against the grain and sticking to your guns, but surely, "He knows he's a bit rubbish as a midfielder.", isn't much of a defence? I mean, this is sort of supposed to be the position he's good at. I'd understand if he was somehow playing vastly out of position, but he's not really. Yeah, he's not in the exact position he was during his good form last season, but he's playing in a vaguely similar role and it's a worry to see a midfielder who just looks so uncomfortable with a ball at their feet.
 
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