Those referring to the stat that illustrate how we've lost more with him in the team than without should remember he wasn't even a starter till the Wolfsburg game. Had it not been for the insane amount of injuries we've suffered since October, he wouldn't be starting and we'd still be as shit.
27
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 33
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
No doubt. I concur with your comment. Just seems weird that he doesn't show it when it should be regular enough.
Well that isnt quite what I said. His supposed lack of technique and ability on the ball has always been ridiculously exaggerated on here. He has - over his time here - demonstrated that he isnt afraid to run with the ball, can make good forward passes and through balls and some great flick-ons. But instead of being a 'hollywood ball' kind of player who insists on trying 60 yard passes when they arent on, he is happy to just keep it simple and retain possession if there is nothing on.
I do think at the moment his confidence is pretty low and it is impacting his game, because last season he proved that he is perfectly competent on the ball, people just have short memories and have been desperately waiting for his form to drop so they could get the daggers out again. He is missing chances that I would have backed him to put away last season, and is losing possession when one of his biggest strengths last year was his ability to retain the ball under pressure.
Regarding the difference in position - I agree it isnt as though he is playing left back, but there are definitely differences in playing a holding role in a 4-2-3-1, and a box to box role in a 4-3-3. The biggest difference arguably is the need for more positional discipline at present, which is not one of Fellaini's strengths (although that said, LVG seems happy for him to get up and down the pitch at will anyway).
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Had to post it, just too funny.
He's played a box-to-box role in virtually every game he's played this season. I went through the heat maps here:
Manchester United vs Sheffield United
He's playing a very similar role to last season, attributing his comparative shitness to playing a marginally different position is generous to the extreme.
Fellaini has a time and a place and neither of those should be with Man United! I don't doubt that he is effective at times and last season he came up trumps a few times. But, by even having him in our squad, it surrenders our position as would-be purveyors of fine football. I appreciate we're not playing good football at the minute but that doesn't mean we should have players to go along with the humdrum and often hard to watch style that we currently employ. It's a chicken and egg scenario. Which came first the sh!te player or the sh!te football?
I don't understand how Fellaini is so weak in the air. Considering he can be aggressive (although often that just transcends into him being dirty) and considering his height, why oh why is he so weak at winning aerial duels. Yes, he does win a few but he should be winning a lot more. I disagree that he has no technique or control and sometimes his technique and ball control is pretty good, but after an initial decent display of controlling the ball it seems to take an age for him to get it going again on the ground. That header last night should've been in the net. Yes it was a decent stop by Elliot but considering his supposed headering 'prowess' he should be burying that.
Also, when he just ran into the Newcastle defenders that were on the ground. WTF was that all about? He could have applied some pressure in that situation and really caused Newcastle problems as the box was packed. Instead he plundered into the player like the big lumbering sack of idiot he is and gives a cheap free kick away.
For me, he doesn't offer enough going forward, he doesn't add any pace to the team, he is absolute garbage at defending in any capacity especially tackling and he drags the level/style of our play down to that of a rough and tumble battling team. I'm all for a bit of substance over style on occasion but I don't really think he has that much substance. His aggression is channeled in the wrong way as he's too interested in hurting other players rather than using it to steamroller opponents in a footballing capacity. There;s been talk about his best position and how he is played out of position, well, he's not looked convincing in any position he's been played whether number 10, CM, up top, in the channel, DMF....
This current trend with him playing DMF is an absolute travesty. He is so ill fitted to that position. It is hardly a surprise that the games in which we have conceded a couple recently have been when he's been in centre mid. Schweinsteiger has had some flack on here and to some extent I can see why, but when he's been in that CM position our defensive unit has been tight for the most part but as soon as Bogbrush gets in there everything goes to pot. It's like Billy Smart's circus.
All in all Fellaini needs to go. His time is up. He's the player that symbolises the shambles that our squad and style has become over the last three seasons. He would've never lasted in SAF's regime so why is he there now. Panic buy from 'Deer in the headlights Moyes' and used to varying degrees of success by the 'outdated & stubborn LVG'
I'm sure someone else could wear the number 31 shirt to much greater effect. Sell him, loan him out, whatever. Just get rid.
I don't understand how Fellaini is so weak in the air. Considering he can be aggressive (although often that just transcends into him being dirty) and considering his height, why oh why is he so weak at winning aerial duels. Yes, he does win a few but he should be winning a lot more. I disagree that he has no technique or control and sometimes his technique and ball control is pretty good, but after an initial decent display of controlling the ball it seems to take an age for him to get it going again on the ground. That header last night should've been in the net. Yes it was a decent stop by Elliot but considering his supposed headering 'prowess' he should be burying that.
Also, when he just ran into the Newcastle defenders that were on the ground. WTF was that all about? He could have applied some pressure in that situation and really caused Newcastle problems as the box was packed. Instead he plundered into the player like the big lumbering sack of idiot he is and gives a cheap free kick away.
For me, he doesn't offer enough going forward, he doesn't add any pace to the team, he is absolute garbage at defending in any capacity especially tackling and he drags the level/style of our play down to that of a rough and tumble battling team. I'm all for a bit of substance over style on occasion but I don't really think he has that much substance. His aggression is channeled in the wrong way as he's too interested in hurting other players rather than using it to steamroller opponents in a footballing capacity. There;s been talk about his best position and how he is played out of position, well, he's not looked convincing in any position he's been played whether number 10, CM, up top, in the channel, DMF....
This current trend with him playing DMF is an absolute travesty. He is so ill fitted to that position. It is hardly a surprise that the games in which we have conceded a couple recently have been when he's been in centre mid. Schweinsteiger has had some flack on here and to some extent I can see why, but when he's been in that CM position our defensive unit has been tight for the most part but as soon as Bogbrush gets in there everything goes to pot. It's like Billy Smart's circus.
All in all Fellaini needs to go. His time is up. He's the player that symbolises the shambles that our squad and style has become over the last three seasons. He would've never lasted in SAF's regime so why is he there now. Panic buy from 'Deer in the headlights Moyes' and used to varying degrees of success by the 'outdated & stubborn LVG'
I'm sure someone else could wear the number 31 shirt to much greater effect. Sell him, loan him out, whatever. Just get rid.
Yeah, he's usually been brought on when we're losing to be a target man and "rescue a point." It's a manipulative stat.
Our problems are deeper than Fellaini (or in the past Rooney) we're shit with or without him, let's not make him a scapegoat despite how much of a donkey he is on the ball.
He's not the cause of our problems, but he does a marvellous job of summing them up.
He's like a guy trying to eat soup with a fork
He is not a United type of plauer. Fellaini is of the standard for a David Moyes Everton team, he wouldn't get near a Roberto Martinez Everton team.
We've lost and drawn games 100% down to him. He's missed about 7 absolute sitters in crucial games this season. If those go in we likely are 6-10 points better off.
Bull fecking shit.
The scapegoat of choice of course, always need one around here. He'll move on in the Summer probably end rightly so for him as he still offers a lot in the right set up.
My main gripe is that he's utterly useless at doing the actual centre midfield things, like positioning, calmness, passing, making yourself free to get the ball. If he's not playing up the pitch, using his chest control, getting into the box then he's pointless to have on the pitch because he's very limited.
Jones should play the DM position over Fellaini. I'm serious.
He should be an impact sub or played agaist big sides or deployed like he was last year at Anfield.
That was really bad yesterday.
He should be an impact sub or played agaist big sides or deployed like he was last year at Anfield.
That was really bad yesterday.
He may be right for a team fighting for a Europa League spot at best, not a team trying to get back to being counted among the Europeon elites. So yes it would be right for us to move him onto a team which would be around his level.
He awful in the middle of the park. In either box though he's pretty useful. Blame it on Louis, he knows this seeing as he had him there last season.
Jones is a better a DM but I don't see him playing there again.
I agree with this, and I'd go as far to say DM is probably Jones best position. He's a headless chicken at CB.
He is a fecking liability, a waste of space, and a waste of a midfielder...
All he literally does is amble about, giving free kicks away for stupid things, trying to protest his innocence and missing sitters...
All he literally does is amble about, giving free kicks away for stupid things, trying to protest his innocence and missing sitters...
In a defensive 433 Jones should play DM, he doesn't even have a bad technique and with the right manager he could improve a lot, if people had seen Matuidi at the same age he was a real donkey.
He's just plain god-awful. It was obvious after 20 minutes of the Toon game that he was going to be a liability for us. Constantly getting caught in possession then committing fouls when he lost the ball, watching high balls bounce over his head then plough into the nearest player in a panic, giving the perfect assist for the Wijnaldum goal, THAT miss.
It was honestly like watching the tall, clumsy kid from school trying a sport they'd never had a go at before. Utterly embarrassing.
It was honestly like watching the tall, clumsy kid from school trying a sport they'd never had a go at before. Utterly embarrassing.
This really pisses me off the most. Ambling at the half way line when the opposition is counter attacking and the remaining players are busting a gut to get back to cover.
And then he comes from behind and clatter the ball carrier.
The guy is a fouling machine. The first 30 mins against the barcodes were absolutely ridiculous.
His style of movement is like an implicit admission that he doesn't belong - every game he starts, he moves like he's just come off the bench: tentative, cautious, all too keen to pass responsibility onto someone else.
... that being shelf-stacking at B&Q.
He has zero redeeming features. I'd have hated to see him coming down to my Sunday league team, let alone seeing him line out for Utd.
Had to post it, just too funny.
That is easily one of the funniest comedy moments of my time as a football fan. There was also a shot at which would have made Jonny Wilkinson proud, if I remember rightly.
That's actually the only time I've ever seen a player slide tackle himself.
Can we put this myth to bed?
The only thing he has done in the opposition box all season is miss sitters.
My favourite Fellaini moment from last game is on 5:57:
How the feck did we manage to end up with a player like Fellaini in our squad is beyond me. He does cheer me up from time to time with moves like this though.
How the feck did we manage to end up with a player like Fellaini in our squad is beyond me. He does cheer me up from time to time with moves like this though.
So I guess this mean Real won't be coming in for him?
Been crap
A lasting impression that can never be shed. Had a good game that day but made a mockery of it all with that.
Had to post it, just too funny.
I was going to post that after the game. I can't understand what he was doing, it's so fecking awful. I've never hated watching a player so much than him.
Rumours that AC and Inter Milan are competing to sign him. Get him on a flight to Malpensa before they change their mind!
They must need some smoke detectors testing.
How much could we realistically expect for him? Aren't both Milan clubs broke? I reckon 10m would be fair, but I doubt whether we'd be content to take such a big hit on him.
I'd rather we just cut our losses and move on. As he nears 30, that's the most we're ever likely to get for him.
I wholeheartedly agree. I reckon anywhere in the 10-12m range, we should bite their hand off. No doubt he'll be better wherever he goes but he's had his unfulfilled chance at United now
Utd have not lost a single game this season when Fellaini has been absent from the starting XI.
They have lost 7 games when he's started.
They have lost 7 games when he's started.
If he plays today we will lose. It is that simple.
Van gaal won't be able to help himself though. He is such a hipster.
Van gaal won't be able to help himself though. He is such a hipster.
- Status