He's especially useful against teams who like to hoof the ball.
27
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Absolutely massive game from him. Absoulutey massive.
Oh come on... Come of it.
Hmm, strange. I remember seeing him make quite a few 10+ yard passes and starting some counter-attacks from deep. Maybe I just imagined it though.
Great performance. I hope people start to get off his back. He’s been a big reason that we have won the last 2 games.
You seemed to have completely missed the point of him. We wanted a commanding centre back and couldnt get one. So we use Fellaini as a sweeper centre back.
He does not play the same role as Fernandinho who plays far higher up the pitch and very rarely stays on the same line as his centre backs.
Glad he continues to prove all the doubters wrong.
He was quality today. Broke up lots of Watford moves up on the half-way line and on the edge of our area. Did the lion's share of the donkey work and cleaned up Matic's errors more than once.
Immense. This guy should be the feckin captain, boss attitude
Love him in this role. He no longer hinders our style of play while also being extremely useful at the back.
Absolutely delighted he signed a new contract. Motm today. Fantastic fellaini.
Yeah but Fernardinho is well Fernardinho and plays for City. Now that sounds so much better than Fellaini at United.
The year Fergie retired I thought we should get Fellaini for just this role - shield the back four, drop in between the CBs when needed and clean out all the opposition's long balls.
For his first five years at United i thought i was an idiot, but it turns out i was a genius all along!
Seriously, his passing is way too limited to play higher up but he's got all the tools to play the way he did today. Only drawback is it denies a place to a ball-player like Fred or Pereira.
For his first five years at United i thought i was an idiot, but it turns out i was a genius all along!
Seriously, his passing is way too limited to play higher up but he's got all the tools to play the way he did today. Only drawback is it denies a place to a ball-player like Fred or Pereira.
Thought he was very good. Mopped up all the loose ball.
J O Shea,MKII, Mr utility man.
I never wanted him here but fair f$cks,he played well and deserved his MOTM.
I never wanted him here but fair f$cks,he played well and deserved his MOTM.
To be fair, Moyes did try to use him in that role but he failed miserably. His positioning was shocking and he looked totally out of place. He seems to be a completely different player in the same role now.
Fellaini has proven to be inconsistent as a defensive midfielder in the past. Some good games, some shockers.
He hasn't just been a defensive midfielder in the last two games though. It's a more defined role where he's given the specific job to drop in almost as a third central defender when we don't have the ball (protecting Lindelof in particular), and then step out when we do have it.
He's almost always done well when he's been given a specific job like that. Whether it's in an attacking role or a defensive role, he's normally able to carry out the instructions very well which inevitably ends up being a strong help to the team. It's when he's played in a more general midfield role where he often struggles and doesn't contribute enough to the team.
He hasn't just been a defensive midfielder in the last two games though. It's a more defined role where he's given the specific job to drop in almost as a third central defender when we don't have the ball (protecting Lindelof in particular), and then step out when we do have it.
He's almost always done well when he's been given a specific job like that. Whether it's in an attacking role or a defensive role, he's normally able to carry out the instructions very well which inevitably ends up being a strong help to the team. It's when he's played in a more general midfield role where he often struggles and doesn't contribute enough to the team.
ABSOLUTELY. SPOT. ON.
Gives a fecking bollock on both ends, he might not have the skill and the beauty of the midfielders or yesteryear but he has the bollocks to give a 90minute no questions asked performance like they of yesteryear did. That is more important these days than anything else as the club moves forward in this new environment.
This. Please stop comparing City with United. Fernandinho and Fellaini are both playing as "No 6"; but their roles could not be more any more different. Its two completely different ways to approach the game.
We will see a lot of this system this season I imagine. Pretty it is not, but if we are going to play Mourinho football we might as well do so all out.
Good win today. Watford will be challenging for top six this year.
Tell me what to do and I'll do it better than anyone else you ask to do the same job. This is the kind of player he is and that is exactly the reason Mourinho has kept him.
True that.
Yeah he was good, but to me it always comes back to the fact no other 'top' team would look to a player like this for inspiration, or to see things out.
Let’s talk about his performances, please. He’s here, at least for few more months, and no point to always get back to “but no top would sign him”.
This. There’s a reason why good managers have liked him. He does what the manager asks. The manager will never ask him to be Pogba obviously but he’s very good at sticking to instructions whether that’s on the defensive end or if we are chasing a goal.
I think when we play City and other top teams we'll see the usual moaning about his limitations. He can be made to look clumsy and slow and out of position. Those criticisms will return. Today and many other games he's been very good but he'll always be the go to punch bag for too many fans and pundits alike when comparing us to the best.
I don't think any manager would ask any top player to be Pogba......he really isn't at a level to want to emulate just yet....
Hes always gave his best whenever he has came on and any job hes been given he sticks to it and performs well. His hold up play and bringing people into play is brilliant, theres a reason he starts for Belgium as well given the players they have at their disposal.
Thats the most worrying part. He's currently playing Matic's role. So whats Matic in there for?
I remember when Matic signed people were saying finally Fellaini wont be playing. I just had that feeling eventually we'd see them both playing alongside each other, Jose things
This begs the question then, who is covering the actual DM danger positions around the edge of the box where the goal came from today?
If we are to say that when we dont have the ball Fellaini is playing as an extra CB, then I guess its not his responsibility. So who's is it? Is it then Matic's responsibility again?
Usually thats clearly the DM's area. But if he's not playing DM when we dont have the ball, who is playing it?
I talked about his performance, it was good for a player with his attributes, he played to his best for sure, but it does always goes back to a top club looking to a player like this for results, it's just not going to be a good thing in the long run.
He's decent but he wasn't that good tonight. So much better against burnley but I guess because we won against watford everyone has rose tinted glasses on. His ability to keep the ball when under pressure is still shite.
Why has everyone downgraded their thoughts on what a United midfielder should be. Guaranteed people will start giving him shit soon when he starts to lose form a bit because he can't make up that lost form with ability like a carrick could.
This always happens with fellaini. Has a few decent games and everyone loves him then suddenly drops a disaster class like Sevilla then everyone hates him. He's just a very average midfielder with effective physicality, nothing really more.
He's a decent stop gap but I really hope we don't see him as a starter next season
Why has everyone downgraded their thoughts on what a United midfielder should be. Guaranteed people will start giving him shit soon when he starts to lose form a bit because he can't make up that lost form with ability like a carrick could.
This always happens with fellaini. Has a few decent games and everyone loves him then suddenly drops a disaster class like Sevilla then everyone hates him. He's just a very average midfielder with effective physicality, nothing really more.
He's a decent stop gap but I really hope we don't see him as a starter next season
Come on Fernandinho is a much better player. Look at how important he is for city, a team we couldn't get near last season. Now put fellaini in the same position for city and he wouldn't get near the level of Fernandinho.
As a Chelsea fan, I can safely say that most opposition Fans cringe when he comes on. He is more than handful if United is in top gear throwing balls in d box
Jose > Footballing Einsteins.
Maybe if we had two commanding central defenders we wouldn't need him, other than as a plan B. But right now he is absolutely invaluable at what he does (against certain teams). MadDogg is bang on. When he's given a specific job he generally does it brilliantly. That's why Mourinho trusts him. And why Mourinho trusts certain players more than others.
Actually you could say the same about Jose. When he has to come up with specific tactics to defeat a team, he generally does great. When we're expected to be the dominant force and no specific tactics are needed, we can look a bit crap. Hopefully, that will improve now with Carrick and Mckenna.
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Maybe you can answer what I asked earlier then.
If Fellaini's job is to drop in as a CB when attacks reach towards our box like it seems to be, then who takes over his job as DM and covers the edge of the box? We got picked apart in that way for Watford's goal because of course theres a man free.
I guess it would be Matic's job? So we're effectively playing 2 DMs, only it didnt help us at all in that move.
Every top team has a place for role players/valuable squad members. Where would City have been without Delph last season? Milner regularly contributes for Liverpool. Neither player, nor Fellaini for that matter, is looked to for inspiration. Rather, they are given a job and they do it diligently. For a manager, there is nothing more you can ask from a squad player.
He made a few small mistakes today but other than that he was dominant. That role just in front of the CBs suits him very well. For very long periods of the game today we bossed the midfield and Fellaini was a huge part of that, hope he starts our next game because he definitely deserves it.
He’s brilliant. Jose is using him perfectly. He’s always put in a shift for us and done well. For some reason, some fans still go back to the “he’s not good enough for us” bollock. Every top team needs a player like this. Someone who gives a balance for the more flair players.
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