I think the choice would be between Herrera, Carrick and the new midfielder really. In his current form it'd be stupid to not consider him one of the first names on the team sheet. No one has an answer for him, the center backs can't step up and risk leaving spaces behind like when DiMichelis stepped up and Mata slipped in for the goal. The full backs can't handle him if he pops up on the far post. He's the trump card at this moment.
27
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If we buy another midfielder, it will be for Carrick as he is 33. And we going to be in Europe next season unless we have a big collapse. So we will need a bigger squad.
I don't think we'll sign a player to replace X or Y or Z. If we're playing in the CL we'll need more than 3 or 4 good midfielders. *Touch wood* if any of Herrera or Fellaini gets injured now, i foresee a significant drop in our levels, and we can't afford that. On top of that, an extra midfielder with different attributes will give us options if we need to change our tactics.
Whatever the case, Fellaini fully deserves his place, and I'm sure he'll be a key player for us (as will Herrera), even if we sign a new midfielder.
Whatever the case, Fellaini fully deserves his place, and I'm sure he'll be a key player for us (as will Herrera), even if we sign a new midfielder.
It is. The "technique" criticism is just rubbish.
absolutely bossed it. well done.
Nah...
Fellaini would be perfect in a game against one of the big boys. As good as our passing game currently is, both Barcelona and Bayern Munich are much better. So if we can't beat them at their own game, we'd have to beat them at our own. That would mean utilising our unique weapons. Fellaini is one of, if not the, best player in the world at what he does. He'll be our ace in the hole in the CL next year.
Yup.
Just like how Park was our trump card in closing down opponents and exploiting the spaces they leave, Fellaini can be the one to attract opponents towards him and try to physically battle him whilst spaces open up elsewhere for others to exploit. He's definitely a key player for us, and in no way can we dispose of such a key weapon in our arsenal.
Fellaini at his best can potentially be a difference-maker in matches against top-level opposition.
I agree. He is nowhere near the Scholes/Iniesta type of player when it comes to technique, but he brings something completely different to the table. Hie mere presence down that left corridor, creates loads of space for Young/Blind and thus also causes all kinds of trouble for the opposing team. Then you have to take into account his presence in the air. Not since Vidic in his prime, have we had a player who can dominate the aerial space as much as him, both in defense and offense.
That being said, his all round play has also been really good of late. Keeps it nice and tidy and very rarely loses the ball. All in all, he used to be a real menace at Everton, and he has also turned into a menace for us.
Really happy for him after all that shit he had to endure the first season.
I disagree. Does not matter if it's Barcelona or Doncaster Rovers, Fellaini in his current form will cause trouble for any opposing team. His aerial strength and chest control makes him an ideal target for long balls. Also when he get's to operate in that room between the Fullback and the CB's he creates a massive unbalance in the opponent defense. No fullback in the world (that i know of) can compete with him in the air, so that means either the right CB or a big strong midfielder has to fall back to deal with him. This creates loads of space for our other players and it also means they can't press to high since it leaves them vulnerable on the counter
Yeah Empire, it's really obvious, you're the new Nostradamus!
The guy's a big game player all right, always has been. So happy for him after that game vs Valencia when he got booed. Great season for him.
Having him is like cheat mode with keeping possession. Someone finally manages to press us back well enough and there's an easy ball out to him on his chest and we keep possession. The rest of the time we manage to break the press pretty well anyway.
Will hold my hand up. I never thought he was a good buy and always maintained that he would be sold sooner rather than later. How he has made me and many others eat humble pie. I still think he can be clumsy with his passing but he offers so much that we don't have to worry about it yet. He is our out ball and always seems to pop up with important goals in big matches. Long may it continue 
No many teams have a target man/midfielder. It's a unique problem. It also means we can only play one striker but if we improve the quality of our service, he could get into double figures. You read people saying, it's not pleasant watching but I disagree. When something works, it's pleasant. Thanks to Fellaini and team, us supporters were largely comfortable and at 3-1 could actually relaxed somewhat.
What we saw earlier was not pleasant. The side ways passing and negativity. The inability to create anything and the obvious fear in the team. These things are not pleasant and you can only admire supporters who go through that season after season. Fellaini is a great option to have but he's only doing what some of us knew he would do and I'm sorry but some of our recent performances have been far from unpleasant.
What we saw earlier was not pleasant. The side ways passing and negativity. The inability to create anything and the obvious fear in the team. These things are not pleasant and you can only admire supporters who go through that season after season. Fellaini is a great option to have but he's only doing what some of us knew he would do and I'm sorry but some of our recent performances have been far from unpleasant.
Just thought i'd share this.
The most unorthodox #10 I've seen but it works so brilliantly.
Watching him come off to a standing ovation was amazing.
I'm going to grow an afro as a sign of my man love for the guy.
Watching him come off to a standing ovation was amazing.
I'm going to grow an afro as a sign of my man love for the guy.
Especially when they look at who he is knocking down balls too, players like Mata, Herrera, Di Maria, Rooney and Young are terrifying in their own right. Having a brute like him surrounded by such class is like playing on cheat code.
He looks like a totally different player. Last season 9 times out of 10 he couldn't even do the basics; this season he is using all of his strengths, whilst all of his weaknesses are nearly irrelevant in this system. He really is being utilised in his perfect position: in front of a midfield anchor but behind a striker, whilst given the freedom to target the oppositions' weaknesses.
He really does look like a United player now and should be a key member of our squad going forward. I really don't buy into this "to reach the next level we need a more technical player", we're playing the best Football we've played in the best part of 5 years and comfortably beating teams who were tipped to stop our "lucky run" in its tracks; with Fellaini as a key part of it, keeping the likes of Di Maria out of the team.
He really does look like a United player now and should be a key member of our squad going forward. I really don't buy into this "to reach the next level we need a more technical player", we're playing the best Football we've played in the best part of 5 years and comfortably beating teams who were tipped to stop our "lucky run" in its tracks; with Fellaini as a key part of it, keeping the likes of Di Maria out of the team.
Tell me what I said there that suggested Fellaini was worse than the random blokes Rozay plays football with?
So you quoting me seems to suggest you are disappointed that I wanted De Rossi, Thiago Alcantara and Strootman over Fellaini!! Do you not see how crazy this is? Fellaini has had a good season because of this manager but I don't think he should be our most advanced central midfielder next season, tell me why you think this is the wrong opinion? But you won't because you can't.
Your brain eh, this human species, so much to study!
And Nostradamus is a fake so that doesn't even make sense unless you actually think he predicted the fall of the twin towers amongst other things, which knowing you, you probably do.
BTW are you still fantasising about knocking me down a peg or two?
I'm sorry I don't know why I found that funny but I did. Like in your mind you've built me up to be a somebody and you're the man that goes around teaching lessons to these somebodies! I'm a poster on redcafe expressing his opinion, it's kind of the point of these forums, if you don't like people expressing their opinions here then well that's your problem man.
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Most posters said he wasn't United quality and they were right, especially with his performances. Even now I doubt there is anybody who wants him to be first choice because we want to be the best in Europe and he isn't good enough for that and as our squad strengthens there will be no need for what he offers, I don't think Bayern or Barcelona need him for example.
But to suggest he is a league two level footballer like Rozay did or that he isn't as good as random blokes he plays football with is ridiculous. Let's not fool ourselves, Fellaini has performed because this manager is an excellent tactician and knows how to get a player to perform, that is done by maximising his strengths and minimising his weaknesses within the tactics and using other players to help accomplish this.* The manager makes it his responsibility to build a balanced team that will win matches with good tactics and for many of the players it is a case of simply perform your role and it will come together. But even then he is still good enough for the premiership!
* I thought immediately when Fellaini scored that has been practiced. Clichy was a weak link and it is no coincidence Fellaini targeted him, Young knew in advance that Fellaini would be at the back post jumping with Clichy.
This is obvious to any manager but whether that manager calls meetings to go over many different scenarios that will occur in a game is another question. That's just one, there are many things that happened yesterday that were planned by the staff and the players simply had to do as they were told. The match was half won when the game plan had been devised, the attention to detail Louis van Gaal puts in is fantastic, he will analyse how the opposition start the game with the kick off to see if there is anything to exploit.
That's mainly due to the fact that he isn't a #10, at least not in our set up.
#10/Secondary striker, whatever you want to call it. The fact is, he's the player behind our #9.
It's all well and good going through your past posts and quoting yourself to look smart, but when you come out with rubbish like "I don't know what LVG sees in Felliaini" then you don't really get to go through other posts and pat yourself on the back for being right. For someone who likes to dig through other peoples posts you sure don't like it when people do it to you!Tell me what I said there that suggested Fellaini was worse than the random blokes Rozay plays football with?
So you quoting me seems to suggest you are disappointed that I wanted De Rossi, Thiago Alcantara and Strootman over Fellaini!! Do you not see how crazy this is? Fellaini has had a good season because of this manager but I don't think he should be our most advanced central midfielder next season, tell me why you think this is the wrong opinion? But you won't because you can't.
Your brain eh, this human species, so much to study!
And Nostradamus is a fake so that doesn't even make sense unless you actually think he predicted the fall of the twin towers amongst other things, which knowing you, you probably do.
BTW are you still fantasising about knocking me down a peg or two?
I'm sorry I don't know why I found that funny but I did. Like in your mind you've built me up to be a somebody and you're the man that goes around teaching lessons to these somebodies! I'm a poster on redcafe expressing his opinion, it's kind of the point of these forums, if you don't like people expressing their opinions here then well that's your problem man.
He's really turning opinion mine included. De Gea's ability to pick him out is phenomenal too. But he's getting better in other aspects too now when the ball is on the ground and his awareness of positions to take up.
Playing brilliantly. Reminds me of Everton against us, when he's just so hard to play against.
Another great game, really helped by Blind and Young too who work so well with him.
Playing brilliantly. Reminds me of Everton against us, when he's just so hard to play against.
Another great game, really helped by Blind and Young too who work so well with him.
Absolute monster at the moment. I really liked him - or should I say worried about facing him - for Everton, but it never really looked like it would work for us. He was easily out thought and out passed last season, he was a complete liability. Slow to react, laborious on the ball and absolutely zero technical finesse.
He is doing a pretty specific job linking LB and LW and it has worked really well in the last few matches. I am just worried that this form is fleeting, but who knows - it's hard to tell if he has just got back to where he was at Everton, or if he has in fact progressed in his overall game under LvG.
Interested to see if he has the overall quality to his game to play in an LvG side that isn't skewed so much down that left flank.
He is doing a pretty specific job linking LB and LW and it has worked really well in the last few matches. I am just worried that this form is fleeting, but who knows - it's hard to tell if he has just got back to where he was at Everton, or if he has in fact progressed in his overall game under LvG.
Interested to see if he has the overall quality to his game to play in an LvG side that isn't skewed so much down that left flank.
If you are indirectly referring to me, I had no desire to slate Fellaini. Once again, I was called out by the obsessive @Empire who wanted to reference posts I made about a year ago, and then AGAIN call for them to be clarified, not for the first time.
I can concede that he has made himself a very effective and important part of the team. However, if I am being called to reverse comments of his limited ability, I still stand by my observations. His role in our team is one that not many could replicate. Andy Carroll is probably one of the few players who could allow us to use the same tactics. He's not a particularly talented player either, unless again, people want to now start on semantics with the 'what is talent?' nonsense.
Ultimately, this all stems from an annoying trait of the caf where some fans like to create a scenario in which they feel that some are more entitled than others to enjoy a good performance/result than others. I have my views on Fellaini, those views don't lead to me wanting him sold or dropped or anything, so just let me get on with it.
He is a #8 for us, if he was a #10 or second striker, he would be a shit one.
I don't want to brag, but I said he'd come good, hail Cina.
I think we've been watching different games. He is definitely not a #8. He's an (unorthodox) #10.
But, tbh, I don't really see the point in arguing about this.
He plays in the same position as Herrera, obviously not on his shoulders like, but the same position mirrored. I don't believe we are playing right now with a 10, but I think LvG has instructed Herrera and Fellaini to offer support when the opportunity presents itself. An unorthodox 10 is probably right to describe his role, and that goes for Herrera too IMO.
Herrera is playing deeper than Fellaini with the ball and without the ball.
Yea - agreed. But when we build from the back, Herrera is a lot deeper than Fellaini. When the ball is out wide, Fellaini is on the shoulder of the defender.
He is just an unorthodox #10, but it works so well for us.
Great photo.Just thought i'd share this.
When it's all clicking there is nothing you can do to stop him. Put the fastest player in the world, the hardest player in the world and he'll just swat them aside because he's so freaking big and strong. Just palms off the opponents, brings the ball down and boom Young or Blind free down the left.
So you think Fellaini is just height and nuisance?
The hate even after these performances!!
Footballing ability is the ability to play Football and Fellaini seems to be good at that, certainly better than the random blokes you play with anyway.
Anyone who is playing professional football in the Premier League has technique and footballing ability that far, far outweighs 99% of random blokes you play with/against... that's why they're professional footballers.
I'm sure the majority of people who have played football against an ex-professional will tell you how absurdly good their touch/technique was.
I'm sure the majority of people who have played football against an ex-professional will tell you how absurdly good their touch/technique was.
Exactly, Smalling and Valencia have a better technique than each and everyone of us, and Fellaini is better.
You can't be older than 16. 'Hate'. Such a drama queen. 'Footballing ability is footballing ability'. You have seemingly invented an algorithm by where every great to have ever played the game can be considered better than Fellaini. Well, perhaps except Ruud Gullit, who was probably better than Fellaini than even the things Fellaini is good at. Iniesta though? Hazard? Zidane? Well I guess it depends on how you want to look at it hey.So you think Fellaini is just height and nuisance?
The hate even after these performances!!
Footballing ability is the ability to play Football and Fellaini seems to be good at that, certainly better than the random blokes you play with anyway.
Not at all. It is ridiculous to suggest that anyone who is not a PL footballer could not have a better touch than Andy Carroll. There are probably tons of them on Youtube, let alone the best of the players that I have played with in my life.
People do, and don't make it pro for various reasons. I've heard a player who was at least 10x more gifted than Fellaini (John Barnes) say that he played with better players than him who didn't go pro.
Rav'el Morrison is another example. Any heights he does not hit as a pro footballer would not be down to the fact that Fellaini or fecking Carroll are more talented than him.
The difference being that Carroll or Fellaini are technically sound AND can play football, the freestylers and other foquinha can't.
Yeah people who can do tricks or keep a ball on their head aren't that impressive at all. Fellaini and Caroll are obviously better than them,
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