Fellaini | Gone

[Hugh Jass]

He sums up this entire period for us. 'The Fellaini Years' would be an appropriate title for the whole post-Fergie era.

Hopefully his (rumoured) departure signals that we're finally ready to put the mess of the last five years behind us.

Ha ha true. Dont give the dippers ideas though.

 

[Adebesi]

Given that Solskjaer appears desperate to restore the 'United Way', I'm not sure how Fellaini fits into his plans.

That is of course absolutely possible as well. Im certainly not predicting he will stay, just saying it wouldnt surprise me.

I hope he does go. I just dont personally get the hate. People say it isnt personal but it often comes across as deeply personal and OTT. The managers are the ones responsible for buying him, playing him and using him the way they have, not him. All he ever seemed to do to me was follow instructions to the letter and give his all, even when he wasnt getting picked regularly.

 

[Zlatattack]

Not a moment too soon. Thanks for all the good times.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Said before Mourinho was sacked that if we got in a manager that wanted to play attacking, expansive football then his days were numbered.

Not sure how he’s been here so long given he’s been largely underwhelming and is such a niche player. He’s had some good games but feck me, he should never ever have been signed.

 

[kundalini]

Weird that the key Belgian football journalist Kristof Terreur mentioned in reply to someone on twitter that he had heard nothing from the Belgian end (Fellaini's agents etc) and was extremely sceptical about whether the clubs linked could afford Fellaini's wages, never mind a transfer fee.

Why would any United player (other than Darmian who clearly wants to return to Italy) leave in this transfer window ? Even if Solskjaer doesn't select them, by the summer there might be a different manager. More sensible to wait for the decision on who will be the permanent manager and then move if not in his plans, or if they happen to receive a spectacular offer from elsewhere.

I'm not even that convinced that United will be desperate to sell in this window. If they got a great offer than may be.

If Fellaini wanted to leave, he was in an ideal position last summer, out of contract, to take his pick from whichever clubs were interested.

 

[Seven Seas Sardines]

That is of course absolutely possible as well. Im certainly not predicting he will stay, just saying it wouldnt surprise me.

I hope he does go. I just dont personally get the hate. People say it isnt personal but it often comes across as deeply personal and OTT. The managers are the ones responsible for buying him, playing him and using him the way they have, not him. All he ever seemed to do to me was follow instructions to the letter and give his all, even when he wasnt getting picked regularly.

It's rumoured he's thrown a hissy fit since Mourinho left and that Solskjaer is not impressed with his attitude. Sounds great to be honest, no time for sentimentality and Solskjaer must have learnt this from SAF.

 

[IRELANDUNITED]

He's not an OGS player, if Fergie were still in charge we never would have signed him either. Still, I'd want more than 15 million for him. If a nothing player like Solanke can get you 19 million pounds then a vastly expierenced Belgium international like Fele should be getting us close to 30m in this current market

 

[Ish]

I’m all on board for him to be sold, though id still wish him luck.

Never been a fan of the guy but I can also not criticize his attitude or commitment.

I’d say if we’re talking squad clear out of dead wood....there’s quite a list of a few other players who should be sold first. But it matters not where we start, as long as we start and we clear out the rest as well.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

He's not an OGS player, if Fergie were still in charge we never would have signed him either. Still, I'd want more than 15 million for him. If a nothing player like Solanke can get you 19 million pounds then a vastly expierenced Belgium international like Fele should be getting us close to 30m in this current market

Maybe, but we want to sell so that's going to be detrimental to our asking price. Besides, a few million is nothing to us and we get rid of a player who is surplus to requirements.

 

[Volumiza]

I don't get the hate Fellaini receives. He's not technically a bad footballer at all. Gives 100% effort each time he walks on the pitch. We have had much worse players here over the years than this guy.

If he goes I really wish him luck and he'll be an asset for whoever he joins.

 

[kouroux]

Honestly a lower ranked PL side could do with him

 

[adexkola]

He sums up this entire period for us. 'The Woodward Years' would be an appropriate title for the whole post-Fergie era.

Hopefully his (rumoured) departure signals that we're finally ready to put the mess of the last five years behind us.

Fixed

If he leaves then he can leave with his head and chest raised up. Gave everything for the club and was important in many key matches despite getting booed and abused by our fans for no reason. He has given us far more than some players who the fans drooling over like Bastian, Morgan, Depay, Di Maria, Sanchez etc. Our fans were in love with Bastian who gave us feck all in his period here because of his personality while slaughteting Fellaini who was performing on the pitch because he plays a style we don't like.

Spot on

 

[Robbie Boy]

How many more “I don’t get the hate” posts are needed? I mean, where is this so called hate?

 

[Josh 76]

Problem with Fellani was, he was never played in his favoured position and so we didn't ever utilise his strengths. I'm not saying that I thought he was a great signing for the club, but I did think he may give have given us another threat which alot of European defenders were not use to.
If he's not sold in this window, I think Ole will use him at the right time and play him where he can be effective. (Up top against a stubborn 10 man defence where the attacking play is not working). And not play him as defensive midfielder or a play maker!

 

[sincher]

Not a bad player by any means - could be huge for a club battling relegation I think - but it would be great for us in so many ways if he moves on.

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

There isn't this random hate towards Fellaini that some people seem to see- it's just that using him as even our plan B seems relatively the easy way out, it feels cheap & tacky to rely on the type of football that we use Fellaini for.


The fact is that we should be using more tactics, more intellectual moves involving our players to overcome the opposition - rather than asking a guy to come on the pitch to stay up top & changing all of our game plan to the level of Stoke FC.

What Ole is hopefully doing is having a bunch of players that is able to create a team dynamic of a Plan B & C that gets the best of the majority of the team instead one or two players.

 

[kundalini]

He's not an OGS player, if Fergie were still in charge we never would have signed him either. Still, I'd want more than 15 million for him. If a nothing player like Solanke can get you 19 million pounds then a vastly expierenced Belgium international like Fele should be getting us close to 30m in this current market

Who are you selling him to for £30m ? Over 30, average wages for a United player but very high for a team outside the top 6 in England, or the top 2 in other leagues.

The number of clubs across the world that pay fees of £30m is limited and when they do so, it is for glamour signings. Most of them already have better players than Fellaini. Clubs that pay high wages, such as some of the Chinese teams, have filled their 3 foreign player slots.

In the summer we might find a club willing to pay £10m for him. I rather suspect most of the interested clubs will want us to contribute towards his wages. Will all depend where he wants to go.

 

[Ibrahimorich]

I really hope we get rid. He's the talisman for the shit we've been going through the last 5 years. Getting rid of him will bring joy and happiness to all. He is not and was never a United calibre, let alone United style player.

Just got to get rid of Mata then and the lest vestiges of Moyes' attempts to destroy the club will be gone.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

He's not an OGS player, if Fergie were still in charge we never would have signed him either. Still, I'd want more than 15 million for him. If a nothing player like Solanke can get you 19 million pounds then a vastly expierenced Belgium international like Fele should be getting us close to 30m in this current market

Could have gone for free 6 months ago, happy to get £15m for him. Pays Sanchez's wages until the end of the season!

 

[Volumiza]

He is the epitome of our shitness the past 5 years. £15m better in our pocket.

What rubbish.

How many more “I don’t get the hate” posts are needed? I mean, where is this so called hate?

The quote above. Silly posts like that. The guy has taken more stick over the past 5 years than I remember for any other player and for what? He's a decent player.

 

[United58]

He's not an OGS player, if Fergie were still in charge we never would have signed him either. Still, I'd want more than 15 million for him. If a nothing player like Solanke can get you 19 million pounds then a vastly expierenced Belgium international like Fele should be getting us close to 30m in this current market

We were in for him actually in the late 00s, he chose Everton over us due to playing time.

 

[manunited1919]

In my books, Fellaini > Di Maria.
If he goes, I will be thankful for everything he has done for tge club and for being a great professional.

 

[Canagel]

How many more “I don’t get the hate” posts are needed? I mean, where is this so called hate?

That's what five years of mediocrity has done. There's no nice way of getting rid of player you don't need. It has to be done and without any sentiments . City binned Joe Hart and they're much better off today. it's absolutely nothing to do with hate

 

[Ekeke]

We were in for him actually in the late 00s, he chose Everton over us due to playing time.

Source?

 

[fellaini's barber]

Every fecking window, then he signs a new contract

 

[RedDevil@84]

It's rumoured he's thrown a hissy fit since Mourinho left and that Solskjaer is not impressed with his attitude. Sounds great to be honest, no time for sentimentality and Solskjaer must have learnt this from SAF.

I would be surprised if that is true. I thought the only common thing that Moyes, LvG and Jose liked about him was his attitude. He kind of knew and accepted his limitations and would give everything whenever possible.

 

[clarkydaz]

Really hope he had thrown a hissy fit. The moment jose went he knew his days here are numbered

 

[Revaulx]

If he does leave I hope we never have to play his team. He would be an absolute nightmare to face with a point to prove.

I still like him when used correctly (as a squad player, not starting very often). Obviously he shouldn't play as a normal central midfielder, but if we have a specific job that needs to be done he's stepped up to the plate many times over the years and done it well. If he leaves good luck to him.

Indeed. And more than one specific job also.

Irrationally cast as "everything wrong with the club"

Perennially overpaying for underperforming "superstars" is a lot wronger.

 

[Robbie Boy]

What rubbish.



The quote above. Silly posts like that. The guy has taken more stick over the past 5 years than I remember for any other player and for what? He's a decent player.

He really hasn’t.

 

[Maticmaker]

I would be surprised if any player leaves or any new ones arrive in the window. Ole is a temporary manager and unlikely to be given any authority in such matters. Unless major injuries occur.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Seems like a weird time to sell him if it’s true, unless we are bringing someone in because he’ll still probably have his uses between now and the end of season. Probably the usual paper nonsense and he’ll still be here, but come summer wouldn’t mind if he was to go as long as we are bringing people in.

 

[Adebesi]

How many more “I don’t get the hate” posts are needed? I mean, where is this so called hate?

Not in this thread, admittedly.

 

[RedDevil@84]

There isn't this random hate towards Fellaini that some people seem to see- it's just that using him as even our plan B seems relatively the easy way out, it feels cheap & tacky to rely on the type of football that we use Fellaini for.


The fact is that we should be using more tactics, more intellectual moves involving our players to overcome the opposition - rather than asking a guy to come on the pitch to stay up top & changing all of our game plan to the level of Stoke FC.

What Ole is hopefully doing is having a bunch of players that is able to create a team dynamic of a Plan B & C that gets the best of the majority of the team instead one or two players.

False pride I would say. Good teams employ all the legal tactics possible to win the game. If loop ball is the easy way out to win, then so be it.
In an era where overwhelmingly talented teams (like Pep's Barca) used to dive to get ahead and where Pep's City use fouls as a tactic, legal and moral tactics like loop ball is nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[Adebesi]

I would be surprised if any player leaves or any new ones arrive in the window. Ole is a temporary manager and unlikely to be given any authority in such matters. Unless major injuries occur.

I was thinking the same. The only way I could see any major changes happening to the squad in Jan would be if we had named a DoF, which we probably should be doing. But as far as I know we havent. Unless they have asked SAF to be acting DOF, alongside our acting manager, while they work on filling those two spots with permanent appointments.

 

[cyberman]

A defender?

If we had some defenders other than Smalling that could head a ball we wouldn't need Fellaini to come on to defend high balls in our own box.

Sell Darmian, Rojo and Jones and use that money to buy a commanding CB along with a new first choice CB.

Most if not all successful teams get by fine without a player like Fellaini on the bench.

We're not doing that though. What we have here is Ole selling Fellaini without any commanding CB coming in.
Our defence is having cross after cross reign in, we bring on Bailly for Smalling? Lindelof? What does that change? None of our partnerships can handle a High ball.
You just said only one of our CB can head a ball yet you're selling Fellaini in January..why again? An ideal?

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

False pride I would say. Good teams employ all the legal tactics possible to win the game. If loop ball is the easy way out to win, then so be it.
In an era where overwhelmingly talented teams (like Pep's Barca) used to dive to get ahead and where Pep's City use fouls as a tactic, legal and moral tactics like loop ball is nothing to be ashamed of.

.
Fair enough - that's your opinion. Pep's team diving & makigg purposeful fouls is not their Plan B or C in my eyes - it's merely the dirty side of their Plan A. Their Plan B is players like Sane, Bernado Silva & Gabriel Jesus.

 

[Chairman Steve]

He plain and simple just doesn't fit the system we are now playing. I'm not even sure what is his best position on the field of play is and he's been here for 5-6 years. He's an anomaly of a player in some ways and unfortunately for him has been the human incarnation and representation of our post-SAF decline.

He has his uses but he doesn't have much more than outside of those uses.

 

[sugar_kane]

It's rumoured he's thrown a hissy fit since Mourinho left and that Solskjaer is not impressed with his attitude. Sounds great to be honest, no time for sentimentality and Solskjaer must have learnt this from SAF.

Do you have a link for the 'hissy fit' rumours? Surprising to hear tbh as his attitude never seems to have been the problem, even when he was getting shit from our own fans.

Regardless of whether he is United material (he isn't) he deserves our respect as he's worked his bollocks off for every manager he's played under for very little recognition in the media or support.

 

[spiriticon]

We're not doing that though. What we have here is Ole selling Fellaini without any commanding CB coming in.
Our defence is having cross after cross reign in, we bring on Bailly for Smalling? Lindelof? What does that change? None of our partnerships can handle a High ball.
You just said only one of our CB can head a ball yet you're selling Fellaini in January..why again? An ideal?

Because Fellaini can't play in defense? I remember some Everton player saying you would want Fellaini as playing as far away from your penalty box as possible so that he doesn't do something stupid.

 

[stevoc]

We're not doing that though. What we have here is Ole selling Fellaini without any commanding CB coming in.
Our defence is having cross after cross reign in, we bring on Bailly for Smalling? Lindelof? What does that change? None of our partnerships can handle a High ball.
You just said only one of our CB can head a ball yet you're selling Fellaini in January..why again? An ideal?

I'm selling him? Thats news to me mate, i don't think i've posted on here whether or not i think we should sell him this window. I made a post on Sunday after the Spurs game saying as soon as i seen Llorente coming on i thought we would bring Fellaini on until i remembered he wasn't even in the squad.

In my last post i was referring to next season and beyond, which is why i mentioned sales and purchases. I had assumed you were speaking about the future also.

Fellaini would be handy to come on and defend high balls as thats the one thing he's truly very good at. But i don't know if he's worth a place on the bench for that alone if Solskjaer feels he can't play the type of football he is implementing.