Fellaini

[Ekeke]

He's definitely refined his skills in the last year or so. You can now see exactly why he's being linked to teams like Arsenal.

Whereas before that time he was still being linked to clubs, and his only real abilities were in the air and decent passing.

I wouldn't say he's what we need, but if we bought him he'd be a good option to have and cause problems for all sorts of teams, even the top ones.

 

[apotheosis]

What we need in the centre of midfield is someone who's got the technique and ability to pass their way out of situations in games like this. Not someone who will run around a lot. Good player, but nowhere near what we need.

You have to be able to stop your opponent creating chances against you when they have the ball. Look at Europe the inability to do that there, cost us repeatedly in both competitions.

We are seeing the same weakness now in the league. SAF's insistence of playing 4-4-2 no matter the scoreline doesn't help either. We threw that lead away today because we had no control in midfield and the defenders were being dragged all over the place. As poor a defensive team performance as you are likely to see from a top team at home. Play like that at the Etihad and it will be all over before half time.

 

[Freak]

I never want him anywhere near our team. He'd be perfect for Stoke with the kind of football they play, or even Liverpool.

 

[apotheosis]

I never want him anywhere near our team. He'd be perfect for Stoke with the kind of football they play, or even Liverpool.

You are having a laugh right? He has much more to his game than aerial ability, his movement, workrate and determination, added to his ability to play up front or as a DM gives a lot of options to his teammates.

We certainly could have done with him today. I doubt we would have thrown away a 2 goal lead with a player as determined as him in the middle. He looked every bit a 'feckin winner' today, with the attitude he showed. Fantastic i felt, and the difference between Everton coming back and Everton losing.

 

[Freak]

You are having a laugh right? He has much more to his game than aerial ability, his movement, workrate and determination, added to his ability to play up front or as a DM gives a lot of options to his teammates.

We certainly could have done with him today. I doubt we would have thrown away a 2 goal lead with a player as determined as him in the middle. He looked every bit a 'feckin winner' today, with the attitude he showed. Fantastic i felt, and the difference between Everton coming back and Everton losing.

The points you mentioned about him (workrate, determination etc) are also good for teams like Stoke and Liverpool. United players need more then just workrate and determination to succeed. They need proper technical ability and pace and I'm sorry this guy just is not good enough for us.

 

[apotheosis]

The points you mentioned about him (workrate, determination etc) are also good for teams like Stoke and Liverpool. United players need more then just workrate and determination to succeed. They need proper technical ability and pace and I'm sorry this guy just is not good enough for us.

they also need to be able to impose themsleves physically on their opponents and fulfill a defensive gameplan when our opponents have the ball.

Having only Carrick who can defend in midfield today cost us dear, as much as i love Scholes he is a liability when we do not have the ball. Not his fault but that formation does nothing to cover that fact, if anything it exposes him to it. We have no other DM except Carrick, it cost us in Europe and it looks like it could cost us the league too.

So while i agree players do need to have some level of technical ability, for me it's not the only consideration for all circumstances. Scholes technical ability does little to help him when he is defending. that is about defensive ability and in midfield we simply don't have enough. For the last 20 mins we needed someone who could battle for control in the middle or at least deny Everton room to play, we had neither and paid the price for that.

Personally i would be delighted to get a player like Fellaini this summer, he would give us tenacity, presence and leadership, as well as the aerial threat that undid us at times today.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I still marvel how united fans constantly rubbish this guys talent.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I think he is a good player. Wouldn't mind if we took the plunge.

 

[a_devil_inside]

a lot of the time today he was unmarked way too much allowing him to run with it or pass to someone else

 

[Sojiro]

a lot of the time today he was unmarked way too much allowing him to run with it or pass to someone else

exactly. He took a great goal on the volley, but given the amount of space and the willing runners ahead of him its hard to look past our defensive problems first.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

He is one of the main reason our defence was so shit.

 

[AlwaysRedwood]

I still marvel how united fans constantly rubbish this guys talent.

It's amazing.

But if we sign him, he'll be a God

 

[forevrared]

Since Gibson has come in and freed him from the defensive role he was forced into, he's turned into the type of player I think most people expected Jack Rodwell to become... making him a good fit for United, I think. Everton are hardly in a position to play hardball the way someone likes Spurs would be able to with Modric. I reckon we could get him for around 20m.

 

[Cold_Boy]

I really like Fellaini.

Under-rated player here.

 

[apotheosis]

Since Gibson has come in and freed him from the defensive role he was forced into, he's turned into the type of player I think most people expected Jack Rodwell to become... making him a good fit for United, I think. Everton are hardly in a position to play hardball the way someone likes Spurs would be able to with Modric. I reckon we could get him for around 20m.

He has far more of what we need than modric, although he would be good too! A player like Modric should not be our priority though imo, we proved today we can score goals and create chances, preventing our opponents from doing similarly is where our problems lie.

It has already cost us in Europe and is now impacting on our league form. Fellaini is powerful and determined and his technical ability is underrated by many on here. I was particularly impressed by his attitude when Everton were 2 behind, he never stopped running, closing people down, trying to influence things, and basically setting a positive example for his team.

That's the attitude of a winner in my book, someone who simply refuses to accept defeat, despite the odds being stacked against you!

 

[Sarni]

Hair

 

[Sunny Jim]

I really like Fellaini.

Under-rated player here.

no. over-rated elsewhere.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I really like Fellaini.

Under-rated player here.

Agreed

 

[RedLars]

A girl who has no interest in football whatsoever watched the match with me this morning, and she quite aptly noted that it was the guy with the big hair that caused all of our problems tonight.

That's good enough for me, sign him up!

I hope not, but he was very good today

 

[ghaliboy]

Question is if Martinez was 30m and Fellaini was 20... would the price difference be worth the punt on Javi?

Or would Fellaini at 20 suffice. I am trying hard to like him but every time I see him he has a bit of 'thick' footballer in him. He was superb yesterday however.

Would love to have unearthed him. Something about taking him off Evertons hands.. wouldn't really sit well with me but whatever Fergie decides is whatever shall be!

 

[Kaos]

Question is if Martinez was 30m and Fellaini was 20... would the price difference be worth the punt on Javi?

Or would Fellaini at 20 suffice. I am trying hard to like him but every time I see him he has a bit of 'thick' footballer in him. He was superb yesterday however.

Would love to have unearthed him. Something about taking him off Evertons hands.. wouldn't really sit well with me but whatever Fergie decides is whatever shall be!

Deffo Fellaini at 20mill. For starters he's EPL proven and seems to apply more a physical presence which I'd say we're severely lacking right now. Following on from that hypothetical scenario - £10million difference could be substantial especially if SAF believes he needs another attacker or defender.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

It's amazing.

But if we sign him, he'll be a God

Which is the most annoying thing of all.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Question is if Martinez was 30m and Fellaini was 20... would the price difference be worth the punt on Javi?

Or would Fellaini at 20 suffice. I am trying hard to like him but every time I see him he has a bit of 'thick' footballer in him. He was superb yesterday however.

Would love to have unearthed him. Something about taking him off Evertons hands.. wouldn't really sit well with me but whatever Fergie decides is whatever shall be!

I'd take both. They'd feck up any midfield in Europe longside Carrick.

 

[forevrared]

He has far more of what we need than modric, although he would be good too! A player like Modric should not be our priority though imo, we proved today we can score goals and create chances, preventing our opponents from doing similarly is where our problems lie.

It has already cost us in Europe and is now impacting on our league form. Fellaini is powerful and determined and his technical ability is underrated by many on here. I was particularly impressed by his attitude when Everton were 2 behind, he never stopped running, closing people down, trying to influence things, and basically setting a positive example for his team.

That's the attitude of a winner in my book, someone who simply refuses to accept defeat, despite the odds being stacked against you!

Guess I didn't really make my point about Modric -- rather than going after a player like Modric (I don't think we need him) from a club who's well off and can play hardball and rip us off, we should be targeting the likes of Fellaini who can be had for cheap from a club with money issues.

 

[MUFCgal]

We could do worse I suppose.

 

[apotheosis]

Guess I didn't really make my point about Modric -- rather than going after a player like Modric (I don't think we need him) from a club who's well off and can play hardball and rip us off, we should be targeting the likes of Fellaini who can be had for cheap from a club with money issues.

No got your point just fine, and agree with you about Fellaini. a £20m bid would probably be enough to entice Everton, especially if we offer them a couple of loanees for a season.

I was only reasserting my claim that i made last season that someone like Fellaini should be a priority, more than a player like Modric, who we were alleged to be interested in last summer.

I don't get the modric or Sneijder fascination tbh, both great players, but more creative than anything else, which we really don't need. Carrick has had far too much to do defensively alongside Scholes, and the lack of another option doesn't help when trying to win the ball back. We should have addressed it last year, so hopefully this summer we will put it right at last!

 

[ghaliboy]

Do we have enough creativity even without Scholes? I know we could do with a like for like young replacement for Scholes but I still think our midfield can lack steel at times. Even with Carrick.

 

[711]

What interests me about Fellaini is the price that Moyes paid for him and how that reflects on Moyes.

For a club that's lucky if it gets to positive net-spend at all the fee was truly massive for such a young and unproven player.

Moyes has big balls at times, interesting, eh?

 

[davisjw]

I've wanted him here for the past few years. He has a wonderful presence on the pitch and can control a midfield defensively as well as spray the ball as well as Carrick.

The ONLY way we get him is if Fletcher retires. They are too similar.

 

[Varun]

He's a good player and would be nice to have alonside Carrick when we need to play in a more defensive setup. He'd also allow us to rest Carrick on occasions. He's a good passer of the ball too so no clue why some are framing him up as a Stoke player.

 

[gooDevil]

His name does mean ass licker in Italian, right? [I realize he's Belgian.]

 

[Freak]

Whenever he's played in a more conservative midfield role, he has looked clumsy and slow and immobile in midfield. Yes he does offer a physical presence but that's about it. Why do you think moyes has pushed him up the field? Becase then he could use his asset, his physical presence, to hold it up where it matters. He does not dominate the midfield as some are saying. I cannot believe some would want him in our midfield just because he's having good games playing as a second striker. Its two different roles, and he would be not be good enough in our midfield. Stop being muppets over any player that has a good game against us.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Freak he consistently has good games for Everton much deeper since he arrived. Even against us. This notion that he was played further upfield, in Everton traditional 4-5-1 tactics away from home, due to some deficiency in his game is a foolish myth. He is a much better player than a certain Nicky Butt who was a very good player for us.

 

[devilish]

His name does mean ass licker in Italian, right? [I realize he's Belgian.]

No, the italian version of ass licker is leccaculo. lecca (lick) culo (arse)

 

[devilish]

Is he an improvement on what we've already got?

 

[NJ1979]

Is he an improvement on what we've already got?

Yes, in terms of adding bite to the midfield. He'd be a far better option than Jones (at this point in time) and Park (at any point in time) if we were looking to tighten up in the middle.

 

[RedRover]

Is he an improvement on what we've already got?

Given that we don't appear to have anyone who can run with any pace whatsoever I'd say he'd be an improvement.

For me, again, problems yesterday in midfield - overran first half and should have packed the midifeld when we went 4-2 up becuase Everton still looked up for it.

Scholes and Carrick are good going forward - but pedestrian defedning. These are the sorts of games where you need a workhorse in mdifeld, especially when you're trying to close the game out.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Xavi / iniesta wont know what hit them! hairball attack.

 

[Werder Herzog]

He had a great game yesterday but for me is distinctly average, i suppose if we wanted someone to just play as a destroyer in midfield he may be just about good enough, but i don't know- he just doesn't do it for me.

 

[Name Changed]

We played to his strengths yesterday and made him look even better than he usually is. Good player though. He probably cost far too much.