We are in October ffs. We are trying to build a philosophy of play with the right type of players to hopefully lead us to success rather then do short term solutions like we've been doing for the last 3-4 years. Just take the pain.
The decision to sell Fellaini
- Thread starter amolbhatia50k
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So am I, I know he wasn’t your typical “United player”, he was a bit clumsy and whatnot, but he was a warrior and he won us big matches and made huge impact from the bench, you would think Ole out of all people would appreciate a super sub when he sees one.
Ole and many supporters thought he didn’t represent the “United way” or some other cliches, he would have been one of our better players now.
Miles more effective than Fred, Mata, Pereira and Lingard put together.
Like many are saying - selling was fine but he needed replaced. But honestly, I'd still rather we be where we are now than still have him on the books. Having more average players here wouldn't improve our situation at all.
As with the others, it's the decision not to replace him that's the problem.
How do you replace Fellaini though? I don’t know any other similar players to him honestly.
Or do you mean just replacing him with a different kind of a midfielder?
To me he isn’t even a midfielder really, he is a very effective plan B no.10 in some situations.
He was never particularly good in a proper midfield role for us, perhaps that why he was sold.
Mate, it really does your head in doesn't it?
Worse yet, we employ the same feckin tactic just without the weapon - lifting the ball over to far post in hopes Maguire will send it down. Again. And again.
All said, what I miss the most with Fellaini was seeing someone trying to leave it all on the pitch for the club.
Lukuku was not professional, far from it. If he ever returns to play at OT he will not be made welcome, the man is a virus.
Sometimes you have to cut out the crap, the bad eggs, the disruptive players and build again. That’s what we have done. We have made 3 good signings this summer, and need to build on that.
It’s unrealistic to make 6,7,8 signings in a season. Lukuku had to go, not good enough. Sanchez has lost his legs, not good enough, Fellaini didn’t fit in with how we want to play, had to go (but I have a lot of respect for him as at least he put the effort it, despite his limitations, unlike Lukuku). Herrera’s not a £200-300k per week midfielder, so I’ve no issue with him going.
We still need a midfielder, right winger and a striker and the likes of Rojo, Bailly, Fred and Matic need to be moved on - but it all takes time. We are in transition. It’s been dramatically wrong for the last 5 years, we are slowly getting it right.
Fellaini wouldn't be a starter, but he could work as plan B both as a target man (ST and even CAM), and as an anchor in front of our CB-line to ride off the storm. I wasn't unhappy with him leaving, but looking at our squad now, I'd take him back on a loan out this season...
Pretty much yeah. I think we all realised Fellaini was a limited player and mostly only good as a plan B option late into a game. We got really elitist about his presence here which is fine but also strange as we weren't the only club doing it (Llorente fulfilled the same role for Spurs).
Fair enough that we got rid but we went from something to nothing. Add in the fact we let our most dynamic midfielder (Herrera) go and it's very weird. A bit like throwing out half your wardrobe in Autumn and then wondering why you're cold come Winter.
Very very true.
I see absolutely nothing to indicate we're "getting it right". Playing kids isn't anything to cheer about, and our football is completely incompetent.
I guess just anything really. Im Felé's biggest fan, but for the playing style and our lack or depth Ben Yedder sounded reasonable.. Mixed with Bruno Fernandes, but Woodward was sitting on his hands
You b players need time, I’d rather give them a chance than have the likes of Lukuku and Sanchez at my club.
Was the right decision.
Not replacing those we sold is affecting us.
Not replacing those we sold is affecting us.
It was the right decision, we wouldn't be playing any better and he would be even more hated than he was back in January when we sold him.
Are there others still here that aren't good enough like Fellaini? absolutely but we cant clear out 14 players in one summer.
Are there others still here that aren't good enough like Fellaini? absolutely but we cant clear out 14 players in one summer.
Fellaini has had a bigger impact overall, I agree with you, but you must have forgotten how bad he was playing in most games. The fact that a £52 million player has turned out to be a horrific replacement is a different matter, but the big guy had to go and he went to China not just for the money, but because he has declined massively.
Bizzare thread. Fellaini was a nothing player and how has he been replaced by Pereira when Pereira is spending most of his time on the right wing?
Selling him was the right decision. If we had kept him he would just be another struggling squad midfielder along with Matic and Fred with everyone would be complaining about his lack of mobility, his persistent fouling, his poor passing etc.
Selling him was the right decision. If we had kept him he would just be another struggling squad midfielder along with Matic and Fred with everyone would be complaining about his lack of mobility, his persistent fouling, his poor passing etc.
Most of the "deadweight" would walk into this current team, no one more so than Fellaini, he's thrice the footballer than Fred, Perieira, Matic.
Well he’s far from world class so no need to worry about that
No need whatsoever.Well he’s far from world class so no need to worry about that
2 last season and one was a pre season game, the other was vs Brighton and we got beat 3-2.
For both Felliani and Herrera too much water under the bridge at United, both knew their faces wouldn't fit when the club refused to give them the contracts they asked for. Both players had previously been used as stop gaps when others weren't pulling their weight, then when Ole made it clear he wanted younger players, players he could improve, both Felliani and Herrera deemed it time to move on.
I for one wish them well, whatever their skills etc. they were always proud to wear the shirt. The Chelsea game when Herrera man-marked Hazard out of the match will live long in the memory, the goals Felliani scored to win us a game or rescue a point are also remembered, thanks for the memories boys.
I for one wish them well, whatever their skills etc. they were always proud to wear the shirt. The Chelsea game when Herrera man-marked Hazard out of the match will live long in the memory, the goals Felliani scored to win us a game or rescue a point are also remembered, thanks for the memories boys.
FFS McTominay IS Fellaini's replacement.
No, they are not like-for-like players, but McTominay gives us a presence in midfield we never had with Fellaini. What Fellaini was pretty decent at, but far from magisterial, was crashing the box in search of connecting on a long ball. McTominay does not give us that, but Fellaini was virtually useless apart from 3, maybe 4, matches over 5 seasons when it could be said he put in a very solid shift.
None of us are happy with the slow progress this side is making under Ole and I'm beginning to question whether Ole has the tools to succeed at Old Trafford, but it would have been a colossal mistake to keep Fellaini as the desperation late sub.
No, they are not like-for-like players, but McTominay gives us a presence in midfield we never had with Fellaini. What Fellaini was pretty decent at, but far from magisterial, was crashing the box in search of connecting on a long ball. McTominay does not give us that, but Fellaini was virtually useless apart from 3, maybe 4, matches over 5 seasons when it could be said he put in a very solid shift.
None of us are happy with the slow progress this side is making under Ole and I'm beginning to question whether Ole has the tools to succeed at Old Trafford, but it would have been a colossal mistake to keep Fellaini as the desperation late sub.
Why would anyone miss Fellaini ? He was the epitome of failure for all 3 managers he's played under, is useless in midfield, nowhere near technical enough to be a proper central midfielder and was mostly used as a battering ram when we were desperate for a goal as a Plan B. In fact, every time someone has a go at Ole for his lack of experience and/or coaching, I think about how great managers like Jose having to resort to long ball tactics with Fellaini with their fantastic coaching. Binning him was one of the best thing Ole's ever done, although we should have replaed him with another big physical lump more suited to that role.
Fellaini would have just been another body on the bench, equally as ineffective as Lingard and Periera.
We don't miss him in any way.
We don't miss him in any way.
McTominay was getting very little game time last season and people on here, me included, wanted him to be loaned out. Fellaini went and McTominay got more chances. The style thing is irrelevant to what the poster said. Scott replaced Marouane.
Most of Pereira's game this season have been on the wing. He's played a few minutes as a CAM but otherwise, wing.
The discussion that Fellaini is better than Pereira together with the implication that it matters a shit, says it all.
It’s weird I had a strange Fellaini craving during yesterday’s match too! I think it was because we lacked anyone with a bit of fight in forward areas with the ability to hold onto the ball! Really it just shows how poor we are at the moment
Agreed with everything here. I'm willing to give Ole the season though unless we are in danger of finishing outside the top 6.
I said it was the wrong decision at the time despite most on here being delighted about it.
In particular he would have been useful at the end of the season for the odd goal that might have got us top 4.
I do think the decision was largely to do with balancing the books for Mourinho's £18m pay off.
In particular he would have been useful at the end of the season for the odd goal that might have got us top 4.
I do think the decision was largely to do with balancing the books for Mourinho's £18m pay off.
Fellaini was normally quite good when given a particular role to focus on. Whether that was defensively or offensively, he was regularly one of our better players in those matches (as much as people don't like to admit it). The times he was normally terrible was when he was just played as a normal central midfielder. He was nowhere near good enough to do that.
He was a limited player, but he was effective when played to those limitations.
He was a limited player, but he was effective when played to those limitations.
Fellaini was super limited. But Fred is shockingly even worse technically. There is a Fellaini meme where he ran the ball straight out against Bayern(I think) and Fred had multiple moments worse than that against fecking AZ. It's just that when Fellaini joined us our standards were much higher and now we're just desensitized to crap players like Fred.Absolute rewriting of history. Fred is incredibly awful for a £52 million player, but Fellaini was even worse when it came to the technical side of the game, bar a few moments each season. Scoring some scrappy goals here and there don't make Fellaini a useful CM, he was kind of acceptable as a battering ram, nothing more.
Have you people seriously forgot how hilariously bad Fellaini was on the ball? How he was as slow as Matic and was a walking red card a lot of the games, giving away silly fouls and penalties?
Fellaini will always be a misunderstood character in the United lore.
His arrival was marred by the club’s overpayment and the failure to acquire top tier players in that same window. And of course, he’s also tied into the Moyes allegory.
The reality is that he was and would have been valuable reserve for most sides in the world.
The problem was that given his price tag and the dearth of class midfielders at United he was thrust into a starting position.
He’s been the scapegoat because of the circumstances of his entry and his unorthodox and oftentimes less than graceful playing style.
The reality is that Fellaini in his prime was a great weapon to have available, but the understanding of his utility and value were somewhat negated by the lack of coaching cohesiveness and lack quality in the United sides he played for.
Had he been a reserve for a manager like SAF, on talented and well coached sides, he would be universally lauded as “our freak” or our “unorthodox weapon” because he would have been put in much better positions to succeed.
He played a fairly critical role in the Belgian National team for a decade especially in the 2014 WC.
Unfortunately he will be inexorably be linked to Moyes and the post SAF decline, which is unfortunate because he is not reason why United is in the “shit” today.
Getting rid of him was fine, but failing to get the proper midfield pieces is really the issue.
His arrival was marred by the club’s overpayment and the failure to acquire top tier players in that same window. And of course, he’s also tied into the Moyes allegory.
The reality is that he was and would have been valuable reserve for most sides in the world.
The problem was that given his price tag and the dearth of class midfielders at United he was thrust into a starting position.
He’s been the scapegoat because of the circumstances of his entry and his unorthodox and oftentimes less than graceful playing style.
The reality is that Fellaini in his prime was a great weapon to have available, but the understanding of his utility and value were somewhat negated by the lack of coaching cohesiveness and lack quality in the United sides he played for.
Had he been a reserve for a manager like SAF, on talented and well coached sides, he would be universally lauded as “our freak” or our “unorthodox weapon” because he would have been put in much better positions to succeed.
He played a fairly critical role in the Belgian National team for a decade especially in the 2014 WC.
Unfortunately he will be inexorably be linked to Moyes and the post SAF decline, which is unfortunate because he is not reason why United is in the “shit” today.
Getting rid of him was fine, but failing to get the proper midfield pieces is really the issue.
If a manger comes in with a vision of how to play and certain players don't fit that vision then they should be sold. However, they then have to be replaced.
As with Lukaku, the decision to sell Fellaini was absolutely fine but the decision not to replace him wasn't. I don't even remotely miss Fellaini but I sure as shit miss the replacement signing we never made.
As with Lukaku, the decision to sell Fellaini was absolutely fine but the decision not to replace him wasn't. I don't even remotely miss Fellaini but I sure as shit miss the replacement signing we never made.
Herrera is the one we should've kept. It was madness letting him go and not having a plan to replace him.
It was a madness to let an extremely limited midfielder go when he’s had a 5 year contract offer someplace else?
I agree with what you are saying about our lack of numbers in midfield but ai would rather that temporarily than do something stupid like matching his PSG offer.
Both Fellaini & Herrera leaving was okay. Selling Lukaku was probably the best thing Ole did in his time too. These three had their limitations and we were right letting them go to improve our squad by getting better players instead of them. The problem was we sold but not replaced them. That was feckin stupid & amateur stuff. All we did was spending the whole summer with stupid Maguire deal and not even looking for options for our midfield. No RW was chased with the deluded hope of Sancho coming here next year as well which is even more stupid.
In the end having Fellaini + Herrera + Lukaku + Sanchez >>>>>>>> having no one. Our team being worse than the previous years with these sold players is the reason why some are questioning the decision to let these players go. Not that Fellaini or Lukaku were good enough for us.
In the end having Fellaini + Herrera + Lukaku + Sanchez >>>>>>>> having no one. Our team being worse than the previous years with these sold players is the reason why some are questioning the decision to let these players go. Not that Fellaini or Lukaku were good enough for us.
The problem yesterday was a total lack of control and passing in midfield. Fellaini wouldn't have solved either problem and it's not herreras best skill either.
Maybe we could have done better with fellaini as the forward in place of greenwood, but that's really scraping the barrel.
We desperately need a good holding player who can pass (like jorginho) or a box-to-box Herrera clone, since mct and Pogba otherwise have too much to do on their own or Pogba gets restricted in a deeper position.
Rewriting history is not accepting that Fellaini has played brilliantly for us in some games. He has been horrible in some but he was someone who always gave it everything.
Without him we may not have won the EL. Ajax could not get near to him. When we are out of ideas and need a goal now he would have been the best option.
Selling him was not an issue. Not buying a better player is the issue. When we can't break down teams throw in Fellaini and he will cause problems.
He caused problems for everyone even in the World Cup. You don't get to be a regular with Belgium if you are that useless.
Without him we may not have won the EL. Ajax could not get near to him. When we are out of ideas and need a goal now he would have been the best option.
Selling him was not an issue. Not buying a better player is the issue. When we can't break down teams throw in Fellaini and he will cause problems.
He caused problems for everyone even in the World Cup. You don't get to be a regular with Belgium if you are that useless.
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