The importance of Marouane Fellaini

[Walters_19_MuFc]

I think today's game against Arsenal shows how important Marouane Fellaini is.

Some say he's not good enough to be starting for United, but he's such an good option to have on the bench.

More often than not, when teams are searching for a goal in the last 10-15 minutes, they will launch balls into the box.

This is where Fellaini is an asset for us, and someone we should be looking to bring on if/when this happens.

Mourinho admitted after the game that he would have put Fellaini on if he was on the bench today. ‘If I had Fellaini I would have played Fellaini for the last 10 or 15 minutes in that area'.

This is not to say Giroud would have not scored the goal if Fellaini was on the pitch today, but time and time again, Fellaini has been such an important player for us in defending crosses into the box.

According to whoscored.com, Fellaini has won the most aerial duels per game (3.9) in our team.

http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/19/mouri...nce-for-manchester-united-vs-arsenal-6269468/

 

[VeevaVee]

There's also a big chance he'll foul people in our own half and create chances for them though.

 

[Donut]

If Fellaini was fit he'd probably start, and we wouldn't have played nearly as well as we did.

 

[izec]

We could have thrown him in when Giroud came on, otherwise i dont know what usage he would have had today.

 

[RK]

It sounds like you've picked up a bit of information and ran with it, rather than weighing up the pros and cons and forming a reasonable opinion.
It's not that I agree or disagree with you, just seems like a bit of a random thread.

 

[Scarecrow]

There's also a big chance he'll foul people in our own half and create chances for them though.

You're thinking of Herrera. Fellaini brings out the elbows mostly in the center or in their half.

 

[Bojan11]

So every cross we concede it means we miss Fellaini?

Nah that's bollocks. We missed Smalling or Bailly more.

 

[VeevaVee]

You're thinking of Herrera. Fellaini brings out the elbows mostly in the center or in their half.

I dunno, I've seen Fellaini maul/fall onto plenty of players in our half too. It's usually more slapstick than Herrera being a calculated little shit.

 

[Joga Bonito]

I'd much rather our centre backs deal with the opposition's aerial threat and focus on stopping the crosses coming in from dangerous areas - subbing in Young/Lingard for fresh legs out wide and counter attacking threat, as opposed to inviting pressure onto ourselves with Fellaini camped in our box.

 

[PepsiCola]

Ashley Young on the pitch instead of Rashford and we'd probably stop the cross coming in.

 

[devilish]

Arsenal drew because our CBs are clueless and Rashford is not a winger

 

[Duafc]

The whole concept is wrong.

A title challenging team doesn't need to hang on in a game they've dominated.

We scored and stayed dominant for 10 mins, but the whole mentality went from press and defend aggressively to get into a shape and stop moving.

I understand there's a natural ebb and flow to games and at 1-0 there will be a certain amount of pressure at the end but we started that, not Arsenal.

The issue is mentality not personnel.

Fellaini is a useful player but he doesn't get near anyone in that midfield, they played very very well up until the last 5.

 

[harms]

There's also a big chance he'll foul people in our own half and create chances for them though.

This.

Plus, putting Fellaini on for the last minutes will definitely lead to us sitting in our own box while the best way to defend a one nil lead is by playing fecking ball.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Oh god.

So everytime another team brings on a tall lad we should play Fellaini, nar feck that.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I think today's game against Arsenal shows how important Marouane Fellaini is.

Some say he's not good enough to be starting for United, but he's such an good option to have on the bench.

More often than not, when teams are searching for a goal in the last 10-15 minutes, they will launch balls into the box.

This is where Fellaini is an asset for us, and someone we should be looking to bring on if/when this happens.

Mourinho admitted after the game that he would have put Fellaini on if he was on the bench today. ‘If I had Fellaini I would have played Fellaini for the last 10 or 15 minutes in that area'.

This is not to say Giroud would have not scored the goal if Fellaini was on the pitch today, but time and time again, Fellaini has been such an important player for us in defending crosses into the box.

According to whoscored.com, Fellaini has won the most aerial duels per game (3.9) in our team.

http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/19/mouri...nce-for-manchester-united-vs-arsenal-6269468/

You could say the same about Zlatan, who is actually a striker and would have caused them havoc.

 

[DanClancy]

If Fellaini was fit he'd probably start, and we wouldn't have played nearly as well as we did.

Ahead of who? Jose said he'd have brought him on with 15 minutes to go if he was fit.

 

[izec]

Oh god.

So everytime another team brings on a tall lad we should play Fellaini, nar feck that.

It is bollocks. Just another thread for Fellaini fanboys to get him into the team somehow and underline his importance. I feel some on here dont support the club but specific players. Or just enjoy United doing well when some specific players also play well and play a part in it. It is ridiculous.

 

[iKeano]

* The impotence of Fellaini

 

[DWelbz19]

'The importance of Fellaini'
Not a lot.

 

[Gopher Brown]

We should never have sold Dong Fangzhuo. I heard he scored a goal once and we needed another goal today.

 

[BringNaniBack]

He is a better option to bring on than Schneiderlin I will give him that.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

It is bollocks. Just another thread for Fellaini fanboys to get him into the team somehow and underline his importance. I feel some on here dont support the club but specific players. Or just enjoy United doing well when some specific players also play well and play a part in it. It is ridiculous.

Fecking hell

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Oh god.

So everytime another team brings on a tall lad we should play Fellaini, nar feck that.

In the last 10 or so minutes when teams bombard the box and throw crosses in, then yes we should put Fellaini on. He's very good aerially. I don't see the problem.

Sir Alex used to do this a lot, in terms of playing specific players to do a job.

For example when he specifically put Jones in centre midfield to do a job on Fellaini because he was such a threat. Mourinho also did it with Zouma, and guess what, it worked.

Not once did I say we should always do it, but when we're under pressure, if it helps, then why not?

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

The whole concept is wrong.

A title challenging team doesn't need to hang on in a game they've dominated.

We scored and stayed dominant for 10 mins, but the whole mentality went from press and defend aggressively to get into a shape and stop moving.

I understand there's a natural ebb and flow to games and at 1-0 there will be a certain amount of pressure at the end but we started that, not Arsenal.

The issue is mentality not personnel.

Fellaini is a useful player but he doesn't get near anyone in that midfield, they played very very well up until the last 5.

Believe me, that's where titles are won and lost.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

The whole concept is wrong.

A title challenging team doesn't need to hang on in a game they've dominated.

Have you never watched football previously? Pretty much every big game every season ends up with a sustained bit of pressure from the side who are losing. No matter how much one team dominates this is pretty much always the way.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

If we didn't try to hold onto a lead for 10 minutes while we had Arsenal on the ropes, we could have scored a second instead of having to go for a balls to the walls approach and concede.

 

[dichinero]

What importance?

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

What importance?

Try reading my post.

 

[dichinero]

Try reading my post.

I didn't finish typing before I sent it. I think you've isolated one event and not considered all other aspects of the 90. You're more likely to get a poor performance from him than a good which is what most of the replies have echoed. When our preferred CB pairing are back and up to speed, that renders him obsolete

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

I didn't finish typing before I sent it. I think you've isolated one event and not considered all other aspects of the 90. You're more likely to get a poor performance from him than a good which is what most of the replies have echoed. When our preferred CB pairing are back and up to speed, that renders him obsolete

Yep, you definitely didn't read it.

I'm talking about him coming off the bench for the last 10 or so minutes when teams bombard the box. Yes, we have our centre backs, but when there's more than two players in the box for our centre backs to mark, then having an extra tally body in the box would surely help. Actually, in the past it has helped.

 

[sullydnl]

If the importance of Fellaini is as a sub to bring on for physical presence in the last ten or fifteen minutes then he's not really all that important is he? Especially in a team that is generally quite good physically as is.

 

[Duafc]

Have you never watched football previously? Pretty much every big game every season ends up with a sustained bit of pressure from the side who are losing. No matter how much one team dominates this is pretty much always the way.

Which I acknowledged in the post.

The point is we made the conscious decision to sit back and protect, Moreso than Arsenal pushing on fantastically.

You can expect the pressure to build and to have to defend, it's totally natural as most games never mind just big games but when you defend in a completely different way to what has been working then you get what you pay for.

We stopped playing football and there was no reason for it whatsoever beyond nerves, pressure and inexperience getting the best of us.

 

[dichinero]

Yep, you definitely didn't read it.

I'm talking about him coming off the bench for the last 10 or so minutes when teams bombard the box. Yes, we have our centre backs, but when there's more than two players in the box for our centre backs to mark, then having an extra tally body in the box would surely help. Actually, in the past it has helped.

Yes and including the last 10 minutes. What's the point of keeping a player for that one solitary reason. Surely any player that comes off the bench must be able to do more than just that. Each to their own

 

[Magnus]

Fellaini is for sure a nice man but should he ever fecking come close to our starting 11? NOOOOOO

 

[Magnus]

Martial and Rashford must start every game. we might not win much but I will enjoy watching us and that is more important to me

 

[Boycott]

To be fair Mourinho said in his press conference he would have used Fellaini in the last 10-15 minutes to hold onto the lead if Fellaini was available precisely for the reason @Walters_19_MuFc is saying.

7:52

 

[a_devil_inside]

Fellaini isn't even that great at heading

 

[PlayerOne]

I see your point, but the defenders are there to deal with those sort of balls. While Fellaini is useful, the midfield we had out today dominated and I don't see how we could have done better with him today

 

[Devil may care]

This is what Barca, Real, Atleti, Bayern and Juve have been missing I guess.

 

[Fracture90]

I think Fellaini would be Mourinho's first pick to replace Mata, but since he wasn't fit he went for Schneiderlin.

IMO it would have been perfect if Mikhi was to sub Mata because we would be able to keep the ball and still be dangerous in counter attacks.