If someone had told me 2 years ago we will have this kind of thread, with this title I mean, I'd tell him he's crazy. 
Although OP makes some good points.
Although OP makes some good points.
We Miss Fellaini
- Thread starter Walrus
- Start date
I think we miss having 3 midfielders. We got back all our control with the Schmidfield+Herrera, which is playing to our strengths until the attack builds some kind of fluency and familiarity with each other. That aspect is only magnified when you have Rooney, Memphis, Mata, and Young/Januzaj taking up 4 of the front 6 positions.
Maybe in the first half. Not like he's been dropped though, he got himself stupidly suspended and deserved more games for it.
He'll be half decent off the bench, but I'll lose the will to live if we build our attack around someone who can barely play football (Rooney jokes aside)
He'll be half decent off the bench, but I'll lose the will to live if we build our attack around someone who can barely play football (Rooney jokes aside)
I agree, but regardless it's been a fantastic start.
Oh for the love of cock... Fellaini was good in about 3 matches last season and he's still remembered for it. It's like how we still remember Anderson for that performance against Arsenal but are forgetting all the other matches.
We miss his ability to bring others into to play, not because he's a great player but because Rooneys been so poor.
No surprises who started this thread. I love the way when we aren't playing too great we miss the likes of Fellaini and Welbeck. Funnily enough, the people who claim such things are their super fans.
This is hyperbole. Fellaini was consistently good. Not great, not a game changing talent, but week in and week out carried out the manager's instructions effectively and helped us maintain possession despite not doing anything spectacular with it and was instrumental in how effective we became at pressing in the opposition half.
I get that he's not aesthetically pleasing, that he's not technically the most gifted player (though far better in that regard than many like to claim) and that in an ideal world he wouldn't be sniffing the starting XI of a club of United's stature, but there is no way anybody can seriously think Fellaini was shite last season apart from 3 matches.
Consistently good
His good performances came towards the end, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City.
He had plenty of decent to good games as well as those and scored key goalsConsistently good
His good performances came towards the end, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City.
He played a big part in finishing 4th, as much as that might displease some
Yes consistently with regards to his instructions from the manager which I'm sure included press the opposition, be an outlet between the lines for long balls from the back and keep possession while getting the ball to more creative players in the side. Not somebody that we should want to be starting for United if our ambition extend beyond qualifying for top-4 but he was good in the job he was instructed to fill last year. No more, no less.Consistently good
His good performances came towards the end, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City.
We really haven't missed him.
At best he'd be an outlet for Romero's kicking and someone for Young to cross to but that's it. He's a plan B.
At best he'd be an outlet for Romero's kicking and someone for Young to cross to but that's it. He's a plan B.
No Fellaini, no party.
I do disagree about putting him as a forward, though. We need to get the same midfield three we saw at the back end of last season. Had a mixture of everything. Strength, composure, energy, guile - the lot.
I do disagree about putting him as a forward, though. We need to get the same midfield three we saw at the back end of last season. Had a mixture of everything. Strength, composure, energy, guile - the lot.
Agreed. I think he's a fine squad player to have that can step up in case of emergency and help with maintaining freshness in the squad when rotating. Ideally would never play as large a role as he did last year if we plan on competing for trophies domestically and in Europe.
Yes, he scored some important goals. Doesn't make him good overall.
Oh, in that case Rooney was consistently mint against Aston Villa tonight with regards to his instructions from the manager.
You ignored the bit were I mentioned he had plenty of other good games
Fellaini was one of our better players last season
I personally think Fellaini does speed up or play, especially with his quick half turn and then his ability to play a decent ball. He's no Mata, but we certainly played some slick stuff with him involved last season.
His height certainly makes us a threat from Afro ins.
he is an option for sure..but to say we miss him is looking backwards.
You miss him
I agree he makes the team better, but not as a striker. He makes himself a pain for the other team when he can press midfielders and raid the box. He couldn't do that as a CF.
Can see your point, but we can't really judge this setup yet, not until Rooney finds some form. I'd start this team again, or the one with Schweinsteiger and Herrera we had today.
No, he wasn't
I was thinking the same thing up until todays game. I would love us to use the same midfield combination as you are describing, but in the current system - with a shadow striker playing at #10, and Memphis/Mata operating effectively as wide forwards, I think having a target man up front who could hold the ball up and bring others into play would be ideal.
Fellaini came into the team last season by scoring the winner from the bench against West Ham (Brom?), was our MotM in the next game against Chelsea (where he shut down Fabregas) and was one of our best performers in the following game against City (where we lost due to Smalling being sent off).Consistently good
His good performances came towards the end, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City.
Dont take my word for it - go back and look at the player ratings in the match threads.
Not too interested in getting into massive Fellaini arguments again because he hasnt even played this season yet, but what you have said here is simply not true.
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I still feel Fellaini has a role to play for us. Will he start and be our first choice? Don't think so. But he has a set of skills which, if he executes like last year, makes him a good asset in certain situations.
Oh and the guy who said he had only 3 good games last year is talking nonsense.
Oh and the guy who said he had only 3 good games last year is talking nonsense.
He'd have been better than Rooney tonight but that's a terrible justification. Playing better than someone having an absolute stinker. Rooney can and will play better and he's a much better player than Fellaini. Like, obviously.
This has absolutely feck all to do with Fellaini playing well last year. Complete strawman.
Sadly he's probably our best option up front. Would be so much better than Rooney's first two performances. Hernandez would also do a better job.
Comfortably. It may hurt some but he had a big hand in us getting the top four.
But we play so much better football now that he's dropped???? that was the idea all along right????
What's the arbitrary reason now? Young wasn't even on the pitch today to blame. Need to 'just' switch mata to #10 and it will be fixed?
What's the arbitrary reason now? Young wasn't even on the pitch today to blame. Need to 'just' switch mata to #10 and it will be fixed?
Fellaini still can't play though due to the three match ban.
I agree, he's a good plan B. Solid player against gritty teams like WBA, Palace, Stoke, West Ham, who'll aim to battle us rather plan play us off the park. I wouldn't say we miss him, just need Rooney to find some form.
You misunderstood the point.
Just like you've misunderstood the majority of Fellainis performances last season.
We're not building anything from the front because it's not sticking. Fellaini would allow us to be more competitive and then the wingers can attack from higher up the pitch. LVG said it himself, we gave the ball away so many times - even when there wasn't great pressure. I think we should have subbed Rooney tonight for Hernandez who needs games and is our second striker. You will struggle to get involved if you play like that. If he starts on tuesday, hopefully he can grab himself a few goals because he needs them. Incidently, we played some slick stuff with Fellaini in the team last season so some people talk bull
He's not the striker we deserve but I lost count tonight of how balls were pumped up tonight where before the camera had even caught up you knew we weren't winning that ball with Wayne, say what you like about big bird but he's got a magnet of a chest and is one of the best in the business at winning aerial duals though obviously this shouldn't be enough to be the main striker at United but as others have said he would have been way more effective today than the boy Rooney.
We passed up the opportunity. If we could get Pedro and Ibrahimovic or someone of his ilk, this team would be very good to watch I think
Young does
No your point makes no sense. Rooney played like shite as an out and out striker today in link up play, maintaining possession and in capitalizing on goal scoring opportunities.
Fellaini was good in all the duties asked of him by the manager last year and chipped in with 10 goals in 37 appearances. Far from shite and pretty damn good contribution over a season from a midfield player who allegedly only played 3 good games.
We don't miss him.