Fellaini

[Animal Farm]

Fellaini is very good defensively...

Last season he was second in the league for successful tackles with 84, and won the ball 190 times in midfield. (Shamelessly nicked these off a site which someone posted in another thread).

84 out of 99, with a 85% successful tackle rate. That's excellent, the man is a ball winner pure and simple, wherever he is playing. You saw him last night when he was chesting those balls down and keeping it. If the chest was unsuccesful he got it back straight away. What happened if we lost the ball? He closed people down like a psycho. What happened when United had the ball in the final third? He was right back there to break up the play.

It's brilliant that we have the best defensive midfielder in the league and we are in the dilemma of being unsure of whether to play him in an advanced position or not. Goes to show how class he is.

But he often loses his man, fails to track his runner etc, and it puts the defence under strain.

His pressing is great, but let him do it further up field. Let him put those tackles in further up the pitch.

It will certainly be interesting to see what Moyes chooses in the coming months. Personally, I think he prefers Neville and Gibson protecting the defence and having Fellaini further forward, which is a trio that has been extremely effective in recent months.

 

[Azzurri]

Yes, I was referring to the game which took place last night, you know, the one in which Neville and Gibson did a great job protecting their defence, and Fellaini was totally supreme in his advanced position.

If you want to send people nonsensical PM's in which you misquote what they have said, then don't be surprised if they have little time for you.

The one in which Neville and Fellaini played completely different positions therefore not proving anything, you mean.

 

[Phenom]

Said for the last year Fellaini is the best player I've seen in an Everton top and I stand by that.

He's only getting better that's the scary thing.

 

[ijjysmith]

Can't we all just be happy that we have an awesome player no matter what position he's in?

He'd probably be a better right back than what we have now too.

 

[Silentwitness]

But he often loses his man, fails to track his runner etc, and it puts the defence under strain.

His pressing is great, but let him do it further up field. Let him put those tackles in further up the pitch.

It will certainly be interesting to see what Moyes chooses in the coming months. Personally, I think he prefers Neville and Gibson protecting the defence and having Fellaini further forward, which is a trio that has been extremely effective in recent months.

But he doesn't need to man mark, because he often just roams around and tackles/intercepts anyone and anything that is there. His work rate is ace and if he plays in the middle of the park he will be able to press further upfield against the smaller teams and also sit deeper a little bit when they are on the attack. He has the ability to do both.

 

[whiteshadow]

I don't mind where Moyes decides to play Fellaini.

I think he's great in both positions, although I do think Animal Farm is wrong saying he's not great defensively.

The stats Silentwitness posted kind of back that up.

 

[Animal Farm]

The one in which Neville and Fellaini played completely different positions therefore not proving anything, you mean.

The one in which David Moyes chose to have Neville playing DM, and Fellaini playing ACM. The one in which both players excelled in their respective positions. The one which resulted in a victory and a clean sheat to boot!

If Neville was so gash then he would have been over run, wouldn't he? He would have been losing his man all the time and putting his defence under strain? Except he didn't. He looked fine there, and did his job properly, which is to protect his defence.

We have an excellent trio of midfielders who are complementing each other greatly, yet you want to change it and put Fellaini in a DM position. I've tried highlighting Fellaini's defensive deficiencies to you, but you clearly cannot see them, so there's no point continuing this with you.

 

[Animal Farm]

But he doesn't need to man mark, because he often just roams around and tackles/intercepts anyone and anything that is there. His work rate is ace and if he plays in the middle of the park he will be able to press further upfield against the smaller teams and also sit deeper a little bit when they are on the attack. He has the ability to do both.

I have previously conceded that he can play the orthodox, or box-to-box midfield role.

But I'm facked if we are going to give him a DM role in which he is tasked with protecting our defence. He just isn't very good at that role, and I stand by the fact that I would much rather give that role to Neville, and I believe David Moyes does too.

 

[Azzurri]

The one in which David Moyes chose to have Neville playing DM, and Fellaini playing ACM. The one in which both players excelled in their respective positions. The one which resulted in a victory and a clean sheat to boot!

If Neville was so gash then he would have been over run, wouldn't he? He would have been losing his man all the time and putting his defence under strain? Except he didn't. He looked fine there, and did his job properly, which is to protect his defence.

We have an excellent trio of midfielders who are complementing each other greatly, yet you want to change it and put Fellaini in a DM position. I've tried highlighting Fellaini's defensive deficiencies to you, but you clearly cannot see them, so there's no point continuing this with you.

Still doesn't prove who's a better defensive midfielder, though, does it?



Oh well I must be wrong then. Sorry Mr Clough.

 

[MartSlinger]

Even if he plays as a CM next to Gibson he will be the one who gets forward and supports an attack whilst Gibson sits back to cover. No matter where he plays, whether its AM or CM he will be involved with everything going forward. He is simply a beast, a god amongst men.

 

[Animal Farm]

The stats Silentwitness posted kind of back that up.

They don't though. Where are his stats for not tracking a runner and putting his defence under strain?

It's not always about putting a tackle in, in can be about preventing the opposition from making a pass because their player is being marked, so they choose to go down a different route etc.

Our defence is much more assured with Neville playing DM and not Fellaini, IMO.

 

[Silentwitness]

I have previously conceded that he can play the orthodox, or box-to-box midfield role.

But I'm facked if we are going to give him a DM role in which he is tasked with protecting our defence. He just isn't very good at that role, and I stand by the fact that I would much rather give that role to Neville, and I believe David Moyes does too.

Tbh, when i say 'defensive midfield' i don't mean shielding the back four with 2 CM's in front of him. I'm talking about a CM that has a more defensive minded approach to the game, aswell as getting forward. So a defensive minded box-to-box midfielder if you will.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Is Animal Farm Staveros????

If not the similarity in posting style & opinion are uncannily similar........

 

[Del]

Moyes will use Fellaini in the AM postion when its called for, Last night it was obvious to everyone that he would play there because Utd had a crisis in defence

If we are playing the likes of Stoke who have big tall yard dogs at the back I would think someone with a bit more pace would play there so we can keep the ball on the deck

 

[Animal Farm]

Still doesn't prove who's a better defensive midfielder, though, does it?
Oh well I must be wrong then. Sorry Mr Clough.

I don't think you need to be Brian Clough to recognise Fellaini's defensive deficiencies

Right, so you think Fellaini is a great defensive midfielder, nice one, lets see how many times Moyes deploys him there this season? And lets see how many times he is deployed in ACM?

Even if/when he drops back, he won't be deployed in a DM role, and he will continue to support the attack, which is great because he is immense in attack.