Fellaini

[whiteshadow]

Definitely. I think he's more influential when he's in the centre of the pitch, for obvious reasons.

I wish we could just clone him though.

10 Fellaini's in the team. They'd have to rename the sport to chest ball.

 

[Animal Farm]

Do you all think he's better behind the striker?

Without doubt, and it seems David Moyes does too.

 

[steken1]

He's got more to his game than bringing it down and getting others into the game.

I hope over the next few months he drops a bit deeper and dominates the game for us. That means more possession and less of the long ball stuff which won't be needed against most of the sides we're playing over the next two months.

He was a giant for the second half of last season and has started how he finished. Without a doubt our most influential player.

 

[paulbefc]

Still think his best performance was against City at GP where he did "that" turn. He destroyed every single part of that pitch.

Last night came close. But that performance was one of the best, almost complete, I've ever seen in a blue shirt for over a decade.

Agreed. Ended up just lolling at how good he was at times, in both those games. What a player. Wouldn't sell him for anything.

 

[RFUS]

Without doubt, and it seems David Moyes does too.

You really can't say that. Most of his games for us have been in a deeper role.

Him playing him further forward to exploit United's shaky defence doesn't mean he thinks Fellaini is better there. I think Moyes knows Felli can do all sorts of things, and the specific challenge we're facing in each game might dictate where he's best played.

He's got more to his game than bringing it down and getting others into the game.

I hope over the next few months he drops a bit deeper and dominates the game for us. That means more possession and less of the long ball stuff which won't be needed against most of the sides we're playing over the next two months.

He was a giant for the second half of last season and has started how he finished. Without a doubt our most influential player.

People are forgetting how good he was against City. His aerial dominance is such an asset defensively too, because in that DM role he can snuff out any launched balls. Also his physical presence and quick turnaround makes him great winning the ball and changing defence into offence.

 

[Animal Farm]

You really can't say that. Most of his games for us have been in a deeper role.

He has played further forward loads of times, and he has been far, far more effective there. He was playing there throughout the end of last season, when we were battering teams 4-0 without them having a sniff on goal.

I can't believe that after last night people are still questioning his best position.

But then again some people are totally oblivious to his defensive deficiencies.

 

[RFUS]

He has played further forward loads of times, and he has been far, far more effective there. He was playing there throughout the end of last season, when we were battering teams 4-0 without them having a sniff on goal.

I can't believe that after last night people are still questioning his best position.

But then again some people are totally oblivious to his defensive deficiencies.

No I meant you can't say what Moyes thinks. You don't know that.

And honestly mate if I was to count his 10 best performances maybe 2 or 3 would be at ACM. He for me is more influential in a deeper role, but he's so good that he should be able to roam and dictate the game everywhere. He covers the most ground of any of our players (that's a statistical fact) so he can and does roam effectively.

I honestly think circumstance dictates where to play him. I'd rather have him and Gibson deeper and 3 attacking mids and a striker against, say, Wigan. I don't think we need two holding mids (Nev/Gibbo) against weaker teams. Fellaini in that role however can offer stuff going the other way unlike Neville and a lot more so than Gibson.

Listen you're clearly not going to budge but please don't be so arrogant and stop acting like you're arguing about Tim Howard's best position. It's not a clear cut issue, even if it seems so to you.

 

[Azzurri]

When I left Animal Farm a visitor message asking whether he still thinks Neville is better than Fellaini he replied with this:

"I never said Neville was better than Fellaini, you plank.

I said Neville is a far better defensive midfielder than Fellaini, which he is, as was clearly shown last night.

If you actually think Fellaini is better off in a defensive midfield role, then God help you.

Get a grip!"

You couldn't make it up. I especially like the part in bold.

 

[steken1]

You really can't say that. Most of his games for us have been in a deeper role.

Him playing him further forward to exploit United's shaky defence doesn't mean he thinks Fellaini is better there. I think Moyes knows Felli can do all sorts of things, and the specific challenge we're facing in each game might dictate where he's best played.




People are forgetting how good he was against City. His aerial dominance is such an asset defensively too, because in that DM role he can snuff out any launched balls. Also his physical presence and quick turnaround makes him great winning the ball and changing defence into offence.

Agree 100%. He used the ball really well too that day. Started almost every counter.

That's not something you could always say about him IMO. He appears to have accepted the role of main man for us and looks like he knows he's better than whoever he plays against.

Chelsea last season was my fave Felli game because it werent a backs to the wall battle, he just outclassed thier whole midfield and they all knew it.

 

[micknick]

Definitely. I think he's more influential when he's in the centre of the pitch, for obvious reasons.

I wish we could just clone him though.

At the moment I cant agree with you more. Its kind of unsettling.

Im thinking of a number between 1-10, what is it?

 

[Animal Farm]

I honestly think circumstance dictates where to play him. I'd rather have him and Gibson deeper and 3 attacking mids and a striker against, say, Wigan. I don't think we need two holding mids (Nev/Gibbo) against weaker teams. Fellaini in that role however can offer stuff going the other way unlike Neville and a lot more so than Gibson.

Listen you're clearly not going to budge but please don't be so arrogant and stop acting like you're arguing about Tim Howard's best position. It's not a clear cut issue, even if it seems so to you.

I don't think I am being arrogant, it is just a pleasant surprise to have people see and agree with my viewpoint, because normally I have to deal with about 5 different people jumping on my back who all maintain that Fellaini is some kind of defensive maestro who is great at protecting his defence. They can't see his defensive deficiencies for love nor money, and they aren't likely to change their opinion either. An opinion which is normally followed by "Neville is pure gash lad".

I also think that given how supreme Fellaini was last night, playing in the advanced position, that people may have stopped arguing for him to fulfil this DM role that he has never excelled in.

IMO, if its effective then don't change it. And it was damn effective last season when we were absolutely battering the likes of Fulham and Sunderland without getting out of second gear.

 

[Pabbers]

He still has to play MC, we are better as team, and play better football.

Its good to have the option of throwing him on AMC, for certain games, but I really dont want to see us hoof it this much against teams we can pass off the park.

 

[Animal Farm]

When I left Animal Farm a visitor message asking whether he still thinks Neville is better than Fellaini he replied with this:

"I never said Neville was better than Fellaini, you plank.

I said Neville is a far better defensive midfielder than Fellaini, which he is, as was clearly shown last night.

If you actually think Fellaini is better off in a defensive midfield role, then God help you.

Get a grip!"

You couldn't make it up. I especially like the part in bold.

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.

 

[GoatJR]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...ativeASIN=B007IT89IQ&linkCode=as2&tag=im09-21

great goal last night sitting in the glad street with my dad and his mates

 

[Silentwitness]

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.

EDIT: Even though we did hoof it up to him, we showed that we could play with some nice one touch football, so even without him up there we will have attacking threat. Plus for the chance he had when he hit the post, with a better finisher we might have scored.