Since Fellaini joined Manchester United he has never been a fans favourite and when Jose Mourinho named him in his first Premier League XI, eyebrows were raised.
Come out from the shadows, Marouane.
The Belgian midfielder performed very well against Bournemouth and
Presumably Fellaini will be replaced by Paul Pogba now that the clubs record signing is available, but Fellaini at least proved on Sunday that he can be a good squad option.
Stat of the Match: Fellaini only misplaced one pass in this game, managing an incredible pass success rate of 99%.
Fellaini is often criticised for lazy passing and giving the ball away when his team is in possession, but this certainly was not the case on Sunday.
Crucially, Fellaini was not just good in possession but playing in a deeper midfield role, he managed to make 6 tackles, which disrupted the Bournemouth flow. He also won 2 aerial duels and did not get dispossessed at all in the 90 minutes he played. Fellaini was industrious with his defensive work, offering a great shield in front of the Manchester United defence. What more can you ask from a midfield player? If he can play like this regularly then Mourinho is right when he said Pogba will have to work hard to get into the team!
If he can be this defensively disciplined and assured in possession then perhaps he could play alongside Pogba at the base of the midfield? Maybe if Wayne Rooney was dropped and a more defensive player brought in, that could be a way Mourinho looks to get results in the future.
Here’s what the United fans thought of Fellaini’s performance on Sunday.
Most passes completed this weekend:
Fernandinho (83)
Oriol Romeu (82)
Ander Herrera (76)
Marouane Fellaini (75) pic.twitter.com/jfPi6hg9qM— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 15, 2016
Shocked at how well Fellaini played today, his passing isn’t great but bloody hell he won a few tackles.
— Luke (@LukeLessUnited) August 14, 2016
Marouane Fellaini misplaced just 1 of the 76 passes he attempted vs. Bournemouth – 98.7% completion rate. pic.twitter.com/wW5XSBYlwf
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 14, 2016
Fellaini wasn’t as bad as you’d think by knowing it’s Fellaini, but he’s nothing more than a stopgap solution until the midfield’s set.
— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) August 14, 2016
Fellaini wasn’t as bad as you’d think by knowing it’s Fellaini, but he’s nothing more than a stopgap solution until the midfield’s set.
— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) August 14, 2016
Fellaini has been excellent. Has given the ball away once all game but, stats aside, has offered impetus and passed quickly. #mufc
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) August 14, 2016
Mourinho has urged fans to get behind Fellaini following his recent performances: “With Fellaini I always have the feeling that he was not loved by the general Red people. But, if he plays like he’s playing now, they have to love him because he’s being so important for us.”
