Manchester United: Where Was This Fellaini Hiding?

By Dushyant Sinha
10 years Ago

Fellaini has put in some strong performances since being brought back

The Belgian put in a Man of the Match performance against league leaders Chelsea, much to the surprise of even the United faithful.

AsAi??MarouaneAi??FellainiAi??was being introduced onto the pitch byAi??the announcer as a substitute before the second half beganAi??against West Bromwich Albion at theAi??Hawthornes,Ai??he looked a man focused on the job ahead. For long a symbol of DavidAi??Moyes’sAi??wretched spell at Manchester United,Ai??FellainiAi??had become something of a no-hoper even in the eyes of the United faithful. So much so, that WestAi??Brom’sAi??official twitter handle dared to put in a cheeky comment that said “FellainiAi??has now taken his tracksuit off, fortunately he has a ManAi??UtdAi??strip on underneathAi??#WBAMUN“. An understandable titter that might have broken out in the goal behind WestAi??BromAi??’keeper BoazAi??MyhillAi??was silenced two minutes in asAi??FellainiAi??smashed home a screamerAi??for United’s equalizer in the 47th minute.

It certainly looked likeAi??Fellaini’sAi??presence lifted the team, and Louis vanAi??GaalAi??should gather some of the plaudits. ForAi??FellainiAi??looks the dangerous player from his Everton days again – the giant of a midfielder DavidAi??MoyesAi??had hoped to have signed more than a year back. The uncertain applause from United’s draw with WestAi??BromAi??had barely died down, when the slowAi??clamourAi??forAi??FellainiAi??to be given a starting role against league leaders Chelsea in a week’s time began. And VanAi??GaalAi??may already have had a plan forAi??FellainiAi??chalked out for the game at Old Trafford againstAi??Mourinho’sAi??men, as he trundled down the tunnel at theAi??Hawthornes.

With a week to prepare for the Chelsea game, VanAi??GaalAi??and his coaching staff must have no doubt gone over many times withAi??FellainiAi??about his special role for the big game. VanAi??GaalAi??is known to stress on specific details that work for specific players. At Bayern Munich, he was known to work with Arjen Robben, building the fellow Dutchman’s confidence after his indifferent spell at Real Madrid. And once the results started to flow, Robben made no secret of celebrating most of his stunning goals by racing at top speed to his manager as a sign of gratitude for the one on one work VanAi??GaalAi??no doubt put in to restore Robben’s confidence.

FellainiAi??is in a similar position. A majorly important player for two seasons or so at Everton, the Belgian was destroyed from all sides for his lackluster first season at Old Trafford. He was at seaAi??positionally, slow, tired, unfit, dodgy on the ball and completely lacked confidence. Sure, these might have been teething problems in his first season in a new environment, butAi??FellainiAi??had also lost something innate in his footballing ability, the strength and desire to win balls and push opponents off possession. What quite happened we might never exactly know, but against Chelsea on Sunday evening,Ai??FellainiAi??was a different player.

Brought in for the injuredAi??Falcao,Ai??FellainiAi??started inAi??midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation where his position in a double pivot was misleading.Ai??FellainiAi??started alongside Daley Blind but his sole concentration when his team were chasing the ball was to man markAi??CescAi??Fabregas. The chief architect for Chelsea this season with 8 assists, was so tellingly man-marked byAi??FellainiAi??that the only passes he could play were meek sideways passes to the full backs orAi??NemanjaAi??Matic.Ai??FellainiAi??gave the Spaniard no room at all to influence the game and put into action, VanAi??Gaal’sAi??strategy to stifle Chelsea’s supply line.

Fellaini’s heat map against Chelsea. Man United played from left to right in the first half.

courtesy squawka.com

Any timeAi??FabregasAi??came in deep to collect the ball from hisAi??centreAi??halves, there wasAi??FellainiAi??tirelessly closing down the former Arsenal man with hunger and desire, forcingAi??FabregasAi??to play a quick sideways pass and not giving him the time to look up and play the ball to the Chelsea attackers.Ai??FellainiAi??even won the ball successfully ofAi??Fabregas’sAi??feet on more than two occasions. Murmurs from last season about the Belgian being a clumsy tackler quickly dissipated. And it was not justAi??Fabregas.Ai??FellainiAi??held his own againstAi??the bigAi??NemanjaAi??Matic,aAi??player playing so well in the ‘MakeleleAi??role’ that some have started to dubAi??it the ‘MaticAi??role’ now. When he wasn’t dealing withAi??Fabregas,Ai??FellainiAi??was busy outmusclingAi??MaticAi??or shielding the ball from the big Serbian to keep possession for his team. Perhaps the proudest moment forAi??FellainiAi??would’ve been the fantastic tackle he made in United’s box to stop Eden Hazard’s run to goal. The tackle was perfectly timed and executed with a no-nonsense finality.

In attack, the Belgian played in an area behindAi??VanAi??Persie, drifting to the left side of the Chelsea box. There again he made a nuisance of himself for the Chelsea defenders, linking up well with AdnanAi??JanuzajAi??and Luke Shaw. During the second half,Ai??FellainiAi??produced a moment of absolute brilliance – somethingAi??BerbatovAi??would be proud of – as, under pressure,Ai??he played a high ball with one touch off the outside of his boot, using the ball’s pace to lay it on forAi??Januzaj’sAi??run on the left – a delicious moment of creativity. His most effective contribution came in the dying minutes of theAi??game when he met Angel di Maria’s free-kick, forcing a save off the superb Thibaut Courtois, who was left on the floor as Robin vanAi??PersieAi??hammered in the rebound – not officially an assist, but very close to being one in right.

FellainiAi??now looks the kind ofAi??muscled presence that has escaped Manchester United’s midfield since the days of Roy Keane. He now looks to be fulfilling the tasks he came in to Old Trafford for. As a certain Scotsman fromAi??GovanAi??looks on with a wry smile on his lips, his successor has brought the best out ofAi??MarouaneAi??FellainiAi??in a Manchester United shirt. This man of the match performance should only spur the Belgian on to greater heights – and not too soon for the Old Trafford public.

Categories: Chelsea FC, English Premier League, Features, Manchester United
Tags: Chelsea FC Fellaini man united Manchester United Van Gaal

The Belgian put in a Man of the Match performance against league leaders Chelsea, much to the surprise of even the United faithful.

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