Is Marouane Fellaini Manchester United’s New Big Game Player?
It might have been over a week ago now, but Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates still smarts.
Mostly because Louis Van Gaal and his side lined up exactly how Arsene Wenger would have dreamed of, as they played a high pressing game with their midfield that gave Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, and Santi Cazorla free reign to wreak havoc on United’s back-line, all while Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger tried to trudge back and help.
It was frustrating to watch. Especially since, over the last decade, Sir Alex Ferguson and even David Moyes were able to keep Arsenal at bay with stifling and disciplined performances, before taking advantage of their predilection for errors, which in turn opened up the game even more in United’s favour.
Louis Van Gaal’s side did just that at the Emirates last season, as Arsenal dominated the early stages, only to concede a silly own goal in the second half, with United ultimately running out 2-1 winners.
More of the same was expected last weekend. Instead, Van Gaal got cocky, expecting Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger to control and dictate the game. But they never got an opportunity to do that.
With tricky games immediately around the corner, Louis Van Gaal has hopefully learnt from that mistake. And luckily for the Dutch manager there’s a player on his bench that could immediately come in and help him to correct the error of his ways. He can’t miss him too, thanks to his magnificently bristled dome.
Marouane Fellaini has had a topsy-turvy start to his Manchester United career. He became synonymous with David Moyes’ failed tenure at the club following his £28 million move from Everton, especially since even his own transfer was botched.
But, under Van Gaal, Fellaini started to make more and more of an impact, popping up with scruffy, but, nevertheless, important goals against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
Sure, he dribbled with the grace of an elephant, committed so many fouls he should have been imprisoned, and bundled his way through games in a manner akin to an infant reading Dostoyevsky, but he was an absolute terror for the opposition to handle. And in tight games that’s exactly what you need.
Just look at last season during Manchester United’s most impressive period, which saw them defeat Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Manchester City in quick succession. In these games Fellaini was a menace, constantly unsettling each team, while also proving to be a lightning rod for United’s own attacks, and always looking as though he could knick a goal himself.
Obviously, when it comes to playing free-flowing, attacking football, Fellaini isn’t your man. But much in the mould that Park Ji Sung and Darren Fletcher were used by Sir Alex Ferguson during United’s tightest games against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, Fellaini could do just the same for Van Gaal.
With Morgan Schneiderlin also available, a midfield trio that could include this twosome as well as either Carrick or Schweinsteiger would certainly provide a firmer platform for victory than United had against Arsenal.
And while it wouldn’t be nice, and it wouldn’t be pretty, it would sure be effective.
Images via Getty/Catherine Ivill - AMA/Matthew Ashton - AMA/Alex Livesey
