Marouane Fellaini: Manchester United’s surprisingly key man

Paul Pogba was signed for a world record fee last summer, Nemanja Matic was signed for a monumental fee this summer, and Ander Herrera has become a fan favourite at Old Trafford since his arrival in the dreary days of Louis van Gaal.

In the haze of a turbulent few years for Manchester United, Marouane Fellaini has remained.

From signing in an eventful summer of David Moyes to becoming a figure of mockery for his own fans, Fellaini has played all over the pitch, he has become an integral member of the squad.

He has outlasted players supposedly superior, and he is now a fundamental part of Jose Mourinho’s squad.

 

Harmful

His injury is potentially harmful.

Pogba is already ruled out, now Mourinho is without his trustworthy Belgian. Three weeks is the current prognosis, leaving the Manchester United manager with his hands tied for his midfield pairing.

Fellaini has slotted in seamlessly alongside Matic.

As dominant as you would expect aerially, reading the game well and a typical nuisance for the opposition. The best of his box-to-box days as an Evertonian are shining through, and Fellaini has leapt above Herrera in the midfield pecking order.

 

Impressive on the ball

A couple of goals against Crystal Palace are the obvious highlight, but it’s been Fellaini’s on-ball play that has impressed most of all.

His passing was once a weakness, yet his ball retention has been smooth in the middle third.

With the attacking talent further up the field, dramatics are not required from the afroed midfielder, and he is fulfilling his role just as Mourinho would desire.

 

A Mourinho man

In his physical, win-at-all-costs approach, Fellaini is a Mourinho man.

A hardened competitor, and, most importantly, a versatile, now reliable, member of his squad. Trust is a significant part of Mourinho’s management, and Fellaini has beaten many of his teammates to win it.

Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku deserve their plaudits, as does Matic. Fellaini’s tale, though, is perhaps the most fascinating of all.

 

Written by Sam Cox

Follow Sam on Twitter @SamRCox_

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