Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2018 pt3

bucketybuck wrote: »

I think its a real shame the extent to which this thread has denigrated Felliani's ability on the ball. Another few days and he will have morphed into nothing more than a basketball hoop, something that the manager can place up front and ask the real footballers to try and hit.

He is no Paul Scholes, and in some of his sporadic, irregular appearances last season he may have looked rusty on the ball but Felliani is a far better footballer than he is being given credit for. Certainly more than good enough for the role he is being asked to play.

It’s an alternative universe when Eamon Dunphy is the voice of reason on the subject of Fellaini and gives a fairly accurate appraisal of the players abilities and what his strengths are.

He seems to be the one player, for whatever reason that people seem to buy into the one dimensional stereotype cartoon character that he is portrayed as.

One of the few players in the squad that plays on a consistent level when he does play. No world beater but no totem pole either that the ball is just to be lumped up to(although it is an option that is used not the only role he plays).

I know what Fellaini gives to the team. I trust him to perform to a certain level on a consistent basis and also put a shift in when on the pitch.

I’d be more concerned about a lot of the regular starters in the first 11. Pogba, Sanchez(although a little early it has been worrying), Mata(who gets away Scott free), etc etc.

bucketybuck wrote: »

I think its a real shame the extent to which this thread has denigrated Felliani's ability on the ball. Another few days and he will have morphed into nothing more than a basketball hoop, something that the manager can place up front and ask the real footballers to try and hit.

Well that is what the manager uses him for in fairness.

astradave wrote: »

“You tescoed it” has a nice ring to it

It's like a buy one get one free offer.
Instead of one post we get another exactly the same along with it.:)

Let's await the Pool reaction of "he's not what we need. Fekir is a crock.Never rated him anyway". :)

Lord TSC wrote: »

"Lyon-based paper Le Progrès are reporting that club captain Nabil Fékir has an offer from Manchester United, but do not go into much detail at all about it."


So apparently the paper is pretty reliable for Lyon based news, but I feel this is probably Lyon trying to use us to get the deal finished quicker with Pool. Even the quotes last week of the Lyon president saying he's met with Jos. as far as I know, Fekir had pictures take and did his interview with Pool before they called it all off. His injuries don't seem to have hampered his WC spot, have they?

I think the injury stuff is BS.

I think lyon got pissed with Liverpool leaking the deal done to the press before it was done and basically told them to F off, then Liverpool went with an injury cover.

adox wrote: »

I know little or nothing about Fekir apart from the deal was done with Liverpool earlier in the summer and it seemed only a matter of when it was announced not if.
Then out of the blue he came out and said he wasn’t signing for them. Is that pretty accurate?

Yep.

United had been linked to him, kinda strongly, the week leading up to a Liverpool deal seeming to be done.

Might indicate United maintaining a genuine interest or might just be part of trying to put pressure on Liverpool, then and now.

Why on earth would we sign another #10 when we can't use a #10?

Re Fellaini.

Couple of things I want to see.

1) He's kept as far away as possible from our box in open play. Corners and set pieces are fine but don't let players run at him around our penalty area.

2) He never starts in a midfield 3 with McTominay and Matic. It's far too slow.

3) He's the 6th choice midfielder.

4) He's mainly used as a second striker/target man when we need a goal.

Keep those rules and I think most fans will have no problem with Fellaini. He should be on every bench all season if we need to change it up late on but have minimal starts.

A lot of the frustration comes from seeing him line up in midfield and knowing he doesn't have the passing range to be able to do anything from there, he also picks the safe pass in there every single time and still manages to mess it up far too often.

Fellaini as the second striker/target man is a great weapon to have in your locker. Fellaini as a (even occasional) starting midfielder isn't of the standard needed for a club who wants to challenge for the big trophies.

That's how I feel about him anyway.

IncognitoMan wrote: »

3) He's the 6th choice midfielder.

This is the sort of thing I mean. This implies that McTominey is higher in the pecking order, that Felliani is less useful than the 2nd year kid whose performances are only impressive if viewed through the context of being a 2nd year kid.

If people are rating McTominey ahead of Felliani then I'm sorry but the narrative isn't matching the reality.

McTominay may develop into a better player than he currently is so yes I want him to be ahead of fellaini. Both should be 5th and 6th choice midfielders though.

Neither are great but one is improving (hopefully) and one is 30 so hardly likely we'll see much improvement from him through game time as a midfielder.

Use fellaini as previously stated. He'll probably end up with more game time than McTominay if used as the target man option.