Manchester United have endured a difficult last few seasons since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, the players included, and one of the most criticised of the lot is Marouane Fellaini. The midfielder holds a very tenuous position in the team, and many are calling for him to be put on the bench.
Since arriving on deadline day in September 2013, he has had his share of both good and bad moments, as has almost everyone at the club in that time. However, he seems to be the one to attract the most criticism week in and out, for reasons that don’t make much sense when looked at in more depth.
The first reason for which he is criticised is that he is poor in possession and cannot seem to put together a decent string of passes. However, if you are to look at just this season, you can see that his passing percentage is a very respectable 83.1%, which is his lowest since arriving in Manchester.
So, why do supporters continue to make that claim? Maybe it’s because he prefers a square pass, or to drop the ball back to his defenders or goalkeeper too much, or maybe it’s because he has become the scapegoat that everyone has decided to latch on to for the purpose of venting frustrations. As a side note to his passing percentage, the Manchester United team as a whole is completing 83% of its passes this season in the Premier League, putting Fellaini right on the average.
Another common fallacy that many supporters have said of the Belgian is that he squanders possession in the offensive third. And, when looking at the statistics once again, you’ll see that he averages 1.3 unsuccessful touches per 90 minutes in the Premier League, as well as being dispossessed an average of 1.7 times per 90 minutes. When you compare these numbers to that of the players whom the supporters seem to want to see more of, being Ander Herrera, Bastian Schweinsteger, and Morgan Schneiderlin, you see that he is indeed a top class defensive midfielder.
In the Premier League: Ander Herrera averages 1.6 unsuccessful touches and is dispossessed an average of 1.4 times per 90 minutes; Bastian Schweinsteger, who is lauded as a world class midfielder in possession, has 1.2 unsuccessful touches per 90 and is dispossessed an average of 1.6 times; Morgan Schneiderlin, who should be paired with Fellaini in the defensive midfielder role, has an impressively low 0.5 unsuccessful touches per 90 and an equally impressive 0.3 times dispossessed per 90 minutes. These numbers continue to prove that he isn’t the player that many United supporters say he is.
Another impressive statistic that should be noted when speaking about a defensive midfielder is successful tackles per 90 minutes, as well as tackle success rate. This year, once again his worst statistically, he is averaging 1.1 successful tackles per 90 minutes. When you look at the fact that he’s attempting 1.7 per 90, that shows that he has an impressive 64.7% tackle success rate.
Compare those numbers to Morgan Schneiderlin, who is making 2.8 successful tackles per 90, attempting 3.7 per 90, and has a tackle success rate of 75.7% you see that they would make an impenetrable force in the midfield. Along with the fact that supporters say he fouls too much, 1.7 fouls per 90 compared to Schneiderlin’s 2.3, it is yet another statistic proving he is a top quality defensive midfielder.
All different kinds of statistics can show as to why Fellaini is the right man to be sitting as a holding midfielder, but that won’t prove anything to a vast majority of the clubs’ supporters. The only thing that will satiate their wants is to bring silverware back to the red side of Manchester, and the Belgian is an integral piece to that mission.
Every successful team in the history of football has had that one player, the brute, who will never get the glory and will always be criticized when the team isn’t performing to expectations. And with that in mind, it says volumes to the character and resolve of the man for the fact that he is able to show up to every match and perform his dirty duties.
He is a player whom the supporters should be praising, and singing his name alongside the others in midfield. That day may come at some point, but until he wins silverware, the falsities will continue to fly around his name.
