Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini recently got on the scoresheet to help seal a 2-1 win against Stoke City at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, and his goal has capped what a fantastic two months it has been for the former Red Devils flop.
Signed from Everton by ex-manager David Moyes for an eye watering £28M in 2013, big things were expected of the Belgian. He failed to deliver in his debut campaign, overwhelmed by the pressure to perform on such a large scale, and many thought he would be sold for a cut price as a result.
But new manager Louis Van Gaal surprisingly kept faith in the 27-year-old the following campaign, and he’s now been vindicated in his decision to stick with Fellaini, who has featured more than the likes of Darren Fletcher, Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick in the midfield to highlight his importance while the aforementioned were out of action.
Against Stoke City, he enjoyed another standout performance in the middle of the park, commanding in stature and very industrious. No United player made more tackles than the Belgian (5), who also made the second-most passes in the midfield. But it wasn’t just defensively where he shone. Fellaini also had three shots, two on target, one goal.
His confidence is sky high after being afforded a run of games in a style that allows him to play to his strengths for the entire 90 minutes. Only Chris Smalling made more touches (102) against the Potters than Fellaini (96), which is a stark contrast to how he performed in his debut campaign.
The 27-year-old was reticent receiving the ball in dangerous areas, but now he’s believing in his own ability and is starting to show why Moyes was so keen to pay nearly £30M for his services.
This season for United, Fellaini has made a total of nine Premier League appearances, scoring two goals, making 25 tackles, winning 36 aerial duels, while boasting an 88.1% pass completion. He’s realising his potential which is coinciding with an upturn in form for the Lancashire clubs too.
David Moyes didn’t appear to know where best to play Fellaini in his debut season, despite him coming off the back of an incredible scoring campaign as an attacking-midfielder who netted 11 goals, made 5 assists, and created 40 chances in 2012/13. Manchester United are now finally seeing his true quality, and against all odds, Fellaini is fast becoming a key component to the midfield.
