Manchester United 3-0 FC Basel: Unplayable Fellaini and other key talking points 

#1.Marouane Fellaini is unplayable when he is in this kind of form

The name's Fellaini, Marouane Fellaini

"He's an important player for me - a lot more important than you can imagine.I feel weaker without Fellaini in my squad, doesn't matter if it's on the pitch or on the bench. If his conditions are improved, he will be selected, I need him."

Jose Mourinho penned the kind of ode to Fellaini - after the Belgian missed the trip to Stoke with a slight injury - that wouldn't be out of place in a best friend's college slam book but there's good reason for this - Marouane Fellaini is unplayable when he is at his best, and he was damn close to that today.

Marouane Fellaini's game by numbers vs. Basel:72 minutes41 passess3 aerial duels won2 interceptions2 shots1 goalAnswered the call. pic.twitter.com/TqjPqwN29V

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 12, 2017

With Nemanja Matic taking care of things in the defensive third, Fellaini was free to rampage forward at will and Basel did not just find his height and strength tough to deal with - it was his movement as well: it was his run in behind the left flank of the Basel defence that set up United's third goal, the Marcus Rashford one.

He was unbeatable in the air, won plenty of 50-50s on the ground, kept things ticking over with simple passes to the more creative players, and generally did every single thing that his manager asked of him - no wonder these football managers love the goofy ol' Belgian, eh?

Maybe, just maybe, they do know a thing or two more about football than you and me.