Where does Marouanne Fellaini fit in at Manchester United?

Marouanne Fellaini

After the fiasco that was Deadline day, which saw impostors in Spain try to seal the deal for Athletic Bilbao’s Ander Herrera, Manchester United finally managed to add some much-needed muscle in midfield, thanks to the addition of Marouane Fellaini in ‘Fergie time’.

When Marouane Fellaini was finally bought, it was for £27.5m, £4m more than his buyout clause, which had expired on July 31. And a summer, which began with the pursuit of Barcelona‘s Cesc Fábregas and Thiago Alcântara, ended with the purchase of Fellaini.

Even that was only made possible as a result of Fellaini handing in an official transfer request at Everton‘s training ground early on Monday evening three hours before the window closed. Now that the Belgian midfielder has been bought, let us take a look at what he brings to the table.

United started this summer looking for a central midfielder, with creativity, vision and goal scoring threat and whilst Fellaini might not have all three qualities in abundance, he certainly brings a definite goal threat from midfield.

Last year, the top scoring central midfielder at United was Cleverley with just two goals and this aspect of United’s play is definitely bound to improve with the arrival of Fellaini, who is also a threat from set pieces. That, coupled with his aerial ability will mean that he will have a field day with crosses which come in from both flanks, which historically, United have been known for.

And, although his physical presence is immense, his guile and ability on the ball, is often overlooked. Many people forget that the Belgian is equally capable of finding a killer ball as well as muscling his way past opponents.

Speaking of muscling past opponents, another important aspect of his play which will come in handy at United, is his strength. Far too often, Man United’s midfield have been overrun, primarily because they lacked a physical presence in the center of the park and Fellaini will surely fill that void with his presence.

Although he played as an attacking midfielder in a 4-4-1-1 at Everton, he is highly unlikely to do the same at United, especially with the likes of Rooney and Kagawa around.

In all likelihood, he would continue playing as a holding midfielder, as he has been for Everton at the start of this campaign. And a 4-2-3-1 formation could well be the perfect solution for both Fellaini and United.

In Fellaini and Carrick, United would have two holding midfielders who are capable of distributing the ball well and also protecting the defense. This in turn, will allow Moyes to field three out-and-out attacking players in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Robin Van Persie leading the line.

With the insurance of Fellaini and Carrick to fall back on, Moyes could very well field both Kagawa and Rooney in the same lineup without having any qualms about being overrun in central midfield.

This will ensure that both attack and defense are benefited with the presence of more out and out attackers and a defensive shield, which was often nonexistent in previous years. Whilst this is not the only possible combination, it certainly looks like being the most effective one, with the talent at Moyes’s disposal.

Thus the Belgian’s arrival will, no doubt, be met with praise from all sections of the squad as he will surely improve the team, both defensively, at set pieces and with his tackling, and offensively, with his goals.

In short, whilst Fellaini is not what most United fans would have been hoping for, he is no doubt a necessary signing that will add a physical presence in midfield, one which has been missing since the departure of Roy Keane in 2005. And although he may not be the most creative midfielder going around, he will add a different dimension to the team. He will, no doubt, fit right in, at United, who, more recently, have concentrated on efficiency rather than exuberance.