Manchester United fans here in the Transfer Tavern have enjoyed a great start to the season. Currently unbeaten, scoring at will and joint top with rivals Man City, life is pretty good.
With news breaking that Jose Mourinho is eager to tie up many of his first team to long-term contracts, things are looking rosy inside Old Trafford for the first time in the post-Fergie era.
Many of our punters believe that Mourinho is doing right by getting the likes of David De Gea, Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford tied down to contracts so they don’t have an Arsenal type situation on their hands in seasons to come.
But the player that evokes mixed emotion and feelings amongst the Old Trafford faithful, Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini that’s set to benefit also. Seemingly a manager’s favourite since he followed David Moyes to Man United, Fellaini has had to work hard to gain the respect of the fans.
United sit second in the table – level on points with rivals City – after a superb start to the season. The Red Devils have won six of their seven opening games and scoring 21 goals in the process and remain favourites to win the Premier League title, according to Thatsagoal.com.
Our landlord here thinks that giving the midfielder a contract extension could cause outrage around the terraces and here’s THREE reasons why they shouldn’t bother with that new deal.
Prone to Mistakes
If you put Fellaini into the top third of the pitch, he’ll cause a headache for defenders with his robust style. Still, that style usually doesn’t go well in the first two-thirds, often giving free kicks in dangerous areas or worse penalties away.
His strengths are getting in the box and causing a nuisance, anything outside of that is sometimes woeful to watch. A lack of passing range and timing when it comes to challenges can often hinder an overall team performance.
Suspensions
With his reckless and mistimed challenges, bookings and red cards are a given with the Belgian. In recent seasons a loss of temperament has seen him see red, costing his side at times.
When the teams fighting to get the win, being down to ten men can make that feat seem a little more challenging. His red card against Man City last season sums up what a liability he can be, much to the frustration of our resident Red Devils.
Direct football
The home of high-flying, counter-attacking football, Old Trafford has seen the past three bosses use Fellaini when resorting to long ball, hoof it into the box style play in the bid last-gasp goal.
Although this sometimes pays off, it’s not the type of football the Old Trafford faithful like or want to see their team play to win. It certainly plays to his strengths but it doesn’t sit well with the fans and adds to the marmite reception he receives.
