With Manchester United fans in the Football Transfer Tavern having heard earlier that the club will be sending James Wilson out on loan this month, it seems apparent that Louis van Gaal will indeed be following up on his idea that he’ll be utilising Marouane Fellaini as a striker this season.
United of course brought in Anthony Martial for mega money on deadline day but Wayne Rooney aside, the Red Devils only have that pair as out-and-out strikers with Wilson set to be temporarily released so it appears Belgian international Fellaini will be their emergency option should injuries strike.
A role Fellaini has played in before during his time spent with Everton, the Belgian’s physical presence will ensure he can make a good fist of playing as an emergency striker for Manchester United.
The only problem resides in the fact that United have never really been a long ball team with van Gaal having received flak not only from his own supporters but ironically Sam Allardyce last term for utilising such an unfamiliar style against the Hammers at Upton Park last season.
In fairness, United fans should be expecting their team to be playing pretty, free flowing football given an entire generation of fans have grown up watching the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo but as we’ve seen with this particular United side, van Gaal is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve winning football.
With Manchester City setting the pace this time around, United fans will be content for wins no matter how they come during the early part of the campaign but as we’ve previously seen with all top clubs, they can only do this for so long before having to play an attractive brand of football with flair to boot.
This of course isn’t Fellaini’s style but here’s five reasons why he might be a useful option for United in the striking role this season.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 reasons why Marouane Fellaini could actually be a decent striking option for Manchester United.
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He provides a different kind of attacking threat
While Wayne Rooney is a bit of an all-rounder in his striking style and Anthony Martial is a speed merchant who can also be deployed on the wing, Marouane Fellaini has proved he can operate as a target man who can bring others into play.
In crunch top four battles and games away in Europe, United might be involved in tight games locked at 0-0 and this would present a fine chance for Louis van Gaal to tinker with his side while introducing Fellaini up top in the second half for example.
Someone who is capable of mixing it up as an alternative option up top, United fans won’t have designs on their club playing a long ball game for large periods of the season but in 15 minute bursts over the course of a few games, they won’t be complaining if it brings them results.
Because he’s someone to get on the end of Shaw and Darmian’s crosses
Given Luke Shaw’s improvements already this term, not to mention Matteo Darmian’s steady start to life at Old Trafford, both players have already proved they’re capable of bombing forward while providing crosses from the wide areas.
While Wayne Rooney can’t take these out of the sky, providing scintillating overhead kicks a la Manchester City all the time, somebody who would love to gobble these up is Fellaini who surely has to be one of the better aerial threats in the Premier League, let alone United’s armoury.
He has proved he’s an effective foil for others to score
When Louis van Gaal first took to the hotseat at Old Trafford, many were expecting him to part with the likes of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini but to the trio’s credit, they managed to work their way into the Dutchman’s plans as valuable squad members.
When Fellaini did play last term, he proved he was an effective player in terms of holding up the ball while bringing other United team-mates into play.
So good was Fellaini’s form nearer the end of the campaign that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho recognised this threat and stuck Kurt Zouma in midfield on a man marking mission to nullify the Belgian’s threats.
By playing Fellaini up front with his back to goal, he could cushion headers and other knock downs into the path of players such as Wayne Rooney who are of course adept at filling in in the number 10 role.
His goalscoring rate was impressive as a striker at Everton
In his five years spent with Everton, Marouane Fellaini’s best goalscoring season was actually his last at Goodison Park with the Belgian scoring 11 times in the Premier League but prior to this, his best rate was eight goals in his very first season under David Moyes.
In the 2008/09 campaign, Everton suffered horrendous luck with injuries up top so had to resort to playing Fellaini in a then unfamiliar second striker’s role and in credit to the Belgian, he thrived scoring eight Premier League strikes that season.
Scoring 25 times in the Premier League to date and having already proved that he can be somewhat clinical in front of goal, playing Fellaini up top has yielded success in the past.
He’s a nuisance for opposition players to defend against
Often during commentary of Manchester United games in which Marouane Fellaini is playing a part, the staff often claim how Marouane Fellaini must be a nuisance for opposition players to defend against.
Make no mistake; Fellaini has a nasty streak in his game and often plays with his elbows according to our Arsenal fans who are piping up by the bar but we’ve seen in the past how the likes of Kevin Davies made a name for himself with this unforgiving style.
While United fans of course don’t want to see their side become the next West Ham United under Sam Allardyce, the Red Devils will need to mix it up sometimes and fielding Fellaini for half an hour or alternatively from the start will undoubtedly see him ruffling feathers and unsettling defenders, such is his physical style.
He’d do even more of this dirty work if he was deployed as the focal point in United’s attack you feel.
