Why Marouane Fellaini can thrive as a striker at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal

Marouane Fellaini can be a lethal striker at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal

“He is crazy.” This is one of the most common phrases used to describe Louis van Gaal. In a long and illustrious career as a manager, he has had to endure an incessant amount of questions from people about his methods. And he always replied to them with brilliant audacity: both with his words and actions.

Once upon a time, Sir Alex Ferguson was furious team news was leaked before the game which revealed defender Rio Ferdinand would miss out due to injury. As a result, he banned several journalists who played a hand in giving away the supposed secret before the game.

The reason for the Scot’s wrath was that Marouane Fellaini had scored the goal that won Everton the game. He claimed that it was the news of Ferdinand’s absence that prompted David Moyes to play the Belgian up front and terrorise the United defenders, even though it was a goal headed in from a corner and not open play.

Fellaini has played in an advanced role before

When Everton signed him from Standard Liege in 2008, he had the potential to be one of the best central midfielders in the coming years. Right now, we are going through those ‘years’, but he is far from being the best holding midfielder. In fact, he might not even be a holding midfielder anymore.

Since that game against Manchester United in the 2012/13 season, David Moyes persisted with using Fellaini as the second striker. A few months later against the other Manchester club, he scored Everton’s only goal of the game when a superb cross from Leighton Baines found the lurking Belgian at the far post. His initial header was saved by Joe Hart, but he slotted home on the rebound.

Fellaini’s build makes him quite a handful to deal with in the box

He played some of his finest games as the second striker and it was for this reason why David Moyes took him to Manchester United with him. What followed after that is a dark chapter that not many United fans would like to read. So, I will leave it there.

Now, as Louis van Gaal marauds his troops to the top – where they once were – the man he is looking at for the number 9 role is Marouane Fellaini. Under the stewardship of the Dutchman, many thought the end was near for the former Everton man as he isn’t the type of player Van Gaal works with. But with the manager starting his second season at the club, Fellaini’s role couldn’t be clearer.

31 league games, 11 goals and 5 assists. Fellaini’s best season as a professional footballer came in the 2012/13 season where the aforementioned stats determine the quality and threat he provided on the pitch.

He was devastating. His huge stature and incredible aerial ability made it really difficult for defenders to stop him. He might not be the greatest of dribblers or possess sticky close-control, but he used his body really well to hold the ball and not lose it in crux situations. But it was in the air that he caused the real threat.

According to WhoScored, he won 4.9 aerial duels in every game that season – an astonishing number considering that he played in a very advanced role. This stat is further glorified when compared to the top three goal-scorers in the Premier League that season. Robin van Persie won a meagre 1.3 aerial duels that season, Luis Suarez was even lower at 0.4 and Gareth Bale at 1.7 were far behind the former Liege starlet in that regard.

Fellaini was unmathced when it came to winning aerial duels

Now, with Wayne Rooney having forgotten how to play as a striker and Memphis Depay being used in the wings, coupled with Anthony Martial’s jump to a new league, the Dutchman sees the Belgian as a viable option for the number 9 role.

And once again, many are questioning Van Gaal’s ways again.

Van Gaal on Fellaini: "He can play as a no.6 or no.8 but this year he'll be more a no.9 or no.10 as we have players in the other positions."

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 25, 2015

How Fellaini can be used as a striker at Manchester United

While Fellaini is very immobile, slow and has a heavy first touch, he could still be a success in his new number 9 role. The word ‘new’ means a role as a lone-striker, and not the second striker one that he was accustomed to at Everton.

For one, his incredible aerial ability provides a genuine threat in the box. In United’s roster, the lack of a quality crosser is apparent. However, Juan Mata has a sniper in his boots and playing him wide to make the best use of Fellaini could be an option. And then there is Matteo Darmian as well.

“It’s different playing midfielder and striker or No 10, but I enjoy all the positions I can play. Last season, I did well and I want to continue like that. I know the philosophy of the manager and am looking forward to doing well and scoring some goals.” – Fellaini in August

The lack of movement and runs could cause hindrance in scoring goals, so it has been opined. But the presence of Depay actually makes this lacking of Fellaini a blessing in disguise. With the latter not making enough runs and the former constantly cutting in from the wings, the backline of the opposition could become disarrayed when dealing with the two.

The center-halves would be on Fellaini who, naturally, would be deeper than usual forwards – leaving space behind them for the young Dutchman to run into. The full-backs would, then, have to shunt in to cover him – and that would leave space for United full-backs Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind to burst into.

Can Louis van Gaal get the best out of Fellaini?

There are a lot of arguments on why trying him at number 9 would be a failure – the Liverpool game, for instance – but there are also a few genuine cases where he could be a success. With sudden runs in the box, he could dismantle many defences. After all, just one good header could change the dynamics of the game.

A bit of tweaking in the team is all that could be needed for this to be a success. And, most importantly, Van Gaal is crazy enough to do it. It was he, after all, who turned Bastian Schweinsteiger from a talented winger to a legendary central midfielder.

It is a process.

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