Cardiff is the perfect stage for Manchester United to solve their £27m problem

Marouane Fellaini

Manchester United fans are desperately waiting for Marouane Fellaini to show the form (and success) that he had at Everton last season. With no goals and no assists to his name so far, it’s fairly safe to say that the bustling Belgian international is yet to do just that, but this weekend’s fixture against Cardiff City could be the perfect chance for him to finally “break out”.

And with star central midfielder Michael Carrick out with an injury, Fellaini’s potential “arrival” could not come at a more ideal time for the defending league champions.

Manchester United’s Best Performers so Far this Season

Carrick has not only been United’s best player so far this season, but also one of the best players in the league as a whole. The Englishman has shown to be a huge factor at both ends of the pitch—creating 12 goalscoring chances this year while averaging a stellar seven defensive actions per game as well.

Fellaini’s averages of three defensive actions per game and just one chance created so far this term, pale in comparison, but the fact remains that with Carrick not in the picture, the opportunity is there for Fellaini to rise to the top.

Michael Carrick’s Average Defensive Actions Per Game vs. Other Midfielders

What Fellaini most needs to prove is that he is more than simply a tall-timber who wins aerials duels, and that’s it. His total Duels Won this season shows that his only success has come in the air, but what United most need is someone who can win back possession—and then distribute the ball effectively—along the ground. Fellaini’s skills are good, but they need him to provide the same potency along the deck—especially now with Carrick unavailable.

Marouane Fellaini Duels WonThis screenshot was taken from the Squawka Football app – Download it here

Fellaini has proven he can play such a role (as shown in the second-half against Fulham) but United need him to be more consistent than that. They need it now, and Cardiff’s lack of defensive tenacity might just provide the platform that he needs to develop such consistency.

Marouane Fellaini Action Areas vs. Fulham

The Bluebirds come into this one likely to be dominated in the middle of the field. Their pass accuracy of just 77% ranks as the fourth lowest in the league; their total number of interceptions also falls into the bottom five. Cardiff also haven’t proven to be a great tackling team—winning the second fewest out of any team in the league—and their lack of defensive pressure may well allow Fellaini to become more established as a central distributor.

Michael Carrick’s Defensive Action Breakdown, 2013/14 Season

Carrick hasn’t been the greatest tackler this season in one-on-one situations, but he reads the game perfectly and can force an interception effectively.

This makes Cardiff’s passing (which has been statistically very poor this year) a key factor here, and a potential tool which Fellaini can use to his advantage. Against a poor passing side, if the Belgian can position himself well like Carrick has done well all season then,he should force plenty of interceptions and thus improve his seemingly poor defensive contribution thus far.

And without Carrick for the next few weeks, Manchester United certainly might need it.