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Marouane Fellaini signed a new two-year deal with Manchester United and thanked Jose Mourinho to keep his faith in him. The contract renewal for Fellaini means the club are unlikely to move for another central midfielder in this summer window.
Fellaini was out of contract at United and despite attempts by Old Trafford board to convince the Belgian international to sign a new deal, he preferred to keep his options open till the end. Earlier reports came that he could make a move to AC Milan, Besiktas or even Arsenal, which came as a shocking destination for the fans.
BAD OF FELLAINI
He was termed as the most wasteful signing of the post-Ferguson era by some of the United's fans. David Moyes completely trusted the Everton midfielder but anyone with the football consciousness knew that he does not have any quality to replace the outgoing Paul Scholes. The temper of the fans inflated when Moyes did not sign any other central midfielder in that transfer window and till now the Belgian has failed to win over the hearts of the fans.
Fellaini has always been regarded as a player who plays football with his chest, head or even arms but not with his foot. His first touch is poor for a reputation of Manchester United player and his passing range is very limited. He is often involved in rash tackles which makes him an easy target for a card. For a number 10, he lacks speed and the skills to run between the defenders.
He was rightly criticized by the pundits when he hit an elbow to Robert Huth and Pablo Zabaleta. In the incident with the former, he was found guilty and was suspended for 3 games.
Some of his performances and incidents have only deepened the strained relationships with the fans. In 2017, United was away to Everton and winning 1-0 when Fellaini came on as a substitute in his 100th appearance for the club but conceded a penalty after just 2 minutes, the game ended 1-1 and with a lot of boos targeting him.
GOOD OF FELLAINI
Fellaini's time at Old Trafford has been turbulent, to say the least. His every pass to a teammate has, at times, been met with sardonic cheers from the stands; his substitution received with a wave of ironic applause but it cannot be denied that he has scored some very important goals for Manchester United in last few seasons and has also been a dominating figure in opposition's box.
His goal in the Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo was a very crucial one as United progressed to the final with the aggregate of 2-1. Last season he scored a 91st-minute goal against Arsenal to hand a win to the fans against their bitter rivals.
He may not be a classic defensive-midfielder or a regular number 10 but he does the job Mourinho asks him to do. Whenever on the pitch, Mourinho uses him as a target-man to win the aerial duels whether from a goal-kick or from a corner. One man who has always kept his belief in the Belgian is the United's manager.
He has a big physical presence and always tries to get to the end of crosses from the flank. The presence of Romelu Lukaku and Fellaini makes it very tough for the opposition to defend their box. When Lukaku is not able to impose his strength, Jose deploys Fellaini as a number 10 to build pressure on the backline.
Jose Mourinho insists he has always believed in Marouane Fellaini and consider the midfielder as a very vital part of his plans.
