Marouane Fellaini: 3 ways for David Moyes to solve Manchester United's £27m problem

Marouane Fellaini, David Moyes

When Paul Scholes retired at the end of last season it left David Moyes with the impossible job of replacing the pass master. Names such as Cesc Fabregas and Atletico Madrid’s Ander Herrera were thrown around, while the likes of Luka Modric and Marco Verratti were also mentioned. However, when the transfer window slammed shut there was just one man who secured a move to Old Trafford, and that was Marouane Fellaini.

The back end of last season was a difficult one for the Belgium international as he was criticised for his flying elbows and rash challenges, but United were in desperate need for reinforcements and so the fans huddled behind their new man and concentrated on the positives. Fellaini is a powerful player who can drive up the pitch and carve defences with his precise passing. However, these are attributes that the Old Trafford faithful are still waiting to see from the former Everton man.

Chucked into the deep end with an injured wrist, Fellaini has done nothing to inspire his new club whatsoever during his first nine games and looks to feeling the pressure. His Squawka Performance Score supports that, with his Champions League score the worst in the entire squad.

His sending off against Real Sociedad played a large part in that, but in truth his showings have been stale and he is in need of something to spark his form back to life.

Fellaini has never been the most mobile of players, but when sitting alongside Michael Carrick in the Manchester United midfield every last ounce of energy and vigour seems to seep out of him. There has been numerous occasions already this term when he has been caught out of position and the only thing he can do to rectify that is to haul his opponent to the floor.

To maximise his game, Fellaini needs to be partnered up with someone who can zip around the central areas and counterbalance his lack of manoeuvrability. He also needs a team-mate who can drop into his eyesight and collect the ball from him. Fellaini has proved that he can pick a pass this season, but only to whoever is beside him. Although he has completed 88% of his passes, the average distance of his distribution is just 15m – a span that only Shinji Kagawa (14m) has averaged less than.

The Japan international has the credentials to lure the best out of Fellaini. Not only does he have the stamina and the vitality to compliment Fellaini’s lack of mobility, but he also holds the creativity that is needed to combine the midfield to the attack when United are going forward. Kagawa has made eight key passes in seven bit-part appearances this season and will only grow more effective with time. This would only work if Moyes deploys him centrally, though.

While Fellaini has proved worthwhile in the defensive aspects of the game – completing five out of his six attempted tackles and winning 13 out of 17 of his headers, he requires a certain personnel around him to excel. If Moyes stays consistent with playing Kagawa in the wide areas or the former Borussia Dortmund man leaves the club in the new year, then the United boss will need to ensure that he drafts in a suitable team-mate for the Belgian, who is currently the fourth most expensive United player in the club’s history.