Fellaini - Defensive Midfielder

[Guest blueboy122]

Yeh I thought that but Im not convinced he would keep hold of the ball well enough. He has trouble on the wing and he wont get that much space through the centre.

 

Naismith is no where near the standard of a premier league footballer. In hindsight I would have just kept the wages and play a kid in what ever his position maybe.

[Phil Br]

I agree... Bar the odd moments of brilliance (ie Sunderland), I think Felli and Jelavic dont really suit each other. Jelavic thrives on through balls, trying to play on the last man and making runs into the box. Felli for the most part, plays with his back to goal. He brings it down excellently but most of the time it means he has to play it wide or backwards which doesnt help Jelavic at all.

 

Fellaini has done a great job upfront but he is a lot clumsier than someone like Osman would be in the same position. His final ball, shot and decision arent of the quality of a striker, they are of a defensive midfielder. He certainly has his moments though and he can hold his own up there.

 

However, as Steve_E says we arent really able to play the ball out of defence all the time and we do rely on that ball forward to Felli. With Gibson in the team we will improve in our ability to pass the ball forward and if we do move Fellaini back we need someone who can keep hold of the ball and use it intelligently. Mirallas was a bit outmuscled when he tried playing there, and he needs more space to run at players IMO and Pienaar is too wasteful most of the time and I like to see him keeping linking up with Baines. My choice would be Osman as his ball retention is excellent, especially when he has a bit more time (which he will have compared to playing as a CM) and i think Jelavic would be better suited to that combination. I would like to see Barkley gets some minutes in that type of role as well because that is where I see him playing over the next couple of seasons.

 

Again, spot on and time to give Ross 30 minutes every game. This will help us to win more matches rather than drawing.

[Peter H]

Felli in the guardians "you are the ref" http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/dec/06/you-are-the-ref-fellaini#zoomed-picture

[MikeO]

Felli in the guardians "you are the ref" http://www.guardian....#zoomed-picture

 

What has Felli to do with any of that (interesting though it is) other than having his picture on it?

[Peter H]

 

 

What has Felli to do with any of that (interesting though it is) other than having his picture on it?

 

Nothing at all. Other than the fact that he is one of the most prominent players in the prem, and famous enough to stick in it and have people recognise him. Which is cool. Been a long time since evertons had a player of his caliber and fame. Even my wife knows who he is.

[Mirallas]

Nothing at all. Other than the fact that he is one of the most prominent players in the prem, and famous enough to stick in it and have people recognise him. Which is cool. Been a long time since evertons had a player of his caliber and fame. Even my wife knows who he is.

 

I think his haircut has a something to do with it as well Nonetheless he is a great player and yes, we can be glad to have him at EFC. There's just one thing, if he leaves, Everton won't be a shadow of what they were on corners and free kicks from a sharp angle and everything that involves headers. I think it will be felt. Who else in the prem can sort of replace Fellaini's header capabilities? Benteke? Andy Carroll? (sorry for bringing him op) It's a thinking exercise.

[Sideliner]

in my humble opinion Fellaini is a CMer - and set peace specialist - by playing him further back we have to bring some more speed and 1touch passing in and around the box to get Jellavic firing or be replaced - Felliani can come forward when the opportunity arises which will make it harder for other teams to mark him .If he hangs around the front he is always shadowed by 2 markers -

i wish we could get someone like Shane Long from WBA to partner Jellavic up front - often great strikers hunt in pairs - at this stage we have a lone striker not making the grade

[Steve_E]

Felliani can come forward when the opportunity arises which will make it harder for other teams to mark him .If he hangs around the front he is always shadowed by 2 markers -

 

Why do people keep posting stuff like this when you only have to look at his numbers to see it isn't true. In 08-09 he played behind the striker and he scored 8 goals in his first season in England. In 09-10 he played mainly as a defensive midfielder and he scored 2 goals. In 10-11 he played mainly as a box-to-box and he scored 1 goal. In 11-12 he played mainly as a box-to-box and he scored 3 goals, 2 of which he scored when he played behind the striker at the end of the season, against Man Utd and Fulham. This season he's played 13 games behind the striker and he's scored 8 goals. Seems to me like he's more difficult to mark when he plays behind the striker.

[Romey 1878]

Fellaini coming from deeper is better when we're up against a side that have to big lumps at the back that can do a good job of marshalling him. If not then he flourishes in the more advanced role.

 

This is why I think Moyes needs to go for more of a horses for courses method. Yes, having Fellaini further up has been effective but it won't be against every opposition we face, which means that sometimes it's better to change it, and it's something that Moyes has never seemed to realise in all his time here. Obviously Fellaini hasn't been here for all of that time but he did the same with Cahill. Once he has something that has worked he's loathe to change it, but sometimes that change is needed against a certain opposition.

[Bailey]

Fellaini coming from deeper is better when we're up against a side that have to big lumps at the back that can do a good job of marshalling him. If not then he flourishes in the more advanced role.

 

This is why I think Moyes needs to go for more of a horses for courses method. Yes, having Fellaini further up has been effective but it won't be against every opposition we face, which means that sometimes it's better to change it, and it's something that Moyes has never seemed to realise in all his time here. Obviously Fellaini hasn't been here for all of that time but he did the same with Cahill. Once he has something that has worked he's loathe to change it, but sometimes that change is needed against a certain opposition.

 

Spot on. Fellaini can really punish weak defensive teams but against the more organised sides he struggles a bit more. He certainly still does a job, but its those games that you need a bit more craft and guile to create opportunites.

[Sideliner]

his foot speed is too slow to be a striker full time - he does not really play well together with Jelavic - he tends to pass backwards from the box instead of setting Jellavic up - playing deeper might not have him scoring that many goals but he might be saving us more and another striker in the mould of Shane long will combine better with Jelavic and produce more goals up front - that is just my opinion

[marcopaulo]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11671/8319749/?utm_medium=facebook

[Romey 1878]

He's won the Player of the Month award. Made even sweeter when Suarez was one of the players nominated too .

[Peter H]

Congrats to Felli! Player of the month is brilliant, and well deserved..

 

Didnt know where to stick this so it ended up in here, but here is an article in a swedish newspaper about how Fellaini became a cult player. http://bloggar.aftonbladet.se/premierleague/2012/12/07/dokument-sa-blev-fellaini-en-kultspelare/

 

Here is a google translated version:

 

 

Document: How Fellaini became a cult player

Posted December 7, 2012, at 09:23 | by Kalle Karlsson

 

 

He was an outstanding athlete and wanted to go on to become long-distance runner.

Marouane Fellaini became a footballer instead.

This fall, he has been one of the Premier League's best.

This is the long history of the Belgian who lacked the technical qualities but became a cult player thanks to his huge physique.

 

There is a story that tells a lot about Marouane Fellaini, about how people perceive him.

The end of August 2008 was David Moyes on location in Belgium. Everton had released Tuffe midfielder Lee Carsley to Birmingham. For once, the club had little money to recruit for. David Moyes had put on a private plane down to Brussels to complete a deal at the last moment.

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright remember the call to his manager.

- I called David and the first thing I said was, "Is he there?". He replied "yes". So I asked, "How is he?". There was silence at the other handset ... then he exclaimed simply, "Big".

Marouane Fellaini is not just big. He is huge. With his 194 centimeters, he is more than most offensive players in the Premier League. And Afro hairstyle gives more volume.

- People tend to notice "Felli" for the hair. But he has so much more. He is a wonderful guy and his willingness to work is unbeatable. He is adaptable and does what you ask for. He is a great asset when we defend and a total nuisance when we attack. Any team in Europe would like to have him, says teammate Leighton Baines.

So it's probably after a fall in which Marouane Fellaini has established itself as one of the Premier League's biggest stars.

It took a while. Four years to be exact.

 

Goodison Park, 20 August 2012

Everton have defied history and won a premiere. This evening it himself with Manchester United look defeated.

Before the game is all light directed at Robin van Persie to make his debut after moving from Arsenal. Afterwards, everyone is talking about Everton's Marouane Fellaini.

From his role as attacking midfielder, he has eaten up the United defense correctly.

He dribbled, shot, won the nod duels played out. In England, Marouane Fellaini has been considered as a useful player, but this is the day when the football world are discovering how good he is.

Halfway through the season, it remains the individual's best bet we've seen this fall.

But unlike before when Marouane Fellaini had made a great match this was no exception.

After the exceptional effort in the premiere is 25-year-old's form continued.

He has dominated the match after match. The only defender who managed to tame him is Swedish Jonas Olsson. Fellaini is one of four players charged in "round team" in this blog four times.

Some say that he was the league's best players.

- He shows every week that he can compete and have the quality to be a quality midfielder. He often dominate the midfield, even when we face top teams. He is invaluable to us, says Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

This has not always been. There was a time when some doubted the expensive new acquisition.

 

Marouane Fellaini was recruited to Everton in August 2008. He cost around 14 million pounds and became the club's most expensive acquisitions ever.

With such a price tag followed the course expectations.

The English audiences did not know much about the midfielder from Standard Liege. All they knew was that he convinced large in Liege was close to defeat Liverpool in qualifying for the Champions League.

When Fellaini was Everton suffered bouts of illness. It made midfielders Tim Cahill and Fellaini was used as a striker.

Fellaini was good, really good at times, but he was also undisciplined. During his first 17 games, he pulled at the 10 (!) Warnings. It went so far that he was called to a meeting with judgments chief Keith Hackett. Fellaini promised to pull themselves together.

But he was also criticized gameplay. After a weak effort against Benfica in the Europa League stressed BBC's Phil McNulty that it was a waste of money and suggested that Fellaini would cut off afrot because it "attracts attention and laid bare how poorly he played."

- There were many who felt that Everton were paying over the odds when they bought him, says Belgian football journalist John Chapman for me.

 

 

Fellaini and the judges did not agree during the Belgian's first six months in England.

 

2009/10 season got Marouane Fellaini breakthrough. He took the step down as defensive midfielder and in the autumn he was so good to Everton coach David Moyes called him "as good as anyone in the league." As good as anyone in the league.

And it pleased David Moyes who has invested a large part of the budget of the Belgian. He had to live with questions about Everton would still have their gold nugget.

- Some time ago, you asked when we would get rid of him. Now you ask, if we can keep him, 'said Moyes to reporters.

At this point, the hair was rather an advantage. Afro Wig are sold like hot cakes in Everton's souvenir shop. Marouane Fellaini was already a cult player at Goodison Park.

Today, the Afro hairstyle a piece of Everton history. When Fellaini added to the braids for a match against Stoke, this resulted in the local newspaper the Liverpool Echo interviewed a fancy business about how it would affect sales of wigs. It started a Facebook group "Bring back the Afro Fellaini lad". He himself says:

- Everyone has their own style. Some days I feel to keep it, some days I feel that straight away. But life has been okay so I might keep it.

Despite the strong effort, despite the recognition factor, it was not until he got that real recognition.

Maybe it was because Tim Cahill was the team's perennial star and took the spotlight.

Maybe it was because Fellaini moved around between midfield and attack and was never recorded in any position.

Maybe it was because he suffered serious injuries and missed much of the spring two years in a row.

During the silly-season months in the summer flourished there rumors about anyone who ever owned a pair of football boots. But if Fellaini was surprisingly quiet.

Sure, there have been whispered about interest from Chelsea over the years, but no more than empty talk.

Perhaps intimidated great clubs of a possible price tag as the player signed a five-year contract with Everton a year ago.

On the other hand, Marouane Fellaini always had to struggle to get anywhere.

 

Everton crowd favorite was born in the Belgian Etterbeek. His parents had immigrated from Morocco. His father was a soccer goalie at home, but when he failed to get a work permit in Belgium, he gave up the active career and started running tram. In his spare time he trained the three sons.

Marouane started playing on the streets of Brussels in the neighborhood Heizel. He was discovered by scouts and came to Anderlechts academy age of eight. In parallel, he trained athletics. His youth coach Paul Schraepen told the BBC three years ago:

- He was good in the long haul, and his goal was to succeed in it.

Dad Abdellatif was however his son to choose football. But there had Marouane not the natural talent. Abdellatif let Marouane son to school to build up stamina.

- Marouane was not a gifted player but very athletic. He ran from beginning to end. Could not stop him.

When the father got a new job in Mons family moved. Marouane Fellaini failed in Charleroi. Instead, he ended up in Standard Liege, where Michel Preud'homme gave him a chance as defensive midfielder.

- It's surprising that "Maro" become such a star, said Paul Schraepen. I never thought he would reach such a high level. He was good as a young man, but not fantastic. There were many of his age who was better when I trained them.

Marouane Fellaini simply made the best of his skills, his size, his physique.

Just as he does today.

 

Marouane Fellaini's not the most elegant player, no it is not that kids want to be in the schoolyard. But few players are equally effective. Few can create more confusion in the opponents' penalty area.

It only takes a lift from Leighton Baines against that huge hair to my jaws begin to tremble.

He is probably the only player in the football world today who can dominate a Premier League match with his chest. His ability to suck in height balls and give his team the opportunity to move up is unique.

What is Fellainis best position? If this dispute they learned.

Compared to last season, when he played defensive midfielder, he wins fewer close combat (39% vs. 41%), fewer nick duels (52% versus 74%) and lower standby percent (79% versus 80%). No wonder he now plays more upside down.

On the other hand, the offensive numbers reversed. He makes more goals, the more trades, better shooting percentage and manages "clear-cut chances' more often (60% versus 17% last year).

Many have still turned over to Fellaini's sharpest later in this plan. Last season he created an average of one chance in 114 minutes. Now the figure is a chance on 53 minutes. It is as a target he becomes the most difficult to manage, that's where he gives his team a simple and obvious uppspelsväg. Phil Neville, which saw Belgian mash Manchester United, said afterwards:

- I think he is best when he creates problems for opponents in the final third. Then he is unstoppable. He gives us so many options.

Former teammate Mikel Arteta, now at Arsenal, agrees:

- I think it is very difficult to play against him when he is around the box. He uses his size well and create problems, which you can see on the goals he does. I have seen tremendous development from him, especially in that position. He is one of the toughest midfielders to meet because of the size. Normally you do not meet that kind of player in that position.

There is another aspect that makes Fellaini unique. How many other "bucks" can take the step down as defensive midfielder?

Phil Jagielka know how difficult it is to face Everton striker. He pitted against him daily in training. He says:

- There are things you can try: kicking, pinching or hair pulling. But it does not always work. You know exactly what to expect, but there's not much you can do. It's frustrating and hard to master. He is a foot taller than me so it's not much I can do other than stand behind, giving him a blow or two and hope he has a bad day. Are you trying to get in front of him, he is so strong that he keeps one away.

 

 

Marouane Fellaini headed the winning goal in the premiere against Manchester United.

 

Now I wonder how long all Everton can keep him. Last month, it began to whir new rumors about Chelsea.

- I want to play for one of the biggest clubs one day, but I have patience, he said last week.

The question is how big is the patience or desire for Champions League games is already huge.

During a squad training in september sounded different. Then said Fellaini to the Belgian media that this would be his last season at Everton. The midfielder is the club's highest paid player with 75,000 pounds a week. But he could get a hefty raise elsewhere.

David Moyes reacted with anger and berated the player.

- He was surrounded by foreign journalists who massaged his ego. Sometimes players say things they should not say. But where should he go? The window is closed. I'm not saying he can not move in the next window for everyone in the world is available if the price is right. He is not going anywhere now. We talked about it and any punishment is between him and me, 'said Moyes.

When Marouane Fellaini last fall talked about klubbyte he might not anticipated that David Moyes gangs would fight in the top of the Premier League.

But if the league's most feared major players retain top form, he can actually play to play Champions League with Everton.

 

Sources: BBC, Daily Mail, EPL Index, The Guardian, The Times.

 

FACTS / Marouane Fellaini - year by year

(Season, club, games, goals)

2006/07 Standard Liège ........ 30 ..... 3

2007/08 Standard Liège ........ 31 ...... 6

2008/09 Standard Liège ........ 3 ....... 0

2008/09 Everton ................... 30 ....... 8

2009/10 Everton ................... 23 ....... 2

2010/11 Everton ................... 20 ....... 1

2011/12 Everton ................... 34 ....... 3

2012/13 Everton ................... 13 ....... 8

[Mirallas]

^ I just read all of that.

[UltimaJenko]

.

[Matt]

do we change the title to "UFC candidate" now?

[GoodisonRoad]

Banned for 3 games.

[Romey 1878]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2013/04/26/100252-33238809/?

[Hafnia]

“I think as he matures he might grow into a deeper role but currently he does give us a different attacking option and has scored quite a few goals so we have been happy with him playing further forward this season.”

Read more: Liverpool Echo http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2013/04/26/100252-33238809/?#ixzz2RZpMzyLo

 

I think he will grow into a deeper role when his manager plays him in his best position - which is in a deeper role funny enough.

 

Different attacking option aka "get the ball and hoof the ball up to him"

 

He's a great option to have at a set piece and maybe the last 10 minutes if we need a goal in terms of being advanced, for me he needs to play in front of the back four.

[Matt]

happy days! Moyes seems to think he will stay too...

[Mirallas]

I think it's an improvement:

 

 

I also see some black underneath it, so I assume it's some sort of temporary colouring.

[MikeO]

That's just a mock-up, he hasn't had it done yet.

[Blue4Ever]

I think he should have just cut it off for charity. never been into afros myself but if he stays and he's happy its the best th

 

Apart from toure who is a better center midfielder than him in the league? and to be fair toure has years on him, dont no if the release clause was around 24 million but even that isnt enough money for him.

Edited May 15, 2013 by Blue4Ever

[Avinalaff]

Would he have been ranked so highly had he been a 5ft 9 Welsh guy with a bald patch ?

[marcus jones]

Would he have been ranked so highly had he been a 5ft 9 Welsh guy with a bald patch ?

Since when was Attilo Lombardo welsh?

[Mirallas]

Fellaini posing with his price tag

[Avinalaff]

Since when was Attilo Lombardo welsh?

 

I had to Google that one lol.

 

Fellaini posing with his price tag

 

I laughed at that.

[Dalziel Kane]

Search for what ? A well-known (at the time) player who scored against us on the opening day of the 1997/98 season ? Maybe I didn't quite understand.

 

Humor also, if that's what was suggested, in that Fellaini doesn't warrant twenty-five million pounds anymore some would argue. Or maybe he does, damn well knows, with all these stupid prices and exaggerated figures now.

[Romey 1878]

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/everton/news/fellaini-eyes-defensive-midfield-role_85038.html