Marouane Fellaini is Manchester United’s Secret Weapon

By Nick Burgess @NickBurgess92 on October 27, 2014

So far this season, all eyes at Old Trafford have been focused on the new arrivals Louis Van Gaal brought in this summer. The sheer brilliance of Angel Di Maria, the tempo control of Daley Blind and Ander Herrera and the potential upside in both Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo make this summer’s signings intriguing, and have completely reshaped this season’s squad that really needed an overhaul. While all the attention may be focused on the new group of players, it could be a David Moyes signing that makes the difference this season.

Mauroane Fellaini was brought in by his former Everton manager last year, and was seen as a panic buy. Bought for 27.5 million pounds, many balked at his price as they didn’t think he was worth it, and Manchester United could have bought him for five million pounds cheaper if they had moved faster on the deal and activated his time-sensitive release clause.

Since his transfer from Merseyside, Fellaini has been a bust. He debuted in a different role than he had played at the Toffees, with Moyes preferring to play him in a defensive midfield role at United, rather than the attacking midfield role he was deployed in. This killed his main attribute, providing assists and goals for the team. He later then picked up an injury, which limited him to just 15 games in a United shirt for the season.

During the summer, it was rumored that he would be on his way to Italian side Napoli, but a possible injury picked up during the World Cup ended any hope of United offloading the Belgian. Since staying with the club, Van Gaal has deployed him in his favored position, and his form has increased dramatically, scoring his first goal in a 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion, as well as winning Man of the Match. He then played against Chelsea at the weekend, marking Cesc Fabregas completely out of the game, which allowed United to dictate the passage of play.

This is why Fellaini could be the secret weapon for United this season. In a recent interview on Sky Sports, former United and England right back Gary Neville claimed that the Red Devils lacked a “backbone.” This is true in former seasons, where Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick weren’t exactly striking fear into European midfields. They needed a big, physical presence in the middle, just like Manchester City have with Yaya Toure. Someone who can burst forward, but also mark well and win the battles in the air. That is what Fellaini is for the team, and, if deployed correctly, could be a difference maker in their race to the top four.
Nick Burgess is a soccer columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBurgess92, “Like” him on Facebook and connect with him on  Google