MAROUANE FELLAINI: The Unneeded Signing by ManUtd

Having listened to several schools of thought on the signing of Marouane Fellaini, by ManUtd, and the reasons behind his signing, especially given a rather infamous summer dealing(s) in the transfer market by the club, which I must point out was as a result of the absolute naivety of our new Chief Executive, ED Woodward, a marketing guru who has no modicum of knowledge as to the modus operandi in the transfer market and perhaps in collaboration with David Moyes, new manager of ManUtd, the conspiratorial analyses of his face saving capture have left me feeling that indeed there are people trying really hard to see if ManUtd can continue without SAF and we are being thoroughly tested by some “INVISIBLE HANDS” fueled by the choice of a David Moyes as SAF’s successor.

For me, as an avid fan of this institution of learning, ManUtd, in trying to understand these conspiracy theories, the signing of Marouane Fellaini, opinions on it and selective journalism by the English media looking for ways of selling their papers, before it and thereafter, have opened up the Pandora box for me and given me the impetus to hold strongly to this belief that indeed there are invisible hands pulling some strings somewhere. Some of the questions and opinions thus far on the signing of Fellaini I have come across, read or heard, especially on twitter, columns and television programs, from pundits and pseudo-pundits alike are; “Marouane Fellaini was a panic buy”; “Marouane Fellaini isn't ManUtd quality” ; “Marouane Fellaini is not creative”; “ManUtd does not need Marouane Fellaini”, among-st others.

Dazzlingly, 90% of these pundits saying these things about the signing of Marouane Fellaini by ManUtd are doing so because it was done by David Moyes and not Sir Alex Ferguson. If the latter had signed Fellaini, then, this piece won’t have enough space to contain the adjectives that would have been used to describe it as a brilliant move and buy. Looking and analyzing ManUtd’s midfield qualms, it befuddles one when you begin to read some of these thoughts and gladly, I was able to find and hold on to one, opined by BBC’s Chief football writer, Phil McNulty.

As opined by Phil, on ManUtd missing out on the signing of former Real Madrid creative genius and power house, Mesut Ozil, he said, “Here is a player of ‘super quality’ and the sort of player many (including him) feel would have provided that missing ingredient to ManUtd”. Now, let me point the absolute bias and flaw in his assertion by quoting what he said about Marouane Fellaini’s signing. He said, “The Everton man is not what United needs right now”. ManUtd has problems in the midfield and not just a problem, this particular fact is one these experts have failed to recognize, perhaps because the manager is not a Sir Alex Ferguson but a David Moyes. That ManUtd’s midfield is lightweight is a well-documented fact, one that shows why our back four are constantly pressured due to lack of cover and if you are an avid football follower, you’d understand that a player of Ozil’s quality won’t solve this problem. Now, given this very point made, MR. Phil McNulty opined further on Marouane Fellaini, “Fellaini, while a fine player, does not appear to be the identikit of the sort of midfield player needed to reinvigorate a department of United’s team that is in urgent need of repair”. Phil failed to recognize that ManUtd does need to add physical presence, power and steel in/to its midfield to provide cover for its back four as much as it needs to find a solution to the creative department of its team, a department with players like Shinji Kagawa and Wayne Rooney, the former many have forgotten is a ManUtd player and also a brilliant play-maker  Despite his seeming ignorance, Phil McNulty continued his description of Marouane Fellaini’s attributes and unwittingly, he was aptly defining his ignorant position on ManUtd’s real midfield quagmire. He averred further, “He (Fellaini) will provide power, aerial threat and goals. Fellaini will also provide an element of enforcement”. He quizzed, “will Fellaini provide an element of craft and creation United’s midfield needs?” This final question indeed confirmed that these experts are either truly ignorant of ManUtd’s midfield needs or they are purposely trying to create serious problems given that SAF had abdicated his position and was no longer the main boss. For me, I actually believe it is the latter case because how can anybody who is an expert think that Marouane Fellaini was signed by ManUtd to bring an element of craft and creativity?

We do not need clairvoyance to understand the signing of Marouane Fellaini by ManUtd. However, the only valid question anyone can actually ask is, since we all knew that Marouane Fellaini was a player David Moyes would sign no matter the creative midfielder signed, why wait so late to sign him and allow his release clause to expire? That’s one question some of us may have found an answer to already if we take cognizance of the now infamous Leighton Baines-Marouane Fellaini combo bid!  Marouane Fellaini brings to the midfield of ManUtd something we've always lacked since Roy Keane left the club. In his absence and SAF’s failure to sign anyone to replace him, we've been constantly bullied in the midfield and in Marouane Fellaini, we've finally found, at least on paper, someone with the personality to form a formidable pairing with Michael Carrick to ensure that such bullying seizes to exist. Hence in Fellaini, Moyes has a monster who gives a whole lot of options in the midfield, either as a CDM/box2box/AMF and also gives hope to lovers of Shinji Kagawa whose wishes are to simply see him play for ManUtd considering his prodigious play-making talent.

 Manchester united, as an institution of learning, will continue to outlive its students and administrators. SAF may have left us and people think appointing David Moyes would see Manchester united decline, my message to y’all is, our club is one that takes its time to plan for the future. We are an institution that takes time to fashion out ways and policies that would ensure we are a success in the long term. David Moyes isn't a novice and it may take him time to understand the modus operandi of handling a big club and institution like ManUtd, but he will surprise you guys and so will Marouane Fellaini. “The Glory Glory Man United” chant is not just a chant but a line that alludes a going-concern designed to make success a continuum.  

Your Hating And Selective Journalism Will Only Make David Moyes And Manchester United Stronger, Mentally And Otherwise, Ready To Prove That We Are Indeed A Special Club, With Special Fans And Special People.

THE STORY CONTINUES…

@Das_Spiel_