Will Marouane Fellaini improve this Manchester United side?

Howard Kendall is the most successful manager in the Toffees’ storied history, so when he offers an opinion on an Everton player, he’s worth listening to.

The player he recently spoke about was Marouane Fellaini, the same player who recently moved from Goodison Park to Old Trafford. At Manchester United, Fellaini will reunite with his former Everton boss David Moyes. I think it’s fair to say that the move was met with mixed reviews.

Here’s Kendall’s take: “I appreciate the lad. He’s got presence because of his size and he’s dangerous at set-pieces. But he floats – he plays it easy. He’s too safe with the ball for me – he doesn’t hurt the opposition with a pass.

I would put that deal down as a good sale by Everton at that money. And when I look at the players who came in, it was without a doubt a good window for ­Everton.”

He also added: “I haven’t got a clue what his best position is”. (Source: The Star)

That’s exactly the problem. Fellaini is lauded for his versatility, but it’s still not clear what position suits him best. What role will he play at Manchester United?

What United need most is a creative midfielder. It’s what the club has needed for the last two-or-three years. During that time, they’ve been linked to players like Wesley Sneijder, Luka Modric, Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas. These individuals were all able to buy themselves time and space on the ball and pick out a perfect pass.

But as Kendall notes, Fellaini’s not particularly renowned for his range of passing. Whilst he’s a technically gifted player, that relates more specifically to his touch, control and ability to keep the ball than anything else.

Kendall isn’t exactly in a position to offer an unbiased opinion and he doesn’t mince his words. Despite this, I can’t help but feel that there’s some truth to what he says. I’m not sure he’s exactly what United need at this moment in time.

Fellaini will offer the club plenty of strength in depth and make sure that they’re difficult to break down. His height will make him an asset during set-pieces and corners. Going forward, however, I’m just not convinced that he’ll have the impact necessary.

It’s too early to write Manchester United off just yet, but the club hasn’t exactly teed itself up for success.

What’s your take? What impact will Marouane Fellaini have this year?

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