Marouane Fellaini Ideal for Manchester United as They Go Through Transition

Marouane Fellaini isn't everyone's cup of tea. There were some Manchester United fans—plenty actually—who wouldn't have paid £2.75 for the Belgian midfielder last summer, never mind £27.5 million.

He's a very particular type of footballer. He's not elegant or technically perfect. He can often look uncomfortable on the ball, like an elephant trying his best not to stand on it. It makes him an easy target for the boo boys who had him in their sights last season.

But when Fellaini is playing with confidence, as he is at the moment, he's effective. He's awkward and horrible to play against. What's more, he offers something United can't get from anyone else.

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When manager Louis van Gaal gets his team playing in the way he wants, there perhaps won't be a place for Fellaini. When that time comes, you imagine it'll be players like Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Juan Mata gliding around, passing and moving, creating chance after chance.

But United are not there yet. Nowhere near that, judging by their first-half performance against QPR during Saturday's 2-0 win.

Until then, Van Gaal needs grit and bite just as much as he needs his creative players, like Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. At the moment, United are having to battle their way through games, and Fellaini is perfect for that kind of fight.

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He changed the game when he came on at half-time at Loftus Road on Saturday. He was horrible and nasty, and the QPR midfielders—who'd had things all their own way—began to look ruffled.

Van Gaal urges him to get forward as much as possible to create panic in the opposition box. But not even the Dutchman would have imagined he would finish his chance with such assuredness. He did, though, and it only served to underline the 27-year-old's contribution.

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There will come a time when Van Gaal doesn't need Fellaini anymore. United will be playing attacking, expansive, total football and the fans will be gushing about Carrick, Herrera, Mata and Di Maria.

But that's not possible at the moment, as Van Gaal leads his players through a tough transition. They currently sit fourth in the table. While he waits for the moment when everything clicks, he'll need Fellaini's strength and physicality to add some steel to United's midfield.

Fellaini will never be able to win over all the United fans. Some will only ever see the heavy touches and misplaced passes. However, he's doing a valuable job while United try to find their feet under Van Gaal, and it should not be underestimated.