Marouane Fellaini Now a Symbol of Success as Manchester Becomes Red Again

On Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s fans rose to their feet as one to recognise the performance of Marouane Fellaini as he strolled to the side of the pitch in the 83rd minute to be substituted for Radamel Falcao.

This was the Belgian’s moment to bask in the new adulation and respect he is now afforded at Old Trafford, the crucial role he had just played in United’s 4-2 win over Manchester City and the club’s stunning run of form this year.

It was an unexpected moment, one that would have seemed laughable a year ago and even at the start of the season, when Fellaini was booed by the same Old Trafford fans in a friendly against Valencia.

Last season, Fellaini became the symbol of David Moyes’ failing regime. Just like his manager, he appeared out of his depth, overawed by Old Trafford and unrecognisable from the force he had been at Everton. 

The Belgian had inexplicably been used as a holding midfielder and looked lost, and his displays were timid and, at times, technically woeful. He sometimes seemed unable to simply pass the ball.

In his first Manchester derby, when United went down 4-1 to City at the Etihad Stadium in September 2013, Fellaini had been a passenger and a liability who seemed to be bullied by Yaya Toure and the rest of the Manchester City midfield.

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It was only an ankle injury picked up in training last August that kept him at Old Trafford for this season, otherwise, as The Independent reported, he would have been shipped out to Italy for a year-long loan at Napoli.

Eight months later, Fellaini has now become a symbol of success for Louis van Gaal’s new and dominant Manchester United side, who should now be assured of a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League next season.

Combining with Daley Blind and Ashley Young on the left, Fellaini was devastating against City. His passing was sharp and incisive, and as reported by the Guardian, Van Gaal lauded him for his knack of “playing the ball to the same colour every time.”

Jon Super/Associated Press

He can also drift inside to great effect to use his height and presence as a second striker, and on Sunday afternoon, this delivered United’s second goal—his sixth of the season—when he moved to the back post to head in Young’s cross.

At Old Trafford on Sunday, it was Toure’s turn to look uncomfortable and unable to contain the Belgian.

Fellaini’s overwhelming victory in this battle came to signify how the balance of power in Manchester has now decidedly shifted back to the red half this season.

It augurs well for United that Van Gaal has taken a player such as Fellaini, unloved and seemingly on the way out of the club, and transformed him into an effective performer and important cog in a winning team. If he can do that, then what else can he do next season?

Van Gaal has also performed similarly impressive rehabilitation jobs on Ashley Young, Juan Mata, Antonio Valencia and, lately, Chris Smalling.

This win felt like more than just another three points for United; it was a cathartic and seismic moment for a club still nursing the scars of last season.

The win took United four points above City, still the reigning champions, and it allows them to start looking forward to next season with genuine optimism.

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Van Gaal has fashioned a successful team out of many of last season’s stragglers, so what will he be able to achieve with his first proper pre-season and some carefully selected new additions at the club?

Last summer’s transfer business was late and messy, with the majority of players being signed toward the end of August. But what if United were able to complete their recruitment drive before the players report back for pre-season training so they could bed them in properly before the campaign starts?

How much better will United be if Van Gaal is able to secure the players he wants in order to improve what is quite clearly already a strong side?

What sort of player will United see next season if Angel Di Maria, still so vital to Van Gaal, benefits from his own first proper pre-season at the club?

A believer in youth, can Van Gaal lure the best out of the obvious potential of Adnan Januzaj and Luke Shaw next season?

Could United be on the brink of a genuine title challenge next season?

These are the tantalising questions for Untied fans, which can now be addressed with a sense of excitement and not dread.

In the aftermath of Sunday’s win, Van Gaal described it, as reported by the Daily Mail, as “the best feeling” of the season so far. It is a feeling he is likely to experience many more times next season.

Manchester has been conquered—now for the rest of the Premier League.