We should all be a fan of Marouane

Picture the scene: stoppage time is fast approaching and you’re holding onto a point away from home, effectively camped in your own box. Suddenly, a looping ball is launched forward - this shouldn’t be a problem, you’re a Premier League centre-back, headed clearances are meat and drink to you. Then out of the corner of your eye you see him…

The opposition centre-midfielder - a laborious, clumsy beast, slow in possession with an on-the-ball style which whiffs inescapably of ungainly terror - has transformed into a snarling behemoth of an unconventional number nine. He might not power the ball into the top corner, he might not even win the header, but what he has accomplished is the equivalent of a death knell for your defence: sheer, unadulterated panic.

This is where Marouane Fellaini is at his best, all pointy elbows and bouffant hair, who would commit the most heinous of atrocities just to get his flailing bonce on an aerial ball. Now on his way to China following an indifferent half-decade at Manchester United, it’s time to remember that, if used correctly, the Belgian was a ruthlessly effective Plan B for a side in need of a late goal, and deserving of the fleeting plaudits he has received over the years.

At one point in his first season, during one of Everton’s systematic injury crises, Fellaini was deployed as a second striker alongside fellow aerial aficionado, Tim Cahill, to great effect. The football wasn’t pretty - the Toffees looked to hit the 6ft 4in Belgian and Olympic-quality Australian high jumper at any given opportunity – but they were organised, compact and a stern test of anyone’s mettle.

Fellaini continued to be a key cog in the well-oiled David Moyes machine at Everton and enjoyed a particularly fruitful campaign at Goodison Park in 2012-2013, ending the season as top scorer with 11 goals from midfield. During this final campaign - and the latter six months of the previous one - the Belgian was given freedom to enjoy greater involvement in Everton’s build-up play after dropping deeper following Nikica Jelavic’s arrival from Rangers.

He was still far from becoming Paul Scholes (about nine inches in excess stature, for one thing) but the midfielder’s stock was beginning to rise, and recognition for his contribution to what was a very good Everton side was finally coming from further afield than the blue areas of L4.

Perhaps Fellaini’s best performance for the Goodison Park outfit came in the opening match of that 2012-2013 campaign as Manchester United, who would go on to walk the title, were beaten 1-0 thanks to a trademark bullet header. Before the goal, however, the midfielder was a constant thorn/elbow in the side of the Red Devils, trapping long passes expertly with his chest, shifting play sensibly and making full use of his physical prowess.

"Incredibly, there appeared to be more to Fellaini’s game than flailing elbows and a Gene Shalit haircut."

With David Moyes drafted in to fill the Sir Alex Ferguson-sized void left at Old Trafford the following summer, a move to Manchester United seemed inevitable. Unfortunately, the manner in which it came about brought unwanted attention, with Moyes failing to activate a buyout clause of £23.5million available until 31st July, and instead signing the Belgian for £4million more, a month later. Not the best of starts for player or manager, and one that neither seemed to fully recover from.

The Scotsman’s well-documented reign at Manchester United coincided with the twilight of an ageing team in need of a serious rebuild, and when that required investment only yielded two young full-backs and Fellaini, there was always going to be an inquest if results deteriorated.

A revisionist view of Moyes’ tenure would consider the fact that some of the biggest names in football have since stepped into the breach and ultimately failed to bring the glory days back to United. Fellaini has nonetheless been regularly used as a scapegoat for poor results and has had to endure a tirade of criticism for a style of play which had been cherished just a few months previously.

It’s also easy to forget that the midfielder actually contributed a significant amount of Manchester United’s success over the past five years. For example, he headed home in the Manchester derby in 2015 and opened the scoring in an FA Cup Semi-Final against his old club Everton a year later, under Louis Van Gaal.

He found game time under Jose Mourinho more difficult to come by, but still managed to pop up with the decisive touch to send United into the last 16 of the Champions League back in November, ensuring his Portuguese manager released his frustration by throwing a load of bottles around on the touchline rather than by fat-shaming Luke Shaw. Timely interventions such as these have always been Marouane Fellaini’s forte – and they deserve acknowledgement.

He’s not a technical midfielder – he’s never claimed to be - but to belittle the Belgian for the chaos he causes is to miss the point. It’s not a fundamental flaw to Fellaini’s game - if used correctly, it’s always been his greatest asset.