Skip to main content
Home The New Paper
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team

Popular

  • COURT & CRIME
  • Food & Drink
Football

Neil Humphreys: Stale United can't rely on Fellaini

Stale United can't rely on Fellaini
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho turned to Marouane Fellaini (above, left) as his Plan B against Real Madrid in the Uefa Super Cup. PHOTO: AFP

Mourinho needs a better game plan than hitting high balls into the box

Neil Humphreys
Sports Columnist
Aug 10, 2017 06:00 am
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • 0 Engagements

Manchester United had largely run out of ideas.

The call went out for the human microphone to hit the right notes, the only notes in his limited repertoire.

The man with the mop was sent on to clean up a Red Devils mess.

And the move almost worked.

Marouane Fellaini's introduction added an immediate physicality, United pulled a goal back to keep the scoreline respectable and eventually lost 2-1 to Real Madrid yesterday morning (Singapore time).

But Fellaini surely cannot be the way forward.

Chelsea have conceded only two goals in an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions since manager Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge in January.
Football

Chelsea's mean defence is down to trust and courage: Tuchel

Mar 09, 2021

Related Stories

Leicester show mettle as the top-four race heats up

Jimmy Greaves pays tribute to Ian St John as Liverpool legend dies aged 82

Father of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson drowns in Brazil

United must seek an alternative route to goal, particularly when the Uefa Super Cup final's close scoreline was such a smokescreen.

Real rarely raised their game beyond the pedestrian and yet United offered little beyond throwing on the big man and chasing knock-downs.

Fellaini certainly improved United, by some distance, which should concern the Old Trafford faithful.

Jose Mourinho finds himself plagiarising the David Moyes playbook. It's Groundhog Day, only the furry mammal is a Belgian, rather than a rodent.

But Moyes was two managers and half a billion dollars ago and yet the Red Devils are still searching for the towering afro to salvage games.

Mourinho sent out his three new signings, collectively worth £145.7 million (S$258.2m), but United struggled against a Real side without Cristiano Ronaldo - until the 83rd minute.

As expected, Nemanja Matic provided the star turn, but Victor Lindelof went AWOL (absent without official leave) for Real's opener and laboured throughout.

Romelu Lukaku, on the other hand, lived up to the Lukaku stereotype so effectively he came close to parodying himself.

He tucked away one rebound, but missed an easier rebound from four metres. He occasionally got in his teammates' way and allowed sceptics to question that £75 million price tag.

He'll still score goals though. Where those goals will come from is the bigger concern.

United's forward line still retains an emaciated look, a kind of lightweight hangover left over from the Louis van Gaal era.

Mourinho's love of brute strength and incisive counter-attacking is well established; hence his pursuit of Ivan Perisic and Gareth Bale because United were more power-puff than Champions League contenders.

Real's dominance was slightly curtailed when Ander Herrera went off for Fellaini, but United's flimsiness clearly irritated Mourinho throughout.

His underwhelming back three was switched to a conventional four and then reverted to a three as Mourinho tried - and largely failed - to curb the enthusiasm of the outstanding Isco at the top of Real's impenetrable midfield diamond.

Poor Jesse Lingard was so ineffective on United's left, he was removed at half-time, but he wasn't the only culprit.

Lindelof, Matteo Darmian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Herrera were either easily dispossessed or intimidated in their respective positions.

Much has been made of Mourinho's title success in his second season at previous clubs, but the unifying characteristic in all those line-ups was a granite-like solidity from front to back.

Against Real, only Matic and Fellaini really displayed those qualities - the strong, imposing Mourinho archetypes that delivered silverware in the past.

Towards the latter stages, United had resorted to floating balls towards the penalty spot, an orthodox approach that may work against lesser opposition in the English Premier League.

And United should be comforted by the fact that they'll never face a side as accomplished as Real in domestic football.

But half a billion dollars spent on a transitional side should at least buy a back-up plan, an alternative to a rudimentary strategy championed by Moyes - and ridiculed by his critics - four years ago.

More importantly, it won't work, not when it really counts.

Floated balls towards Fellaini, or even Lukaku for that matter, won't unduly concern the Champions League's heavyweights.

Real's intricate play around the box was far more nuanced, varied and effective.

Their fleet of foot complemented their speed of thought, swopping passes and skipping tackles like ballet dancers making their way through Jurassic Park.

Mourinho may feel he has the squad depth to challenge for the title, if he imposes his suffocating tactics in key EPL contests.

But if United are serious about the Champions League, too, they'll need something more than thumping high balls towards their Belgian twin towers.

They'll need to go shopping again.

 

Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now

eplJose MourinhoManchester United

Neil Humphreys

Sports Columnist
Neil Humphreys is a humour columnist and author of best-selling books such as Rich Kill Poor Kill, Marina Bay Sins and his "Island" series about Singapore, such as Saving A Sexier Island.
halbutt@hotmail.com
@NeilHumphreys
Read articles by Neil Humphreys
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • Newslink -  Purchase this article for republication

Top Stories this Month

Irfan Fandi (left) with fellow Singaporean Benjamin Tan, the Thai League's deputy chief executive and director of club licensing.
Singapore Football

Irfan first S'porean to win Thai L1 title

Mar 05, 2021
Old RGS used as Sunday gathering site for maids till end-June
Singapore

Old Raffles Girls' School used as Sunday gathering site for maids till end-June

Mar 08, 2021
Actor Terence Cao and guest charged over rule breaches at party
Singapore

Actor Terence Cao charged over rule breaches at party

Mar 03, 2021
Home
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contact TNP
  • About SPH
  • Privacy Statement
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Member Terms & Conditions
  • Website Terms & Conditions
SPH Digital News Copyright © 2021 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn No. 198402868E