Moyes explains Fellaini wasn’t always going to be the answer for United’s midfield
David Moyes has admitted that he never considered Marouane Fellaini as the answer to Manchester United’s midfield problems this summer but a lack of other available midfielders thrust him into the limelight earlier than was anticipated. The 26-year-old has struggled so far at Old Trafford having made only two starts in the Premier League this season and Moyes believes that is in no small part due to the fact he was our only midfield signing this summer.
Vested interest in Thiago Alcantara as well as failed bids for Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara meant that Moyes didn’t strengthen the midfield like he wanted to and it forced Fellaini to play in games Moyes didn’t want him to at the start of his Old Trafford career.
“We picked Marouane because he is a type who would give us something different from what we had,” Moyes said.
“But he wasn’t always going to be the answer because there were other types and other players who we were considering as well. But he was the one who was available and who we could get at the time.
“If we had had our way we would probably have had another midfielder as well and it would have meant then we would have been using them in the games when we felt it was the right time and the right opportunities.”
Moyes may have wanted to keep Fellaini out of the spotlight so early in his career at Old Trafford but he is going to have to play an important role over the next four weeks due to the absence of Michael Carrick through injury.
At ￡27.5 million, Fellaini has an expectation to live up to that comes with such a big price tag and although it isn’t the situation Moyes wanted him to be placed in, the big Belgian has to improve his performances during the crucial festive period because Carrick isn’t in the team.
