Manchester United's highest rated statistical player will shock you
Manchester United misfit Marouane Fellaini is off to a fast start
Much of the talk about Manchester United at the moment centers around Jose Mourinho, Wayne Rooney and everything else that’s going on at Old Trafford. There’s very little chatter about what’s going right at the club.
That’s understandable, but it does prevent people from acknowledging one of the most unlikely storylines in the Premier League this season. United midfielder Marouane Fellaini is experiencing a statistical renaissance under Mourinho.
Certainly, football isn’t solely described by statistics, but numbers don’t lie. The Belgian midfielder is currently the top rated member of his squad per Whoscored.com with a player rating average of 7.49. He only leads fellow midfielder Paul Pogba by one-hundredth of a point, but he still is on top of the heap.
His statistical prowess is even more surprising considering he hasn’t contributed either a goal or an assist on the campaign. Generally speaking, those tangible contributions lead to the most impressive statistic totals.
Instead, Fellaini’s rating is based largely on his defensive responsibilities. He’s been excellent in the air on the young season, and he’s generally done a good job of breaking up opposing attacks. His game certainly isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing thing on Earth, but this season it’s garnered results.
In a way, this is a backhanded compliment for United. Fellaini certainly deserves some credit for his solid play, but the fact that he’s the highest rated member of the squad does explain why the club are struggling so much. There’s no way that Fellaini should be outperforming the likes of Pogba, Anthony Martial and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Jose Mourinho isn’t enjoying life at Manchester United currently, but his year would be off to an even worse start if not for the efforts of Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian midfielder has been the club’s unlikely hero through five Premier League matches.
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