Will Manchester United fans finally give Marouane Fellaini the respect he deserves?

Marouane Fellaini is a player who has been booed, criticised and abused by Manchester United fans since arriving at Old Trafford under David Moyes. It’s time to show the Belgian some respect.

Is there any player in the world who is scapegoated for all their club’s problems more so than Marouane Fellaini?

I highly doubt it. Since joining Manchester United from Everton in 2013 under David Moyes, Fellaini has been used as a metaphor for all that’s wrong with the club in the post-Ferguson years.

Any time we lose a game, play bad football or are just plain mediocre, the Belgian midfielder is chastised by fans and pundits alike for not fulfilling the archetype of a true “Manchester United player” – whatever the hell that means.

And yet, since arriving at Old Trafford, has there really been any other player at the club who has bailed us out of so many bad situations (bar David de Gea)? Absolutely not.

How many times have United been trailing or drawing at 90 minutes, only to have the 31-year-old come out of nowhere and clinch one or three points and save the day? The answer is countless times – the most recent being the 1-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League with an added-time winner from Fellaini.

However, whenever we lose – even when it’s not his fault – the midfielder will always be made to be the scapegoat. This is a disgraceful way to treat such an important and loyal servant to the club for many years.

Maybe his new haircut will finally get fans and pundits to stop talking about his appearance and actually start commenting on his game for once – which is actually vastly underrated.

No, Fellaini isn’t a Luka Modric or David Silva – but he does have a set of qualities and attributes unmatched by even the very best players in the world.

Indeed, who can control a ball with his chest better than him? Who can win a header better than him? Who can do both of these things while also being pretty decent with the ball at his feet (as his nifty footwork against Young Boys showed)? Nobody, that’s who.

It’s time to stop the disrespectful nonsense and realise that Marouane Fellaini is actually a great footballer. He’ll never be good enough for some, but if you ask me, there’s just nobody else out there quite like him – so we should count our lucky stars that he’s a Red.

Do you agree that Manchester United fans should more appreciative of Marouane Fellaini? Or do you think he should play less for the club or should even be sold? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!