Are you taking the Mickey, Marouane?
FOUR years on from Manchester United’s last Champions League knockout tie at Old Trafford and some things don’t change.
Marouane Fellaini still has the capacity to polarise opinions like no other here, even as it appears he is nearing the end of his United career.
When Fellaini played against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final on April 1, 2014 — not his finest hour when he failed to track Bastian Schweinsteiger for Bayern’s equaliser — few would have bet on David Moyes’s controversial first signing still remaining at the club four seasons later.
The ungainly Belgian has survived under Louis van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho to such an extent that when the United manager went looking for someone to partner Nemanja Matic in central midfield against Sevilla last night, he settled on Fellaini.
Not Scott McTominay, who was left on the bench after five starts in a row having been praised to the heavens by Mourinho at his pre-match press conference on Monday.
Not Michael Carrick, who replaced Mourinho in front of the cameras and spoke about a final Champions League fling only to be left out of the squad altogether.
And not Paul Pogba, who returned to the squad after missing the win over Liverpool with a gashed leg but was also among the substitutes.
No, Mourinho opted for Fellaini, who had only started four previous games this season and none since the group defeat in Basle nearly four months ago following a succession of knee problems.
It was a surprise and came on the day that Fellaini was pictured in GQ magazine with his trademark mop of curly hair in bunches, making him look suspiciously like Mickey Mouse.
Some United fans will have their own views on that but Fellaini is the kind of power player that Mourinho likes; one who will follow orders and sacrifice himself for the team.
He can also be very erratic and last night was a case in point.
Not surprisingly, he looked a little rusty in the early stages. There was wasted possession and some unnecessary fouls as Joaquin Correa and Franco Vazquez caused United all sorts of problems, but a crunching touchline tackle on Sergio Escudero earned an encouraging pat on the back from Mourinho.
Fellaini also fashioned United’s two best chances during the hour he was on the pitch. Both owed much to his tenacity in winning back possession close to the Sevilla box.
In the first instance, in the 38th minute, he played a one-two with Alexis Sanchez and forced a fine save from goalkeeper Sergio Rico at his near post. In the 58th, Fellaini went directly for goal but guided his effort over.
It was his last contribution to the game as Mourinho sent on Pogba and greeted his No 27 with a warm handshake.
Would he have helped prevent the two Sevilla goals that soon followed? We’ll never know. But unless United increase their contract offer significantly, we are unlikely to see Fellaini back at Old Trafford next season.
Whatever your opinion of him, he won’t be forgotten in a hurry.