After a torrid first season at Manchester United, Marouane Fellaini seems to be enjoying his football at Old Trafford this term under the new management of Louis van Gaal.

Fellaini is the typical marmite player, you either love him or you hate him - has there ever been another Premier League player who divides fans' opinion as much as the charismatic Belgian?

Since Fellaini's well-documented £27.5million move from Everton in September 2013, the Belgium international hasn't lived up to the same high standards he set at Goodison Park. Too many average and disappointing performances at the start of his United career made Fellaini a real scapegoat with the Manchester United fans, and he hasn't really been able to show his best for the Red Devils since.

In a recent interview with The Sun, the 27-year-old described how he felt as if he was being blamed for United's poor results last term, he said: "Last season was a bad season for everyone, not just me.

"The criticism went to me because I was the first transfer of Moyes. I accept that. But it's a team game. The team wasn't performing well, we didn't win. It was hard."

"Last year was a bad experience, sometimes it's just like that. I accept it, I just want to play. And there is a lot more to come from me."

To be fair to Fellaini, he has got a point. He can't be blamed alone for a season that was hugely unacceptable by Manchester United's high standards. It was always going to be a very difficult job for David Moyes, but for one reason or another, things didn't work out for the Scot, and his time at Old Trafford will always be a bitter pill to swallow for the current Real Sociedad boss.

Fellaini can be very uncomfortable to watch at times - he has a languid style that sometimes makes him an extremely frustrating player. Obviously, his height is always going to effect his footballing ability, and not many players who are 6ft 4in ply their trade in the centre of midfield. He may love a tackle, but sometimes he's too over zealous and his distribution is something that he certainly needs to work on.

In the midfielder's favour, he certainly gives Louis van Gaal a different dimension when things aren't quite going to plan. Fellaini came on in the 1-1 draw against West Ham United on Sunday and caused the Hammers defence a different kind of problem - despite Sam Allardyce calling United a 'long-ball team', Fellaini's introduction made life difficult for West Ham, and United eventually found the late equaliser. He certainly likes to put himself about, and with the flair of Angel di Maria, Juan Mata and Ander Herrera, he gives van Gaal a welcome additional presence in the heart of midfield.

It's undoubtedly been a tough time for Fellaini since arriving in Manchester. But under van Gaal, the tough-tackling midfielder has unquestionably upped his game for the Red Devils this season. The Belgian is far from being the perfect player, but if he can work on the certain aspects of his game where he falters, Fellaini is more than efficient enough to do a job for United when called upon.

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