Actions speak louder than words

First it was Phil Neville expressing surprise at how quickly and how easily Marouane Fellaini has racked up 10 yellow cards, and now it's David Moyes's turn to cite something other than the Belgian's own actions for the two-match suspension that he now serves during the back-to-back Merseyside derbies.

Moyes says, "I think that the language barrier and how things are put over at times, and even how referee put things over can be a problem."

I don't buy it. First of all, most of Fellaini's bookings have been justified on the basis of persistent fouling — he is clumsy and his lack of pace often means he is chasing opponents from behind and either tripping them or bundling them over because of his size. The fact that he isn't learning to compensate for this is more worrying to me than referees' treatment of him.

Secondly, the referees are making their decisions and reaching for their cards before Fellaini even gets to attempt to surmount the language barrier. He's not talking his way into the book, it's his actions during play that are doing all the talking.

Furthermore, as others have pointed out, Fellaini could, with a harsher or more observant official, have picked up a straight red for elbowing Kamil Zayatte and then Michael Turner against Hull City. On both occasions, he wasn't even penalised with a foul but it could have been much, much worse.

Fellaini's job is simple: learn to control that gangly frame and learn to jump without using his elbows for leverage. It's no coincidence that he was "victimised" to the same degree in Belgium as he has so far in the English Premier League — he is the problem, in my opinion, and his reputation will now, unfortunately, go before him.

It's a shame because while I personally don't think he has thus far justified the huge fee Everton paid Standard Liege for him, he has without doubt become one of our most important and effective players. He'll be missed against Liverpool... though you'd have to admit that he'd be a red card just waiting to happen in a game like the derby!
Lyndon Lloyd     Posted 17/01/2009 at 15:27:59

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