Marouane Fellaini showed against Zorya Luhansk why he may never succeed at Man United

Fellaini looks bereft of his bullying confidence that can make him such a handful

You could see the logic, just as Kenny Dalglish saw the logic of signing Charlie Adam and Andy Carroll - you get a good lad in the air and someone with a sweet left foot and then sit back while the goals fly in.

Dalglish’s problem was that neither Carroll or Adam could stay fit or in shape long enough to make an impact in the Liverpool team.

Moyes’ problem was that he couldn’t get Bill Kenwright to part with both players.

At Everton, Fellaini was at his best as a second striker - like a deep-lying target man

Fellaini would steamroll defenders and goalkeepers alike at Everton

Manchester United fans will probably tell you the whole thing was flawed and that Fellaini was in no way the statement signing Moyes needed.

The Belgian midfielder is not seen as ‘a United player’ - whatever that is.

But despite that he is one of the few post-Sir Alex Ferguson signings to have stuck around and actually been an active member of the squad. He is now approaching 100 appearances for United.

Fellaini now often finds himself having to unpick defences with passing not physicality

However, he is a common scapegoat for the fans when the Red Devils and it’s easy to see why.

More often than not, he is deployed in central midfield and required to play with the game in front of him. He is asked to find a pass and unpick a defence.

It’s fair to say that is not his strength so it’s hardly surprising that he often looks hesitant and confused on the ball.

And it has started to impinge upon the strengths of his game.

The enormous Fellaini is a wrecking ball of a man, a whirlwind of flailing arms and legs that is a hindrance to any attacker on the ground and a nightmare for even the bravest of defenders.

But against Zorya Luhansk he seemed unwilling to express himself physically, to challenge for the ball when it was loose or in the air. Even Robbie Savage noticed.

There is perhaps a simple solution. Fellaini was at his happiest and most successful at Everton when deployed much further up the pitch.

Positioned almost as a second striker, he was able to play with his back to goal and hold up the ball or break late into the box and thump the ball home.

In his last full season at Goodison scored 11 times. He was more than a handful to deal with. He even passed the ball with confidence. He commanded a fee of £27.5million.

But at a club like United, a man who can play as a deep-lying target man isn’t that useful.

They are more often than not going to have large amounts of possession and will have to find a way through packed defences. A man who can offer a target for an out-ball isn’t worth much.