Manchester United fans are in love with Mourinho’s Marouane Fellaini and his stats back it up

Go on, it's okay. You're not alone.

Imagine the scene: the full time whistle blows at Bournemouth; United are after putting them to the sword at their leisure; the Jose Mourinho era already looks promising and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is already scoring. But Manchester United fans the world over are stuck on their seats, they're deep in thought, they're watching their television screens almost trying to be convinced otherwise of something. It's like they know what they've just seen but they don't know if they've actually just seen it. They don't want to see it. But they have. But have they? Did Marouane Fellaini really play that well? They'll be in a state of confused paralysis for the rest of the day, trying to come to terms with it, hoping someone else will mention it before they do. Marouane Fellaini played well in a Manchester United shirt and it's sending shockwaves through the entire Red Devil-loving underworld. https://twitter.com/BeardedGenius/status/764828634288971776 But the praise came to him eventually - reluctantly. It came to him through a series of surprised fans. He actually did well. https://twitter.com/CollarUpCantona/status/764826421546156032 https://twitter.com/gardneraaronn/status/764830664294150146 https://twitter.com/chuzzyegwuatu/status/764834658907455488 You see, the key is Jose Mourinho. Of course he was going to love a big, aggressive, nuisance of a f**ker like Marouane Fellaini. Of course he was going to love a man who loves nothing more than spoiling the opposition and even doing whatever he has to do to win, It's a match made in heaven. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/710561264599212036 Mourinho had another tall, strong, brick wall of a defensive midfielder at Chelsea. So the Matic comparisons began. https://twitter.com/Bhheast/status/764995910128529408 https://twitter.com/MancunianPogba/status/764822282401378304 https://twitter.com/zachzoranda/status/764822232661123072 Mourinho addressed the Belgian's unpopularity amongst the United faithful.

"With Fellaini I always have the feeling that he was not loved by the general Red people," he told MUTV.  "But if he plays like he's playing now, they have to love him because he's being so important for us."

So the Xavi comparisons began. https://twitter.com/BeastFosuMensah/status/764832593602748416 In fairness, he misplaced just one of his 76 passes. https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/764833977941254144 98.7% is a crazy return. And it wasn't just his passing. https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/764948347287379968 So he's gone from this. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/710579649659719680 To this. https://twitter.com/WengerTactic/status/764834161827930113 What a hero. https://twitter.com/Fellaini/status/764846693586206720 https://twitter.com/UtdMattlaa91/status/764851895236046848 https://twitter.com/HipHopDub/status/764846881499480064 He's still not everyone's cup of tea though. https://twitter.com/JuanMataLab/status/764846747810160640 Listen to The GAA Hour podcast with Colm Parkinson. Subscribe here on iTunes.