Afro. Big. Tall. Hoof.
Those were the four words associated with Marouane Fellaini as Louis van Gaal arrived to take the managers seat off David Moyes in the summer of 2014.
Yet Fellaini rebelled against the common belief that his wonderfully spectacular hair, combined with his usual style of play involving the so-called long ball tactic made him a goner at Manchester United.
After a torrid season as United failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, Fellaini had failed to score and made just five chances in 16 Premier League appearances.
His first goal for the Reds did come at Old Trafford but it wasn't competitive. As the scapegoat for United's dreadful 9 months under Moyes, Fellaini was jeered as he celebrated with the relief of someone who obviously endured pain after a dream move to the Champions of England.
Most United fans were disgusted by those at Old Trafford who had jeered the Belgian, but they were there that day and behaved as they did because in truth, Fellaini was hardly worth £10 million let alone the £27.5 million Manchester United paid for him.
It is fair judgment to say Fellaini had a difficult time at United. The presentation of another big money failure at Old Trafford - following Diego Forlan, Juan Sebastian Veron, Anderson, Bebe - seemed to be realistic.
Nevertheless, the big Belgian with the big afro bounced back. His cradle-like chest controlling each lofted ball. Every single hoof up field accompanied by the satin cushion of the torso surrounding his ribs, the ball followed Fellaini like a fish to a shark - shading away from defenders in the dark cave of his hair or the open yet impossible to access chest.
Missing every game from the opener at Old Trafford, as Swansea broke the optimism flowing inside the ground with a 2-1 win, until finally making his second appearance under van Gaal against his former side, Everton - Fellaini's United career looked to be dormant for the start of the season.
Performances rose to a new level, an expected level, after a start to the season even worse than United under Moyes. Fellaini returned and United beat Everton. He then, finally, scored. Coming on as a half time substitute, he struck past Boaz Myhill within three minutes and did it with such style that many jokingly compared him to the best players in the world. Bringing the ball down on his cradle-like chest from a Di Maria cross, he proceeded to rocket a shot into the top of the net.
The good run of form continued for both Fellaini and Manchester United. The Reds took their late draw against West Brom and matched it with a consecutive late equaliser against league leaders Chelsea. A loss to Manchester City didn't dampen spirits and with Fellaini in the side in every game, United won six on the trot.
In the brilliant run - which saw some talking of a United title challenge - Fellaini got himself on the score sheet once again and only dipped below 7.00 in the WhoScored ratings once.
As he was taken out of the side for four successive games, United drew three times and on his return lost their first league match in 10 games against Southampton.
In and out of the team he came before he played in another 2-1 loss to Swansea. Then it was his real time to spark his United career into life. Another six games of brilliant wins for United followed, including against Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool.
In that period of time, Fellaini was the joint mastermind with Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Juan Mata. With two goals, four chances created, an aerial duel success over 50% and a pass accuracy of near 80%, he was vital.
However, throughout that whole time as United played 'nice' football, you could sense it wasn't quite Fellaini. Combining with Daley Blind and Ashley Young on the left flank he looked fantastic, but almost fake.
Passing was clean and precise from the Belgian. Aerial success was common if not guaranteed. However during that time I had a feeling that it he wasn't the player United needed and his rejuvenation has come crashing back down to earth in recent weeks.
From the highest point of Jupiter he now sits right on the modest blades of grass at Old Trafford. In three consecutive defeats it has been wondered why he remains in the starting line-up.
Against Chelsea he failed to register a single shot but did have a pass accuracy of 89% and created two chances. It was against Everton where he showed his streak of Everton quality not Manchester United quality. Playing as the man to get on the end of a long ball, Fellaini won just 36% of his aerial duels and managed a shot accuracy of 0%. He looked frustrated and at one point dived into three tackles in two minutes to earn himself a booking in the first half an hour.
Stats are all well and good but to understand why Fellaini succeeded and why Fellaini will fail in the future, you have to watch him.
His five goals for United have been invaluable this season and his brilliant runs which contributed to getting United into the top four this season are also invaluable. However, Fellaini showed once again on Saturday evening against West Bromwich Albion why he will be detrimental to United's future challenge for the Premier League title.]
With Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao on the pitch, Marouane Fellaini was the furthest player forward in red. Three of the best strikers in the last decade chosen to drop deep to favour the attacking threat of Fellaini. Now, this may be seen as an alternative plan in the last minutes to prise a victory away but it is slowly becoming plan 1.1 if plan 1 is the beautiful attacking football United are generally linked with.
Fellaini must be seen as a player who has earned his place in the Manchester United team because he has. He must be seen as a player who has an attitude only comparable to the best, because he is. Yet what he should not be seen as is the future of Manchester United. Slowly but surely United are becoming too heavily reliant on a player who does not fit the 'philosphy' of Manchester United and Louis van Gaal. Now is the time to rid of the dangerous virus that is Fellaini because despite his quality as a footballer, he is not the midfielder Manchester United need.
Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick are the fantastic midfielders that have the potential to go down in Man United folklore. Ilkay Gundogan, Paul Pogba and Morgan Schneirderlin are all fantastic midfielders that can provide the link that Unietd are missing for a title challenge. Marouane Fellaini is not. Old Trafford must be thankful of his presence this season but next season is the time to see midfielders that resemble the past United greats like Paul Scholes, Roy Keane or Bryan Robson. It is out with the old and in with the new, out with the old long ball style, in with the new fluid style.