Monday 13 April 2015 15:24, UK
Former Manchester United assistant manager Steve Round claims it was only a matter of time before Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata proved themselves at Old Trafford.
The duo were brought to the club last season by former Everton boss David Moyes, who failed to see the best of his signings during his troubled 10-month spell in charge which ended with the sack for himself and Round, his assistant at Goodison Park.
Fellaini and Mata were on the scoresheet as United beat Manchester City 4-2 at Old Trafford on Sunday and have become vital components as Louis van Gaal's side has climbed to third place in the table with a six-game winning run.
I'm delighted for Marouane, he's a really good kid, he's a fighter he's not a victim. he's not going to wallow in self pity, he's going to roll his sleeves up and keep going.
Speaking on the Morning View on Sky Sports News HQ, Round said: "The two players that were bought in under David, Juan and Marouane, will be good players for Manchester United. It was only a matter of time.
"They struggled when they arrived there but it's such an awe-inspiring place for them to go into. I remember Ryan Giggs saying to me that Nemaja Vidic and Patrice Evra really struggled in their first six months.
"It takes time at United to settle and understand the arena and the environment, the intensity in training every day, and then to go and perform in front of a big crowd on a world stage.”
Round says he is delighted to see Fellaini, who signed from Everton for £27.5m on transfer deadline day in September 2013, finally settle down following a poor start to his United career that, at times, saw the Belgian come in for criticism from sections of the Old Trafford crowd.
'Self pity'
"I'm delighted for Marouane," he added. "He's a really good kid, he's a fighter - not a victim - he's not going to wallow in self pity, he's going to roll his sleeves up and keep going.
"That's why he has come through and showed the sort of ability and what he is capable of. I'm delighted for him. Marouane came in and was the only signing and there was a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
"He didn't really hit the ground running and then he got injured and missed a period of the games and it took him a while back fit again.
"But this season you are seeing what he is capable of. The one thing he didn't do last season, that he is this season, is score. He got a goal and it has built his confidence up and he has now become an integral part of the team."
And Round is convinced Mata, who joined United for £37.1m from Chelsea in January 2014, is benefiting from playing in a team full of confidence.
"When Juan first came in it was off the back of a disappointing period of play at Chelsea,” he said.
"I was impressed by his professionalism. He trained hard, he practised well, he wanted to do extra every day to get back his form. He came into a team that was stuttering and struggling at the that time.
His goalscoring record in the Premier League is excellent. I thought it was a matter of time before he came through and established himself.
"With Juan I also felt that the better the team played the better Juan played. If the team is playing well and passing the ball well and if he his getting into goalscoring opportunities then he will score.
"His goalscoring record in the Premier League is excellent. I thought it was a matter of time before he came through and established himself.
"It takes time at Manchester United to establish yourself and come through. We will also see the best of Angel Di Maria next season. He's a top player who has played at the highest level."
