Following Manchester United's Europa League defeat to Liverpool on Thursday, former referee Howard Webb branded Marouane Fellaini a thug after he was involved in an incident with Dejan Lovren.
The 28-year-old midfielder connected with Lovren's face via a stray elbow, an offence he was previously alleged to have committed in the first leg of the Europa League tie.
Webb commented on Fellaini's behaviour by labelling him a 'thug' and intimated that United fans are growing tired of his antics.
''It's one thing imposing yourself on the game. It's another thing being a thug.''
''What is it about Fellaini that he can't play without throwing his arms into people's faces? We know what Fellaini is about. We have seen it all through his career but he seems to be getting worse and worse. I think people are getting a little bit fed up with him."
Fellaini: "I don't want to elbow someone, I just defend myself. I am physical." https://t.co/jClbw5wRoF
— Viktor Fagerström (@ViktorFagerLFC) March 19, 2016
Responding to these observations, Fellaini defended himself by insisting that he is not intentionally dirty.
"I don't want to elbow someone, I just defend myself. Okay, I am physical, I like to win my challenge but I am not a dirty player.''
"I like to win my challenge when I play a game. In England there are a lot of physical challenges so if you want to win the game you have to be aggressive and win your challenge.I never want to injure a player or to be bad, I am not like that, I just defend myself."
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