Authors: Doron and Phil

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Beyond The Pitch and Stretford-End.com have come together once again to record another podcast, the third in the series. Topics discussed range from post-match discussions to the Reserves to potential transfer business. You can also hear the thoughts of Fergie and Jonny Evans on the Fulham game.

To listen to the podcast, click on this link. It is available to listen to or download on iTunes at this link.

Topics covered:

Looking back at Fulham

With the podcast recorded soon after the final whistle on Monday night we look back on what was a torturous 90 minutes. Despite the fact Fulham should have had a penalty, once again Carrick and Evans shone. Finally, we admire some of the players Fulham have at their disposal.

What’s going on at City?

For the second week running, we wonder if cracks are starting to appear over at City. They drew at Stoke, a hard place to go – has Tevez’s return worked so far? Do City have the mentality to go all the way?

Jonny Evans

Is he playing himself into a first choice centre back for next year and if so, who partners him – Rio or Vidic? Are we starting to see potential United captain material from Jonny?

Patrice Evra

He’s still good going forwards but defensively this season he’s had some dodgy moments. Does Evra need to adapt his game like Rio then, and choose when he has to go forwards rather than always bombing on?

Reserves and Academy

A full round-up of results and other news from the players below the first team; including a review of the players out on loan. What does the future for Macheda hold too? Has his bad luck and injuries hindered his chances at United? Ritchie De Laet is back at United, might he move on this summer? At long last, the truth about Ravel Morrison’s departure has come out as Fergie let one slip. Finally, which players can we look out for and is Michael Keane a contender for Reserve player of the year?

Transfer business and Wayne Rooney

It’s starting to look like our squad is good enough to compete at the top level in England but where do we need to strengthen, with a particular emphasis on Europe. With various players likely to leave, what kind of player do we sign?

Wayne Rooney’s clearly crucial to the way United play. We discuss whether we should look to sign someone who’ll play behind Rooney, allowing him to stay up front in arguably his best role – an out-and-out striker. Rooney’s future role is surely key to our transfer business.

Once again, to listen to the podcast, click on this link. It is available to listen to or download on iTunes at this link.

To listen to the first two podcasts, click here.

Authors: Doron, Nik and Rob

Follow Doron, Nik and Rob on Twitter

Despite being a website with content about Man United written by Man United fans – we all happen to not only enjoy football in general, but watch a lot of it. Therefore, we’re trying something new – a weekly column looking at a few learnings and observations from the weekend’s football and not necessarily just in England. A new scribe shall be joining us on this column, Trinidad & Tobago’s finest, Rob. We’ll make no attempt to be neutral and we’ll attempt to link back to United where possible but otherwise enjoy our thoughts and ramblings.

Michael Oliver’s star is rising fast

Newly promoted to the Fifa list of referees this year, Michael Oliver is making exuberant progress in only his second full season on the Premier League. Given plenty of time on the sidelines (at the highest level) as fourth official last season and at the start of this, Oliver has been learning his trade vicariously, much in the same way as Ole Solskjaer did as a United legend from the bench. Referee bosses have been cautious in handling what looks like the hottest British talent in many years, gradually easing him in to pressure cooker of top-flight football. In a turbulent period for referees in this country, Oliver has stood out as the jewel in the proverbial crown. His fitness is exemplary, his positioning improving by the game and his calm demeanour and management of hot-headed ‘superstars’ unimaginably superlative given his age. In recent weeks his appointments have been more high profile too; Swansea v Arsenal last week, a West Midlands derby this (drafted in as Atkinson’s replacement on his ‘week off’). Nothing typified Oliver’s confident and no-nonsense approach than his dismissal of Karl Henry on Saturday for a stamp on Albrighton. In the right position as always, the 26 year old calmly surveyed the scene whilst approaching Henry, turned in behind the midfielder allowing a greater control of the situation and showed him the red card. You know you’re doing a good job when Mick McCarthy doesn’t even complain about your decision. Oliver is no longer one ‘for the future’, his star is rising fast, but he has already arrived.

Patrice Evra is still the best left-back in the Premier League

United captain Patrice Evra now seems well and truly out of the rut that saw him lose his swashbuckling form in and around the disastrous French World Cup campaign. In the months following the summer of 2010, Evra’s usual defensive domineering displays turned into placid, error-prone offerings; Last season there was a distinct change in emphasis, Evra instructed not to be so cavalier, and when he did venture into the final third his delivery was often very poor. Yet he remained in a successful side, and importantly, Fergie’s most trusted asset. This season has seen him gradually re-find his mojo and attacking acumen, with Smalling’s and Jones’ presence at right fullback crucial – their natural tendency as a centre half to form a three-man centre when the fullback is high gives Evra the confidence to attack with verve. Whilst it is true that Evra’s forays forward have often left United short down the left side, Ferdinand’s switch to left centre-half has aided the defensive shape. As has Young’s defensive work on that side, often in tandem with Carrick’s ubiquitous presence in the midfield sweeper role that he has made his own.

In fact, it has been the inverted wing play of both Young and Nani down United’s left side that has accidentally on purpose re-enlivened Evra’s spirit. Their movement inside as part of a fluid front four approach, has allowed the Frenchman the opportunity exploit the space, and he is a constant threat when in the mood he displayed at the Emirates – whether it was assisting Park’s opener versus Wigan or doing the same for Hernandez in the crucial game at Everton, or simply starting the moves with an interception that led to both the openers versus Arsenal and City away, Patrice is once again proving why the modern-day fullback is of vital importance to the team’s potency. He has also improved his general defensive outlay, particularly evident in the bigger games; notably more considered in his positioning in these games, he has worked hard to track his opponent as we saw with Walcott’s anonymity yesterday, and he has also helped out in central areas. Man of the match performances against Chelsea and Arsenal were the reward for his diligence, and his output versus City in the Cup, Totenham at home and Liverpool away should not go unnoticed.

With Cole struggling, many will point towards Jose Enrique’s progression at Liverpool or Baines’ work ethic and crossing ability as proof that there are better left sided fullbacks in the league. But both are far from the finished article and lack the ‘completeness’ of the Evra package. Not 31 until May this year, the left back is at his peak for a defender, and worryingly for United’s closest rivals, he seems to be finding consistency just at the right time.

Boo sucks to Arsenal “fans”

I’ll put this simply: Arsenal fans do not deserve a manager as good as Arsene Wenger. Before a season starts, “In Arsene We Trust” is the motto, but when the footy gets going, they mumble songs, murmur and whinge despite the excellent home form of their players and the surroundings of their brilliant new stadium. Booing when Wenger, one of the great youth developers of the Premier League, subbed a tiring 18-year old off? It was a truly cringe-worthy moment.

Their reaction could’ve been to give a standing ovation for a coruscating performance by a great young talent. But they decided to negate all that, by booing both a substitute and the manager, shattering the confidence of an already demoralised player, and killing the very significant tide of momentum their team had at that point in the game. They couldn’t do anything about the substitution being made or not, but they certainly did something to the morale of the team. Credit them, not Arshavin, with the assist for United’s winner.

Things that Arsenal fans should’ve been more concerned about:
1. Djourou.
2. The most overrated player in the Premier League playing at left back for them.
3. Ramsey getting tired after playing a hell of a lot of games this season… hmm, young player fitness issues? NAH.
4. Ignasi Miquel. He didn’t play, but I just find he has a weird face.

I’d love to see Arshavin come to United on a free, and smash a hat trick past them next season. Also, Arsene, could you resign from AFC and come manage the Trinidad and Tobago national team? We’ve got some good young players! Anyway, Arsenal “fans” are rubbish.

On the road… to a great away record

Few things in life can beat an away win over Arsenal. But one thing that’s been quietly overlooked is the amazing turnaround in our team’s away form. This campaign, United have the best away record in the league – albeit with some extremely taxing trips to come. What exactly has changed?

For one, aggression in midfield has been key. The mauling at Newcastle aside, United haven’t been overrun as often or as severely as they were last season, where Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Wolves can each claim to have dominated United in central areas.

The side has been pressing and controlling the middle third with more authority, showing renewed vigour away from home *insert Giggsy pun*. Last season, United were 17th in the league at tackles per game (with 18.3), and 16th in terms of interceptions (14.6) away from home. This season’s away record sees the side jump to 6th in tackling (20.8) and 7th in interceptions (16.9). When the energy of Cleverley and Anderson was used earlier in the season, the attacking tailspin it created was too much for opposition defences to handle. The Jones-Carrick combo against Villa and QPR showed a pleasing mix of steel and silk, and could feature again when The Greatest Man in the Universe returns from injury in a few weeks.

When Giggs and Carrick have played together, they’ve relied on the finer arts of passing and dribbling to tire the opposition, and that’s helped to put teams like Fulham to bed by halftime. The Arsenal game demonstrated this very well, and if the first-half finishing from Danny and Nani had been better, it could’ve been a very comfy win. Even with Carrick carrying Giggs on a feathered palanquin (until Scholesy came on), and nursing a hamstring injury for 45 minutes, United dominated possession and dictated the tempo in the first half, while retaining the shape and fortitude in the second to repel a stirring Arsenal comeback, snatch a fine winner, and see out the game.

P.S. I could’ve named this bit “Best away record in the league? Blame Michael Carrick.” Since coming back from injury, he’s been sensational. According to WhoScored’s average player ratings, the Geordie Guardiola has been the 6th best player in the Premier League this season. Caveat: WhoScored also has Nasri in 10th place, so take this ranking with a pinch or an industrial silo full of salt, as appropriate.

Darron Gibson’s role at Everton

Since moving to Everton, Gibson has started in both league games away to Villa and home to Blackburn but what’s his role been and how’s he done?

Given plenty of responsibility, Gibson’s been used centrally as a link-man between Cahill and Fellaini. Whilst often found as the deepest of the three, he’s by no means played far back for Everton, he has license to push on. He’s certainly benefited from playing as part of a three and having players who move a lot around him – it’s given him freedom to play some nice attacking passes.

Maybe the biggest asset Gibson’s brought so far is his reading of the game, something he maybe wasn’t appreciated for at United or never got the chance to show. He’s made numerous interceptions in his first two games and has been key to ball retention. Whether Gibson is a bit too one-dimensional remains to be seen but he certainly provides a nice foil for those around him. If though Moyes does at some point decide to play two in the middle it’ll be interesting to see if he keeps his place – for now the early signs are solid and encouraging.

Fulham’s (mini) revival

Impressive wins over Arsenal and Newcastle in recent league games have seen something of the Fulham that Martin Jol envisaged when he took over. Make no mistake about it, two men in particular have been central to it.

Zamora’s recall to the side has served to prove just how important a player he is both for club and potentially for country with Euro 2012 looming. His link-up with Dempsey has been intriguing to say the least. The Newcastle game in particular, where Dempsey scored a hat-trick was fascinating. Despite playing as a striker, Zamora regularly dropped deep and was on the ball over twice as much as Dempsey, who, as soon as Zamora was in possession, set off on a forward run. One might have expected it to be the other way round but with Dempsey being direct and all-rounded, and Johnson fast, Zamora’s physical presence deeper is unnerving for opposition players and he ends up winning the ball on numerous occasions.

Murphy’s contribution also can’t be overlooked. As a deep playmaker he’s still one of the best passers in the league and is regularly spotting opportunities to float delightfully weighted forward passes.

Whilst Fulham are starting to tick at home they are just one of four sides who’ve only won once away from home – their seven goals scored in eleven away games is the worst record in the league and maybe Jol needs to have faith in the attacking football that’s recently been so successful at Craven Cottage.

The weekend’s unsung hero: David Luiz

Having been the subject of a lot of criticism this season, David Luiz turned in a really excellent performance away to Norwich. Up against physical and bullying strikers Morison and Holt this game had trouble written all over it.

However, it was Luiz’s partner, Terry, who appeared to be the one who struggled. Luiz was assured, confident and strong, Refusing to allow Holt or Morison get the better of him, Luiz for once used his physical presence to win battles and the signs that he appears to be learning are starting to show. Whilst in the past he’s committed to tackles too early and has been turned, this time he perfectly judged when to get tight and when to allow space between himself and the strikers.

Chelsea’s defending has been questionable at times this season but Luiz was crucial to a really impressive clean sheet.

Author: Stretford_End

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Manchester United’s second game in London in the space of four days saw the champions smash five past a sorry Fulham side. United had not won at Craven Cottage in the league since the 2007/08 season. Since that 3-0 win, United have lost twice (including a heavy 3-0 defeat where Sir Alex was forced to play with Carrick and Fletcher at the back) and drawn one – so an empathic win was overdue. Danny Welbeck, Ryan Giggs, Luis Nani, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov scored the goals for United, who are now two points behind Manchester City in their quest for an unprecedented twentieth league title.

De Gea & Lindegaard distribution and Deep Fulham

Back in July, Bricki wrote an article on how two goalkeepers may go into one this season – highlighting that both De Gea and Lindegaard will have to share responsibility in goal.

Turns out, although not an exact split of appearances, Lindegaard has made more first team appearances than many expected following the arrival of the talented Spanish goalkeeper. De Gea has made 18 appearances, whilst Lindegaard has made six. Tonight, Sir Alex went with the Dane, who had a very sturdy second half following a better performance from Fulham – who were very poor in the first half.

How easy Fulham made it for United can be highlighted in the Guardian chalkboard below showing how deep they sat for the first forty five minutes:

QPR did target Patrice Evra in the first half, which is where most of the tackles occurred, but generally put in more tackles higher up the pitch than Fulham. This allowed Michael Carrick, who has been simply superb for the last few games, to drop deep and pick the ball up from his goalkeeper – something Carrick excels at:

With Fulham sitting so deep, Lindegaard was able to play the ball into Carrick (whilst De Gea was forced to play longer against QPR), who – as usual – used the ball extremely well, only conceding possession five times (90% pass completion). Of course when Fulham did venture forward and committed men, United were blistering on the counter attack, playing some wonderful one touch football on the flanks, a jot to watch. As mentioned Lindegaard made some decent saves second half, but was untroubled in the first half due to how deep Fulham were.

Nani Wizardry

Manchester United’s 2010/11 player of the season was again at his menacing best at Craven Cottage, assisting two goals and scoring the second with a well taken header. We’ve discussed the impact of Luis Nani in depth many times on the blog, highlighting how far he has come in his development since 2009. He was extremely unlucky that he lost out in key games towards the end of last season following a drop in form and the return of Antonio Valencia.

I’ve had a discussion with many Reds over the past few months, who agreed that Nani’s best performances came when he started on the right hand side of the pitch. He was no doubt given this freedom, last season, due to the injury suffered by Valencia against Rangers in the Champions League, however he took the opportunity with both hands. Against Fulham, he was a constant menace – left of right – and his first assist was superb, despite some questionable defending, for Welbeck to hit home.

This time last season Nani was the key man for United, I’m sure he’ll have a big say in a number of games over the festive period as well.

Goals, Goals, Goals

United have now notched up eleven goals in three league games (against Wolves, QPR and Fulham). If we look at the last time United scored eleven goals in consecutive league games this season, we’d have to take the following opposition into account:

13 GOALS = Chelsea (3), Stoke City (1), Norwich (2), Liverpool (1), Manchester City (1), Everton (1), Sunderland (1), Swansea City (1), Newcastle United (1), Aston Villa (1)

11 GOALS = Wolves (4), QPR (2), Fulham (5)

I had to include Chelsea as 13 as United scored ten from Stoke City to Aston Villa, which is over two months of football. In the space of eleven days, United have matched that. So, did the 6-1 defeat to City have an impact on the attacking nature of the side? Is this the reason United had so many 1-0 victories in the league? Or is it simply the sides United have played against recently have been weaker?

Berbatov’s brilliant backheel

I hear it now. At 4-0 up, does it really matter that the mercurial Bulgarian smoothly backheeled the ball across the line, so effortlessly, to make it 5? Probably not, but what a player to have in your ranks to bring off the bench, especially over the Christmas period. There has been many talk of a transfer to PSG for Berbatov, but Ferguson has stated that he will remain a Manchester United player. It should be mentioned that Berbatov is more of a team player than people probably give him credit for. Against Leeds United earlier in the season he filled in, remember having had extremely little playing time, as a makeshift centre half for the final ten minutes. Many a ‘divaish’ striker would simply throw their hands up in the air, hands on hips and pout Ronaldo style – not Berbatov.

Match Conclusion

United were far too good for Fulham and the scoreline was fair reflection of the game. As discussed in the Lindegaard Talking Point, Fulham were far too deep and failed to put any pressure on Michael Carrick, who brushed the ball around with ease in the centre of the park. Ryan Giggs, as usual, defied biology and put in a superb performance, weaving around the frontline from midfield and notched up his first league goal of the season – meaning that he has now scored in every Premier League season and in every season that he has been a professional (90/91 he scored a single goal and in 91/92 he scored four) – an amazing achievement.

Nani was superb, setting up two and scoring with a header, whilst Rooney and Welbeck look like they are regaining their early season partnership form. One big concern is the injuries that United are picking up, with both Jones and Young leaving the field through injury. Phil Jones (who apparently is to have an X-ray on his cheekbone), who has made the most appearance this season, picked up a knock in the face following a Clint Dempsey elbow, whilst Ashley Young (who came on for Jones) looks like he has picked up a knee injury following a challenge with Dickson Etuhu. It will be interesting to see if either are selected for the next match at Old Trafford against Wigan Athletic.

United were good tonight against a Fulham side who never got out of second gear.

AUTHOR: – Doron

Until Arsenal beat Blackpool yesterday, United had temporarily opened up a 10 point gap over their nearest challengers. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Fulham could best be described as ‘routine’ and ‘lackadaisical’ – nevertheless, it’s one more game chalked off and only six more remain now in the league.

Talking Points

Squad rotation

Sir Alex chose to make 8 changes from the United side that won at Chelsea on Wednesday. Two were enforced – Rooney (suspension) and Rafael (injury); otherwise key men were given the weekend off – Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Giggs, Carrick, Park and Chicharito. Providing Rafael is fit, it looks likely that the side that started at Chelsea will once again start at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Despite many fans and the media believing United’s squad isn’t ‘good enough’, few teams could make 8 changes from a Champions League XI and still put out an experienced good side. United’s depth is as good as any other team in the league – with at least two full or U21 internationals fighting for every position. Importantly, with injuries and suspensions this year, rotation and full use of the squad has been required. With two big games coming up in the next week, getting the team right against Fulham was vital.

Tomasz Kuszczak

Pre-match news broke online that Kuszczak had stated he’d be leaving United this summer. Sky Sports have quoted him as saying:

“I’m definitely leaving the club. My time in Manchester is coming to an end. I’ve worked hard for five years but I never played as much as I wanted. It’s a shame the manager didn’t really give me a chance. I always believed I can be Edwin van der Sar’s successor. Unfortunately, Sir Alex has decided differently. Even though I played many games, I spent most of my time on the bench.”

Tomasz was though selected to start the game with Edwin rested for Chelsea having had a minor groin issue. In fairness to Tomasz, he did little wrong all game. There was one dodgy moment when he dropped a cross but otherwise he was solid, producing good saves early on from Kakuta and Dembele. In the second half he produced a stunning save from Gudjohnsen, which really hasn’t received anything like the attention or praise it deserved:

Click on images to enlarge – (apologies for poor quality)

Kuszczak’s save from Gudjohnsen.

As good as his saves were, there is evidence to suggest that Kuszczak doesn’t instil his defenders with much confidence. Regular viewers of United will see that Edwin is regularly a part of the play – the centre backs often pass the ball back to him as if he was an 11th outfield player due to his excellent ability with the ball at his feet. However on Saturday, neither Smalling nor Vidic once passed the ball back to Kuszczak:

Smalling and Vidic passing

There is of course a good potential reason for this. Fulham were somewhat lacklustre themselves and rarely was the United defence troubled too much. Yet this has never been an excuse for not getting Edwin involved in the open-play and merely serves to highlight a lack of confidence in Kuszczak’s ability with the ball at his feet and highlights this well-documented weakness in his game.

Casual United

It was a hot day and with United somewhat strolling to a 2 goal lead after 32 minutes the team appeared to be casual in their play with little energy, a low tempo and almost no enthusiasm. Sir Alex agreed, saying post-match to MUTV:

“I don’t think that was a job well done at all – it was casual and lackadaisical in all areas of the team… but winning is the name of the game”

Lacklustre football is characterised by sideways passing – keeping possession easily without being ambitious. The United line-up originally looked like a genuine 4-3-3 with Nani and Valencia more as forwards than midfielders – however as the game wore on, both got considerably deeper which isolated Berbatov up front. Berbatov’s movement during the game was good but Fulham often tried to play a high defensive line which somewhat neutralised Berbatov, who, as we know is better dropping deep and picking the ball up there.

Despite being generally accurate in their passing, Gibson and Scholes emphasised the sideways movement of United’s play more than anyone else:

Gibson and Scholes passing

United’s central midfield has simply been efficient this year – doing the job required which has been consistently solid in winning the ball and getting it out to the wingers. However, with three men deployed centrally and not really supporting the lone front-man with much energy it became crowded and United’s game became simplistic. In fairness, the job was already done before half time and there was no need for energy to be wasted on trying to score more when there are big games coming up but it made for a quiet afternoon both on the pitch and in the stands.

Wingers

Whilst it was the centre back pairing of Vidic and Smalling that was rightly singled out by Ferguson for special praise, United’s wingers were once again the key to victory. Both Nani and Valencia were sporadically dazzling and like the rest of the team they were rarely at their most clinical however they won the match for United.

Nani is now up to 18 assists for the season having been credited with setting up both the goals in the game. He is 7 goals clear of a host of players in 2nd place with 11 assists. No player in the league has influenced more goals than he has this season, 27 (18 assists and 9 goals).

The first goal, scored by Berbatov came as a result of some good dribbling from Nani and a good interchange of passes with Anderson before Nani laid the ball off to Berbatov. It was a sign of an ever present maturity in his game – in previous years he’d have probably attempted to take the ball on himself.

The second goal was again made by Nani and should have been scored by him too. He pounced on a long ball and out wide, rounded the goalkeeper, cut back in and attempted to chip the ball into the goal in a very casual manner. A Fulham defender was able to block it with his head but the ball only fell to Valencia who had an easy finish.

With Giggs, Park, Valencia and Nani all fit and playing well, United have excellent options out wide – the area throughout history that United have been most dangerous from.

Match Conclusion

United made 8 changes to the side that won away at Chelsea midweek with important returns for O’Shea and Anderson from injury as well as Scholes who hadn’t played in three weeks due to suspension.

It was Fulham who started the better of the two sides with Gael Kakuta looking lively on his first league start. It was Kakuta and Dembele who forced Kuszczak into some smart saves low down to his left early on before a lucky ricochet off Paul Scholes saw Zamora clean through on the right but he could only fire aimlessly wide. United soon clicked into life though, lead by Nani – on 12 minutes, Nani went on a run beating two men before playing an intricate one-two on the edge of the Fulham area with Anderson that allowed him to slip in Berbatov who finished expertly. Replays of the goal show Berbatov was ever so slightly offisde when the ball was played, however his 21st league goal of the campaign stood and it was a lead that United hadn’t really done much to deserve.

United started to play as if it was a pre-season friendly, the tempo fell and there was little energy about the football being played. Even so, after a clever run from Berbatov followed by a cut back to Anderson, the Brazilian should have scored his first league goal ever at Old Trafford – instead he managed to scuff his shot miserably wide. Nani had a half chance from a corner after a Smalling header but could only divert the ball wide. The second goal came just after the half hour mark – a long ball out to the left saw Nani beat Schwarzer in a race for possession – the goalkeeper had no need to be out there in the first place – Nani took the ball to the byline, cut back inside and attempted to chip the ball into an unguarded net however Aaron Hughes had got back in time to head the ball clear but only as far as Valencia who had a simple finish at the back post. Just before half time it was Hughes to the rescue as a cross was destined to find any host of unmarked United players until he cut it out.

The second half was something of a non-event. Anderson managed a good effort, as did Gibson but Scholes struck his own shot high and wide. At the other end, Kuszczak was called into action to make a splendid finger-tip save from a long range Gudjohnsen shot. Nani, Anderson and Valencia were all withdrawn late on and able to rest with big games coming up – Owen and Fabio got some much needed game-time as two of the replacements whilst Carrick was the final change. United strolled to a win, rarely out of first gear and rarely troubled by Fulham. The lead remains 7 points at the top of the table as Arsenal won yesterday.

United’s next game is home to Chelsea in the quarter final of the Champions on Tuesday 12th April.

AUTHOR: – Doron

AUTHOR: – Doron

Manchester United have the chance to go 10 points clear of Arsenal who play on Sunday, if they beat Fulham tomorrow. Confidence is sky high after a mid-week Champions League win at Chelsea, but their own neighbours Fulham, lead by former Red Mark Hughes, will have other ideas as they try to reach the heights of 7th spot.

The job Mark Hughes has done at Fulham has somewhat gone under the radar. Yes, from 7th place downwards the league is tight but given that for much of this year Fulham have struggled with injuries – particularly upfront, the fact they’re 10th and a win away from 7th is remarkable. Last year Fulham ended up 12th with 46 points – they’re only 8 points behind that total with 7 games left to play, it’s not inconceivable that they’ll hit the 50 point mark either. The transformation has come at both ends of the pitch – having had a negative goal difference last year, Fulham are scoring more and conceding less this year – at present they have a goal difference of +3. If it wasn’t for such a poor away record, Fulham could be even higher up the table – they’re the only side to have won just 1 away game this year (everyone else has won at least 2) – only Wolves have been worse on their travels.

Fulham, now they have their strikers fit are able to mix-up how they play. Dembele offers excellent versatility in not looking out place when asked to play out wide – this has allowed Fulham to play a 4-5-1 when defending but a 4-4-2 when attacking. The return of Bobby Zamora gives their attack a focal point and indeed he has scored 3 goals in his last 3 Premier League appearances – two coming in the 3-0 win over Blackpool last weekend. Fulham’s midfield will provide tough opposition – Danny Murphy’s form has been excellent in this twilight period of his career. Much like Scholes, he sits a bit deeper than he once did and much of Fulham’s best play comes through him. In my opinion, the star man though is Clint Dempsey. This is his 5th year at Fulham and already it’s his highest scoring – 10 in the league with 11 overall. He’s a good box-to-box player with an excellent engine and passing range.

The aim for Fulham is of course survival given how tight the league is. Their form at the moment is giving them a great chance – despite being bang-average in taking 9 points from the last 18 available, it is importantly better than a lot of the teams around them. Away from home though, Fulham’s form has been somewhat blotchy – 3 points from their last 6 away games is one of the worst records in the league. Oddly, Fulham haven’t lost a game away from home by more than 1 goal all season. Their 8 games drawn away is the joint highest total in the league – with United. Their away form is easy to pick apart – they don’t score enough (13 goals is the third lowest total) but they’re hard to score against (17 conceded is the second lowest total).

The Fulham squad is nearly fully fit – Senderos is a long-term absentee whilst Damien Duff is their only doubt with a sore Achilles. Aaron Hughes is a welcome return to the squad having had a head injury.

Fulham’s record at Old Trafford isn’t good. In 9 Premier League meetings, United have won 8, losing just one back in 2003/04. On average United hit 3 past Fulham with the London club scoring one in reply. Last year’s meeting ended 3-0 to United with two goals from Rooney and one from Berbatov. Incredibly, Fulham are the only team to have not conceded from a penalty this year (Nani missed one in the draw at Craven Cottage earlier in the season). They also have been shown the fewest number of yellow cards and are the only team not to have had a man sent off.

Enough on Fulham…onto United and my predicted line up:

The injury crisis of past weeks is easing. Brown, O’Shea and Anderson (fresh from 2 goals for the Reserves last night) are all available for selection again. Definitely missing out on this game are: Lindegaard, Hargreaves, Rafael and Fletcher – with Evans and Rooney both suspended.

I’ve gone for a 4-4-2 – the preferred formation for home games. Fergie hinted in his press conference today that there will be quite a few changed from the side that beat Chelsea on Wednesday given that the return game is only 3 days later on Tuesday and that’s followed up next weekend with an FA Cup semi-final against City. With that in mind, I’ve picked Kuszczak to start in goal given Edwin appeared to be uneasy at times on Wednesday night with a minor groin injury. Ferdinand’s return midweek was a huge boost and bonus but it’s now important to keep him fresh so in-front of Tomasz, Smalling may return against his former club to partner Vidic. Evra’s form has been a bit patchy so a weekend off for him would be ideal with Fabio hungry for more games. At right back it’s between the fit again Brown and O’Shea – I’ve plumped for O’Shea.

The midfield is somewhat tougher to pick. Scholes is back from suspension and after missing out at Chelsea, he should start. Carrick is the in-form central midfielder and so I wouldn’t drop him. Anderson is available but it would be a surprise to see him start after he played 45 minutes for the Reserves last night. Gibson too may feel he deserves another start after impressing at West Ham. Nani, having had some rest after carrying the wide-burden for much of this year should return and Valencia who’s come back so strong from his injury should keep his place – saving Giggs and Park for the Chelsea game. With Rooney suspended, Berbatov should come in for an overdue start – Chicharito is likely to start again on Tuesday so forgotten man, Michael Owen could be handed a rare start.

United remain top with a lead of 7 points now. Last weekend they came from behind to win at West Ham and saw Arsenal only manage a draw at home to Blackburn. This weekend, Arsenal are at Blackpool on the Sunday and could find themselves 10 points behind United at kick off, but with two games in hand.

Recent form shows United top of the form league with 12 points taken from a possible 18 in the last six games. At home, United have been almost unstoppable, with 14 games won out of 15. Their home record is the best in the league – they are the highest scorers with 40 goals and have the tightest defence with only 9 conceded. This match therefore pits the team with the best home run against one of the worst away sides.

In Dimitar Berbatov United have the league’s top goalscorer (20 goals) as well as the 5th and 6th top scorers (Chicharito with 11 and Rooney with 10), whilst Nani is the league’s top assister (16 assists; Rooney is joint 2nd with 11). It’s now over a year since an opposition player has scored a first half goal in the league at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Chicharito has scored his 11 league goals from just 15 efforts on target.

Form appears to be coming at the right time for United, whilst confidence and belief is as high as ever. Players are returning from injuries and despite a much rotated line-up expected I still think United should be able to beat Fulham who do not travel well. Therefore I predict a 4-1 win for the Reds.

You can share with us your thoughts ahead of the match and your favourite moments from games at home to Fulham on our forum.

The press has gone quiet around Old Trafford in the wake of United’s 2-2 draw against Fulham yesterday. Sir Alex is questioning Nani’s penalty kick and Ajax have been upset by United’s recruitment of Gyliano van Velzen.

United anger Ajax by attracting van Velzen – The Guardian

Only a year after the recruitment of Paul Pogba cause controversy with Le Havre, United may be in trouble again. After bringing Dutch starlet Gyliano van Velzen to the club last week, his former club Ajax is now seeking compensation or may issue a complaint to FIFA. The winger joined the club rated as one of the best prospects in the Dutch football, and obviously Ajax are sad to see such a talent go. Just like with Le Havre, I doubt United will be found guilty, but it’s still an unfortunate controversy to encounter.

Fergie points finger at Nani for dropped points – The Daily Mirror

The Daily Mirror is reporting that Sir Alex is blaming Nani for United’s draw against Fulham yesterday. For those of you who didn’t see the match, Nani missed a penalty with three minutes remaining in regulation. The gaffer believes that with Ryan Giggs on the field, it should’ve been the veteran to take the spot kick. Shortly after the penalty Brede Hangeland scored the equalizer at Craven Cottage. While Nani should be able to put away a penalty kick or leave it for someone else to take, it can’t be blamed solely on the Portuguese winger. Following Paul Scholes’ opening goal, the whole squad appeared to lack any form of killer instinct. And Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans both had poor performances, very uncharacteristic for the two. You can’t put all the blame on one player. Penalties aren’t always converted. If you’ll recall, one of the best players on the planet – Cristiano Ronaldo – had one saved in the Champions League final. No one is perfect. Nani didn’t drop the points, the team did.

Congratulations… to Paul Scholes for scoring his 150th goal for Manchester United!

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A fantastic game at Craven Cottage with 4 goals should have seen this report start with a 3-1 win for Manchester United as the headline, but Fulham fully deserved a share of the spoils and snatched a late equaliser in a game that had it all. Read on to see video highlights of the game.

Wayne Rooney was absent with illness but this didn’t have any adverse effect on United’s opening play as they dominated the opening exchanges. Paul Scholes’ excellent form has thrust him into his uncomfortable position in the public eye and it was he who opened the scoring with a goal that had been coming. Both Dimitar Berbatov and Ji-Sung Park had efforts before a well worked short corner from Valencia found Berbatov at the edge of the area – the forward’s roll back to Scholes invited a bullet of a shot 30 yards out to give the visitors the lead.

View the first half highlights here – http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/6645531/

United could have extended their lead; Sir Alex Ferguson’s side clearly concentrating on movement where natural creativity was absent, with impressive results early on. Hernandez (making his first start) and Berbatov went close again but after the half hour the hosts rallied to make their own impact on the game. Konchesky found space between O’Shea and Vidic to play in Dickson Etuhu, but the lanky midfielder found veteran stopper Edwin van der Sar defying his age with stunning flexibility to pull off not one but two world class saves.

Nonetheless, the warning was there, and it was neither a surprised or undeserved when Fulham got the equaliser in the 57^th minute. Damien Duff completely embarrassed Patrice Evra near the halfway line with an outrageous piece of skill, then played in the impressive Bobby Zamora. Zamora cut the ball back to Simon Davies (who once had a trial at Old Trafford) who scored via the smallest of deflections, with van der Sar unable to save it despite getting a good hand to it. 5 minutes later, United had a lucky escape when Vidic was all hands on Fulham new boy Dembele, but the referees view was blocked by Darren Fletcher.

The Red Devils began to compose themselves and made a double switch with first Nani and then Ryan Giggs coming on for Park and Valencia respectively, and Michael Owen replacing the energetic but otherwise disappointing Chicharito. Chances were aplenty; clear cut opportunities on the other hand were scarce. Nani fired a freekick just over, and Vidic headed two Giggs corners wide, while at the other end, United breathed another sigh of relief when a quick, long free kick caught them out but Zamora fired just wide.

With 7 minutes left the visitors were truly in the ascendency and got a goal that their spell of domination earned. Having benefitted from an extraordinary number of own goals last season, United were in luck here too when Nani’s corner was shinned into his own goal by Hangeland in the 84^th minute. Neither scorer or provider had yet to register their final mark on the match, though. Just two minutes after the goal, United racked up another corner which resulted in Damien Duff being bizarrely reprimanded for handball when it seemed he was helpless to stop the ball hitting him.

Nani stepped up to take the spotkick, but it was comfortably but well saved by Fulham keeper Stockdale. The home side responded impressively and won a corner in the 89^th minute, which was headed in by Brede Hangeland, completing his retribution for his error moments earlier. Again, van der Sar got a hand to it, but the giant defenders contact was good, as was his leap to get the ball in front of three other players, including Vidic.

View second half highlights here – http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/6645511/

A late period of concerted pressure in injury time from the away team never amounted to anything of note and though United could lament over the lost chance to take a comfortable three points, Fulham were left thinking that with better officiating they too could have snatched the win. With the game coming so early in the season then it’s probably fair to just hold hands up and say “good game”, but with Chelsea’s run of easy games set to continue until October, United can’t afford to drop too many points in these early games. Especially when, with less than 5 minutes to go, they should have been two goals clear. Those of a superstitious disposition may also wish to forget that in our first away game of last season, we missed a penalty that turned out to be crucial.

Still, after the heads down approach from West Brom and Wigan after conceding opening goals to Chelsea, Sir Alex’s comments in 1996 about the effort of Leeds following our tough 1-0 win are particularly pertinent. Teams owe it to themselves and the integrity of the league (Liverpool, take note) to put in 100% all of the time, regardless of the opponent. Fulham showed nothing is a lost cause; if they play the entire season with the same commitment, they’ll have a good year.

Ratings : van der Sar 7, O’Shea 6, Evans 6, Vidic 7, Evra 6, Valencia 6 (Giggs), *Scholes 8, Fletcher 7, Park 6 (Nani 7), Berbatov 6, Chicharito 6 (Owen)

Fulham have been one of our toughest opponents in recent seasons, especially at Craven Cottage. In United’s last two visits, Fulham came out victorious. Now, United will have to break the trend to continue their winning start to the season. Former Red Devil Mark Hughes has taken over in the hot seat at Fulham. While it always adds a bit of intrigue to compete against former-players-turned-manager, Hughes stint at rivals City could make this match up even more heated.

Fulham started off the season with a goalless draw against Bolton, while United kick started their season with a 3-0 win over Newcastle. Regardless of results, Craven Cottage has been a tough fixture in recent seasons. I think Fulham is still hurting from the departure of Roy Hodgson, which could play into United’s favor. There is no doubt that Fulham is a strong team though. They’re fresh off a trip to the Europa League final last season, and new manager aside, they have a good squad.

Fulham’s success at home last season could be contributed to United’s defensive injury crisis at that time. Barring Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves, United should head to London with a full squad.

I can’t see Sir Alex straying far from the winning formula he put together against Newcastle last week. With that said, I think Paul Scholes and John O’Shea will be the changes in the squad. Scholes can no longer play every match and I think Sir Alex will use this one to get him some rest. My exclusion of O’Shea has a lot to do with my love of Rafael. In most cases I think Sir Alex would tend to go more conservative away from home and use a more defense-oriented back like O’Shea, but I also think he’ll want to give the Brazilian a chance to finally stake his claim in the right back position.

I’d love nothing more than to see Wayne Rooney and Chicharito start up top, but I think Dimitar Berbatov will be rewarded another start for his performance against Newcastle. Sir Alex spoke Friday about Rooney’s lack of match fitness, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Chicharito come on to replace him again at Craven Cottage. Though, Owen is also in need of some games, so he may see some action against Fulham as well.

Meanwhile, Nani and Valencia seem to have secured their places as the starting wingers and I don’t think Sir Alex will mess with that pairing against a team as strong as Fulham, especially taking into consideration our recent history against them. And as long as Vidic and Evra are fit and available, it’s hard to bit against Sir Alex not selecting them.

The two key players for Fulham will be Brede Hangeland and Bobby Zamora. Hangeland has attracted attention from Europe’s top clubs the past few transfer windows and may be able to quiet United’s attack; while Zamora scored 19 goals last season as he lead the club in scoring. As an American, I’m also going to throw Clint Dempsey’s name into the mix. The midfielder is wonderfully talented and may provide the spark Fulham need in midfield to unlock United’s defense.

Strong squad and top players aside, my gut is telling me United are going to snap their two match losing streak at Craven Cottage and continue their strong start to the season. My money is on Berbatov to continue his goal scoring start to the season, while I think Chicharito will finally grab is Premier League debut goal.

Prediction: United 2, Fulham 0

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Wayne Rooney continued his blistering goalscoring form with a double to send Manchester United back to the top of the Premier League with Dimitar Berbatov adding a third to round off an inspirational personal display.

The scoreline did not flatter the reigning Champions but that isn’t to say Fulham didn’t have their moments or that it was a procession – far from it. It was the Red Devils who fashioned the first opening, though, when neat one-two’s between Darren Fletcher and Berbatov led to the Scot caught in two minds when clean through.With the goal gaping and Rooney waiting, Fletcher unselfishly squared but Fulham’s defenders reacted quick to snuff out the opportunity.

There were, occasionally, moments of deliberation where indecision almost proved fatal – the first instance, with Neville giving the ball away, saw Clint Dempsey drive a long range shot just over the bar. United responded and Berbatov’s acrobatic volley from a corner was wide and just missed by Rooney who attempted to divert it. Midway through the first half Rooney had a decent shout for a penalty appeal after being manhandled by Stephen Kelly – United have seen one given against them, at Hull, in identical circumstances, but on this occasion no foul was given.

A feature of Rooney’s ascent to world stardom has been the way he channels what he believes to be wrong decisions against him into his personal desire to right them by letting his football do the talking instead of his mouth – by forcing Schwarzer into a smart stop on the half hour, and then seeing another chance deflected after nice build up with Berbatov, it was clear he was once again in the mood.The goalless first period was almost interrupted by Bobby Zamora – the forward has been in good form this season, and scored against United in December, but he failed to control his shot after a pass from perrenial United upsetter Danny Murphy played him through.

With 45 minutes played any pre-match observations that Fulham may be tiring after their midweek European exploits seemed to be wide of the mark – quite the opposite, in fact. Veteran manager Roy Hodgson would doubtless have drilled the importance of concentration and energy levels for both the trip to Turin and this encounter and his players did not let him down – but any thoughts that United,with the visit of Fulham posing something of an anti-climax after destroying Milan so wilfully in midweek, would suffer from complacency, took just 29 seconds of the restart to dispel. Picking up on a won header by Berbatov, Rooney played the ball wide to Nani. Nani’s delivery had been the most likely route to an opener as the winger has begun to settle into better form on the left hand side, and there could be no complaints about the accuracy and the timing of his release here, fizzing the ball through a small crowd of Fulham defenders back into the path of Rooney. Rooney, of course, needs no invitation and gratefully wrapped the ball into the back of the net.

In the 54th minute a Gary Neville cross caused all kinds of panic – Nani was unsure just what part of his body to use to send the ball towards goal, and when the ball rebounded to Rooney, he was unable to get any real conviction due to being slightly off balance. Aside from a spectacular volleyed effort by Rio Ferdinand that went just over, this was the closest United came to extending their lead until Fulham gave a reminder that with just a goal seperating them, they could yet throw an almighty spanner in their opponents title hopes.

A long ball through was deflected just enough to outfox both Ferdinand and Vidic who had otherwise been impenetrable, and suddenly Zamora found himself with time and space. Too much time and space, it seemed, as the England hopeful showed the lack of conviction that is probably the reason he won’t be heading to South Africa in the summer – nonetheless, Vidic’s recovery was sensational to snuff out any chance whatsoever.

It was enough to prompt United to up the ante – Park, on for Valencia who had been below par, showed excellent footwork before fizzing the ball in towards Berbatov, but the forward’s header was just wide. A minute later, Patrice Evra went on a mazy run and fired a right foot shot wide, and this was soon followed by Darren Fletcher working his own way through. Fletcher’s shot was on target, but Schwarzer’s reaction was superb. A second goal seemed inevitable, however, and it duly arrived with just over 5 minutes to go with more than just a touch of class. Michael Carrick’s brilliant searching pass sent Berbatov wide – with two defenders near him, it seemed a dead end, but Berbatov turned and beat them both for pace. Rooney had raced to join him in the middle, Berbatov’s pass was clean, Rooney’s shot was far from clean but went across goal comfortably beating Schwarzer. It was the England forward’s 32nd goal of the season.

United still found time to score again, with a goal almost identical in craft to the previous one. It was Rooney’s exceptional cross field pass this time, finding Park wide right. Park’s delivery was perfect, and Berbatov met it centrally to head in a richly deserved goal.

Sir Alex Ferguson may clearly prefer a 4-3-3 which is more effective in the bigger games, and as such Berbatov will probably find himself on the bench next weekend. However occasions such as these show that the frontman does have a part to play at Old Trafford in other games. Berbatov’s contribution was key; while at the back the importance of the mere presence of Ferdinand and Vidic was enough to instill an inherent confidence in the side, something notably absent the last time these two teams met. By selecting Fletcher and Carrick to start in midfield – both of whom were defensively deployed at Craven Cottage – Ferguson was perhaps unknowingly proving a point about the severity of the handicap that befell the Champions over the winter.

It is no coincidence that with his preferred central pairing Sir Alex has seen his team register 3 consecutive league clean sheets, and he will be hopeful that with something to prove they continue that stability next week, after last season’s abberation in the same fixture.

Ratings : van der Sar 6, Neville 7 (Fabio), Ferdinand 7, Vidic 7, Evra 8, Valencia 6 (Park 7), Fletcher 7, Carrick 8, Nani 8, *Berbatov 8, Rooney 8

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of 20 year old centre half Chris Smalling from Fulham for a reported £8million fee. Smalling had been the pursued by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, however the defender will join the Champions in the summer ready for the 2010/11 season.

The signing of the England U21 International could be an indication that Nemanja Vidic will leave the club in the summer. There have been numerous reports linking the Serb with a move to Spain, with Barcelona or Real Madrid as the likely destination. Smalling has made eight appearances so far this season for Fulham and was an unused substitute in the 3-0 defeat to Fulham in December.

A United spokesperson released the following statement:

“Manchester United has agreed terms for the transfer of Chris Smalling from Fulham. Chris has agreed personal terms with the club and will join for the beginning of the 2010/2011 campaign. He will remain at Fulham until the end of the current season.”