EPL match review: Fulham vs Manchester United
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It was a relatively quiet day at the office for a Manchester United team that finally appears to be finding its feet under new manager David Moyes as they not-so-clinically dispatched a Fulham side eager to please their home fans. The final score of 3-1 to the away team was probably a fair reflection of the afternoon’s balance of play.
United started off much the better team and capitalized on the proverbial spring in their step by scoring 3 quick goals in the first 22 minutes. A nice bit of hold up play by van Persie set Rooney free over the centre back’s shoulder and in on goal. The England centre-forward, typically unselfish, had his head up as soon as the ball was under control. He slid it across to Antonio Valencia who slotted home from 8 yards. Rooney’s set up play was to be rewarded by van Persie yet again as he teed up hig strike partner for a tap in from inside the 6 yard box. Van Persie managed to get one for himself between the two capitalizing on some poor Fulham defending and a slick ball from the young Adnan Januzaj, although Fulham keeper Maarten Stekelenburg might have done better.
The rest of the first have proceeded at a brisk pace with no more mistakes from either side and towards the end, ran the risk of just petering out with the first three goals.
Fulham’s best player of the first half was undoubtedly Pajtim Kasami and Martin Jol would have been hoping for much more of the same from him in the second half. United introduced Kagawa, Smalling and Fellaini at half time, probably with one eye on the Champions League match in midweek.
Fulham approached the second half more positively and probably shaded United in terms of tempo and incision over the 45 minutes. Their efforts bore dividends as substitute Alexander Kacaniklic’s shot from the edge of the area deflected off Wayne Rooney’s outstretched boot and nestled into the far bottom corner as de Gea was woefully wrong-footed. De Gea’s reaction was symbolic of any goalkeeper’s plight because every keeper always wants his defenders to close down the opponents’ shots and thereby stifle any attempt on goal. However in this instance, as many times before, the keeper had the ball’s initial trajectory covered and the attempted block is arguably what put him off. Fulham weren’t complaining though as they threw on Darren Bent towards the latter stages. He managed to head the ball onto the crossbar after some quick footed play on the edge of the box from ex-United man and captain for the day, Dimitar Berbatov. Another former United player Kieron Richardson went perilously close with a header from 6 yards, which he surely should have buried.
There was probably no position on the pitch that Wayne Rooney didn’t find himself in over the course of the 90 minutes and he did justice to each one of them. He is quite a certainty to pick up the post-match accolades. The win puts United in eighth place in the table, five points off the leaders Arsenal and sends Fulham to 15th. There’s a long way to go in the season and United fans will take heart from the seven consecutive undefeated match run they find themselves in. Fulham looked value-for-money throughout a majority of the match and their eventual top or bottom half finishing position will probably be determined by their away form.