"Saw what Jamie (Carragher) did on Monday night and that was basically it"- Fulham star admits they targetted Manchester United duo in 2-1 win
Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney gave an insight into the side's tactical set-up that helped them beat Manchester United 2-1 in the Premier League on February 24.
Cairney said that the Cottagers looked to expose the Red Devils' back line by using the space between the defense and the midfield. He said on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday show:
“We knew they were very strong going forward, so we wanted to take the ball off them. They can get gaps between the back four and the midfield.
“We tried to exploit that with little triangles and playing in behind Casemiro and Mainoo, who is a very good footballer. It kind of worked from the first five to ten minutes. That’s why we grew into the game and got the confidence.
“They were kind of chasing the game and the gaps just got bigger and bigger. I saw what Jamie [Carragher] did on Monday night and that was basically it.”
A key pattern throughout many of Manchester United's losses this season is how easy it has been for opposition teams to play through their midfield. Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo were regularly bypassed by the Fulham attackers at Old Trafford.
The London side opened the scoring in the second half via Calvin Bassey. They looked to hold on to their win until Harry Maguire tapped in an equaliser in the 89th minute. With Manchester United pushing hard for a winner, Fulham executed a clinical counter-attack, finished off by Alex Iwobi to hand them all three points.
The loss leaves United in sixth place in the league standings, eight points off the top four. It remains to be seen if they can finish in the UEFA Champions League places in what has been a difficult season.
Manchester United joining race for Serie A star: Reports
Manchester United have expressed an interest in signing Juventus winger Federico Chiesa. According to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net, the Red Devils are joining the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal as teams who want to sign the Italian.
With big-money signing Antony struggling to make an impact and Jadon Sancho's future at the club looking bleak, United will be keen to add a right-winger. Currently, the Red Devils' options for the position include the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo.
Chiesa has been a key player for the Bianconeri since his arrival from Fiorentina in 2020. In 116 appearances for the club, he has scored 28 goals and set up 22 more.