Fulham are notoriously difficult opposition for United. It's not that we've gone to Craven Cottage for the last few seasons and failed to score because I still remember them coming to OT in the first half of this past decade and stealing a 1-3 win. Even before the rot of the past few seasons started, I thought we still struggled to beat them. Three seasons ago, I we needed Cristiano Ronaldo's solo late effort to secure a win that never looked likely. Then of course came those 2-0 and 3-0 defeats.
I 've never fancied their pitch as it is , for starters, a rather small one. It's also not the smoothest of turfs to play on and the manager has gone all about declaring his happiness at the fact that we get to play them when it is still early in the season hence a better pitch.
Fulham fans, given our last performances there, no doubt have reason to feel that they can pull it off once again this season but the reality is that its almost unlikely.
For starters, it's not often that the manager goes out of his way to watch a club like Fulham (or Ozil). Then I thought in 2009, they got us on the wrong end of a terrible defeat to Liverpool at home and so the expectation of a backlash went ahead of us.
Last season's defeat is self explanatory---I must say I saw that one coming when Fletcher lined up alongside Carrick in central defence. That something of the sort will happen again is tremendously unlikely.
We've got an almost full squad to pick from---I'll leave that headache to the manager but one thing that the manager and fans will want to get out of the way is to give Hernadez a first league start.
Mark Shwarzer is one Fulham player I'd want to miss this game because on his day, you just can't beat him---oh yes and Danny Murphy as well. The latter will most likely play though (so that means whatever happens, we must make sure we score at least two goals tomorrow).
Anything but three points will be an absolute disaster.
*Anderson back in training. Ferdinand to return in late September.
Labels: PREVIEWS
