Premier League: Victory Over Fulham and Final Day Round-Up

Manchester United played host to London side Fulham FC earlier today at Old Trafford in the final match of the 2022-2023 Premier League season. This was not really a high-stakes match as United had already solidified their top-4 spot, while Fulham were mathematically locked into 10th place and therefore unable to reach a European spot. Still, there was always pride on the line and the fairly strong team fielded by manager Erik ten Hag indicated that he wanted 3rd place locked up. If United earned an equal or better result than Newcastle, they would indeed finish 3rd. There was also a lot of drama at the bottom of the Prem table in the relegation battle, but let’s recap the Red Devils’ match first.

The match was fairly tepid to start out but United were on the front foot for the most part and creating the chances. Fulham somewhat unexpectedly forged themselves ahead on 19 minutes thanks to a header from right back Kenny Tete. Fulham had won a corner, which was swung in to the box by winger Willian. Tete lost his marker at the near post, and he nodded in from what was effectively point-blank range. Fulham going ahead was not on the cards, and United’s misery was almost doubled when the referee awarded Fulham a penalty on 25 minutes after midfielder Casemiro was adjudged to have committed a foul in the box. There weren’t too many protests from anyone in a red shirt, and replays showed a pretty clear foul. Cottagers striker Aleksandar Mitrović stepped up to the spot, but his low effort lacked power and placement. De Gea was able to get down to his left and paw away the shot! Great penalty save from De Gea, especially because De Gea isn’t known as a penalty stopper. The save galvanized the rest of the Red Devils though and they grew into the game quickly.

Winger Alejandro Garnacho went close to an equalizer when his shot from a tight angle struck the crossbar, but United continued to push. They were rewarded for their efforts on 39 minutes when winger Jadon Sancho bundled home a loose ball in the box. Midfielder Fred had taken a good touch to get the ball into the area, but he was met by a Fulham defender that didn’t fully clear the ball. Sancho took a touch and then slid the ball in low past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno. There was a bit of luck about the goal given the good bounce to Sancho, but United had been the dominant side since the penalty save and were good value for their equalizer. The first half finished at 1-1. Newcastle were also level in their match against Chelsea, which meant United were a scant 45 minutes away from a 3rd place finish.

United did not have to wait too long for the go-ahead goal. They had continued their dominance from the latter part of the first half and found the back of the net again on 55 minutes. Fred played a truly sublime through-ball into the feet of fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes, whom had found a gap in the Fulham back-4 to run into. He latched onto the ball, took it around Leno through on goal, and finished into an empty with ease. A great run and finish from Bruno, but Fred needs all the credit for excellent vision and hitting an absolutely perfect ball. 2-1!

There were half-chances created by both sides in the final 35 minutes, with both keepers forced into fairly routine saves here and there. ETH made some key substitutions as well so as to provide rest and prevent injury to the big players before the FA Cup Final next Saturday. The rhythm of the game slowed down a bit, with the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time feeling more like a training session than a match. That happens on the final day sometimes when there is nothing to play for. The final whistle blew after United cleared a Fulham free kick and the lads locked up a 3rd place finish!

Given how bad this team was last season, a 3rd place finish on 75 points with the League Cup in hand and the opportunity to win another trophy should be regarded as a success. It is true that a club like United needs to be challenging for the league title, but we are clearly still in the early stages of the ETH rebuild. He brought in some absolutely massive players last summer, and some of our pre-existing players improved significantly this season too. We finally have a coherent style of football that the players have bought into. Biggest turning point of the season was early on though. We had lost our first two matches against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, after which ETH made the players run 14 KM (roughly 8.7 miles) during a training session. Vitally though, ETH ran all 14 KM with the players. That’s pretty good for a man in his mid-50s, and it clearly showed the players that he was fully invested in the squad. The job he’s done this season has been nothing short of brilliant, and he deserves a full backing from the club’s ownership (whoever that may be) during the transfer window. We need a striker, a second option at goalkeeper, and a ball-carrying midfielder. Time to open the check book!

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

The Relegation Battle

Coming into today, the title had already been decided and the top-4 was also mostly solidified. Liverpool, Brighton, and Aston Villa ended up in the final European places – with the Scousers and Brighton qualifying for the Europa League while Villa will set up shop in the Europa Conference League next season. There was a lack of drama at the top of the table on the final day, but there was no such lack at the bottom.

Bottom-dwellers Southampton had already been relegated a week or so ago. That meant that there were two other spots open for teams to fall into, and the three teams in danger of doing so were Everton, Leicester City, and Leeds United. Leeds were absolutely walloped by Tottenham 4-1 today, and they were losing almost from the get-go. Their fate was sealed relatively early on. Leicester actually managed to beat West Ham 2-1 though, which meant that they were safe as long as Everton lost to AFC Bournemouth. However, Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré smashed the Toffees ahead from 20 yards out on 57 minutes, and it would be the goal that saved them from relegation. Everton and manager Sean Dyche escaped this year, but they have serious work to do in the summer to avoid another relegation battle next season. Thrilling stuff at the bottom of the table today, with millions of pounds at stake for each club!

Before the sign off, a quick congratulations to Burnley FC, Sheffield United FC, and Luton Town FC on their promotions to the Premier League! They will replace the relegated Southampton, Leicester, and Leeds. Burnley and Sheffield United have been in the Premier League before, but this will be the first top-flight adventure for Luton Town in their 138 year history! This is a club that re-defines the word “underdog”. I highly recommend a read-up on Luton Town for those interested because they are probably the best story in football right now.

We aren’t quite done with matches this club season just yet. Saturday June 3rd is the FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City at Wembley. Should be a Derby for the ages! There is also the not-small matter of the Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan on June 10th in Istanbul, Turkey.

FA Cup: United Through to the Semifinals After Fulham Implode

Manchester United played host to west London side Fulham FC today in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. If United had all players available they would have been heavy favorites, but the absence of regular starters Casemiro (suspension), Christian Eriksen (injury), and Raphael Varane (injury) would have been encouraging to Fulham and manager Marco Silva. Fulham have historically struggled at Old Trafford, but Silva knew that today would likely present an opportunity for an upset. Fulham have been in good form generally this season, which is a testament to the job Silva has done with them given that they were only promoted from the Championship last season. Meanwhile, United manager Erik ten Hag and the players have made it clear that they are pushing for another trophy this season, so he named as strong a team as he could possibly select.

The first half was almost all Fulham. They were more dominant in possession almost the entire opening 45 minutes. United were simply being over-run in midfield. The absences of Casemiro and Eriksen were very noticeable. Fulham’s best player by a mile was midfielder João Palhinha. He won tackles, played some excellent passes, and was able to carry the ball through United’s midfield routinely. There was a lack of energy by the Red Devils today, too. They looked tired. Perhaps the grueling fixture list this season was finally taking it’s toll a bit. Still, despite their dominance, Fulham were having trouble creating clear chances. United’s back line, marshalled by center back Lisandro Martinez, was the only unit of the team playing with any degree of ferocity.

United really struggled going forward as well. Forward Marcus Rashford was isolated on the left hand side, midfielder Bruno Fernandes’s passing was more wayward than accurate, and winger/midfielder Jadon Sancho didn’t look like he knew where he was supposed to play. No matter how much ETH shuffled the forward line, they really struggled to make Fulham keeper Bernd Leno earn his paycheck in the first half. Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer forced him into a fairly routine save on 40 minutes, but that was about as dangerous as things got for the Black and Whites from London. So while Fulham were the better of the two teams, it was 0-0 after 45 minutes.

All of Old Trafford and most of the people watching would have expected a second half response from United. This is because ETH has proven himself to be an effective reader of the game, and also an effective motivator. United needed to up their intensity a bit, but instead what we got was Fulham taking things up a notch instead. They won a succession of corners that really put United under a lot of pressure, and they finally got their break-through from talismanic striker Aleksandar Mitrović on 50 minutes. Fulham forced a corner after a series fine saves from keeper David De Gea, at first to deny left back Antonee Robinson and then again from winger Willian. For the goal, it was former United midfielder Andreas Pereira playing the ball in over the top, and it was flicked on into the path of Mitrović by Fulham center back Issa Diop. Mitrović stuck his left leg out and fired home from about 5 yards out, despite what appeared to be a foul on Rashford in the build-up to the goal. Fulham were good value for their lead, and a VAR check confirmed there was no foul on Rashford. An argument could be made that he was indeed fouled, but again the bigger issue was United letting Fulham outplay them for 50 minutes. 0-1 to the Londoners.

Things kept going Fulham’s way for another 20 minutes or so after that as well. United’s response to going down was rather tepid, and Fulham kept pushing. De Gea did well to athletically save a headed effort from Mitrović on 66 minutes, and Mitrović saw another header go wide just seconds after that. United were truly under the cosh and lucky not to be down by 2.

The entire nature and complexion of this match changed on 72 minutes. United broke forward and got into a promising position for the first time in a while, with the ball finding Sancho in a forward position after a good run and pass from substitute winger Antony dos Santos. Sancho took the ball around Leno, but his shot from 12 yards was cleared off the line by Willian at the near post. A corner was given by referee Chris Kavanagh, but there were calls from United supporters and players alike for a VAR check on the clearance. Upon review, it was clear that Willian stuck his arm out and used his hand to clear the ball! As Kavanagh made his way to the pitch-side monitor to check for a penalty, Silva said something to either him or the 4th official on the touchline. Kavanagh took issue with it, and he showed Fulham’s manager a red card! He then checked the replay and awarded the penalty, while simultaneously sending off Willian for a deliberate handball in the box. As if the situation wasn’t bad enough for Fulham, Mitrović then decided to get in the referee’s face as well, and the confrontation escalated to Mitrović actually shoving Kavanagh! There is no professional sport where can you deliberately contact the referee and get away unpunished, and this sport is no different. Kavanagh instantly went back to his pocket and showed Mitrović a red card too! Absolutely wild.

In the span of about 40 seconds, Fulham saw their manager, striker, and winger all sent off. They were down to 9 men for the final 20 minutes or so, with United also having a penalty awarded to them for the handball. Bruno stepped up to the spot and casually sent Leno the wrong way, making it 1-1 to United! The Red Devils smelled blood, and it was apparent that Fulham were shell-shocked by the mad decisions of Silva, Willian, and Mitrović. United were ahead just 2 minutes later, with left back Luke Shaw operating in acres of space before he crossed back into the middle. Sabitzer was on hand to flash down and back-heel the cross into the goal, with Leno unable to keep it out. Talk about a wild swing! United went from 11 vs 11 and down a goal to up 2-1 versus 9 men in the span of about five minutes. Well done to Sabitzer for opening his goal scoring account today as well!

Fulham’s heads were gone after that, and they didn’t have the numbers to cause United problems going forward. Once it was 2-1, United never looked like conceding another goal. They kept possession and created more chances going forward as well. They got their third deep into stoppage time, with Bruno firing home decisively from about 12 yards out after being found by substitute midfielder Fred. A good goal from Bruno to seal the deal, but United were definitely aided by their numerical advantage. The final whistle blew and United won 3-1, having earned themselves a second Wembley trip this season.

Make no mistake, Fulham gave this game away. Up until 72 minutes, they were the better side and looked like they would be the ones moving on to the semis. United looked fatigued, the tactics from ETH weren’t great until the subs started coming on, and Fulham were more or less bossing the game. I have been watching this sport for 20+ years, and I don’t think I’ve seen a bigger implosion and mental collapse from a team than what I saw from Fulham today. I don’t know what was said by Silva to warrant his sending off, and I am even more in the dark as to what he was complaining about. Kavanagh hadn’t even awarded the penalty before Silva started mouthing off to him. Willian’s decision to use his hand was also mystifying, but he probably thought it was necessary to prevent a goal. The biggest mystery here though is why Mitrović felt the need to start remonstrating with the official. Mitrović has a reputation for being a hot-headed and aggressive player, but his decision to get into the ref’s face and then shove him was pure recklessness. Fulham had the game in hand, and even with a penalty to United it was still 1-0 with 10 men at that point. Had Bruno missed the penalty, Mitrović still could have helped his team get a result. He has to be smarter there. He has to realize the big picture of the situation and stay out of the referee’s face, no matter how upset he was. But it was 3 red cards shown to Fulham in the span of about 40 seconds, and all 3 were probably deserved. A total and complete mental implosion from Fulham FC today.

ETH knew his side got away with one today, and he rightfully praised De Gea’s timely saves in the second half to keep United in the match. Sometimes you have to be lucky in this game, and that is precisely what happened today. For 72 minutes, United were second-best. I am still frankly in a degree of disbelief that the colossal mental collapse of Fulham. United were better once they were down to 9 men and it was 1-1, but that is to be expected at this level with the quality United have. Credit to Kavanagh for holding his nerve today, although I would like to know what Silva said to him that earned him a red. A manager being red-carded for dissent is not unprecedented, but it is exceptionally rare. Fulham will be absolutely kicking themselves today. Well done to United for immediately taking advantage of the situation and getting their second goal just moments after the first one went in.

United do not have another match until April 2nd, as we have hit the March international break. Players that have been called up to play for their countries will go and do so, with some others getting a little bit of a break. England face Italy in a Euro 2024 qualifier on March 23rd, with another qualifier against Ukraine on March 26th. United’s next match is in the Premier League away to Newcastle, and they will be returning to Wembley for the FA Cup Semifinals against Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of April. I do think some of our players need a break, so some of them having the next two weeks off to recover will do them wonders.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Fulham Fall in Fergie Time — Ronaldo Shoots His Big Dumb Mouth Off

Manchester United traveled south to London for the final Premier League match before the winter break against newly-promoted Fulham FC at Craven Cottage. United have traditionally been dominant over Fulham, but manager Marco Silva is a capable tactician and they are a confident team when at home. Manager Erik ten Hag picked a strong if somewhat rotated team for this match, knowing that a win would cement the Red Devils’ grip on fifth place going into the break.

Fulham were probably the better side in the first ten minutes, but United grew into the game and got the first goal somewhat against the run of play. Casemiro won the ball back inside the center circle and United sprung into attack very quickly. The ball was played forward by Christian Eriksen into the feet of Anthony Martial, who turned quickly and brought the ball forward towards the Fulham penalty area. He played it left to Bruno Fernandes, who hit the ball first time on a return low and across the face of the Fulham goal. Eriksen had continued his run and was unmarked as he tapped home for his first United goal! The goal was a typical one from United under ETH: win the ball high up the pitch via press, get it into the forward playmakers quickly, and work the ball into the goal via precise passing.

Fulham responded well to the goal though, encouraged by their raucous home crowd. They slowly but surely established the majority of the possession, and managed to fashion a few half chances as the half matured. United had the best chance for the next goal though, once again via Eriksen. This time though his shot from close range was just wide of the left-hand post. Halftime saw the match finely poised at 1-0.

Fulham continued their ascendency however and were rewarded for their possession and chances created just after the hour mark, and it was a familiar face to United that did it. Substitute winger Daniel James was the first to get to a cross into the area, and he poked it home past keeper David De Gea with almost his first touch. Poor marking from United, really. Respect to James however for not celebrating after scoring. He had some good games for United and there are many at the club who wish he was still playing for us. He was a good super-sub for the club for sure, but his game was a little one-dimensional during his time at United and he sometimes went missing from matches. Well done to him in the end for keeping at it in west London.

As more substitutions were made and the players grew more tired, the pace of the game slowed down significantly. Fulham were possessing the ball but not really making any inroads, while United seemed somewhat content with the occasional counter-attack or fast break to create a chance. It must be said that United did squander a fair few chances throughout the match, in both halves. This match had the word “draw” written all over it.

But for all the tactical issues today, this team never stops trying. Time and time again this season, they find a way to get a late goal. Such a goal was needed today, and they got one in thrilling fashion after a lovely move down the left hand side. The ball was played forward in short and quick passes to get around the Fulham press, before it found substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho on the left wing. He played a long 1-2 with Eriksen, then showed amazing acceleration to reach Eriksen’s return pass and poke it home first time into the far corner of Fulham keeper Bernd Leno’s goal. Fulham players and fans were in shock while the lads in red celebrated wildly. What a run from Garnacho. He has elite quickness in short bursts and the Fulham defender had no chance. A very “Manchester United” goal in the sense that it was scored in Fergie time by a graduate of our youth academy. Garnacho is going to be a star in this league for sure!

A few things though – yes a win is a win and we will celebrate as such, but this match should have been over in the first half. We still can’t finish consistently and had to rely on a moment of genius to win a match instead of killing it off early. It’s true that some usual starters were out today, but Fulham were there for the taking in the first half. It was also worrying that in our midfield of Casemiro, Bruno, and Eriksen that we can’t maintain possession for long spells against a side like Fulham. Perhaps that was by design tactically today, but I would have liked to see us “defend from the front” a bit more by possessing the ball and not letting Fulham camp out in our half. Against better sides, that is a recipe for losing. Still need a striker in January who can finish off all these chances we create.

United go into the winter break comfortably in 5th place, just three points off 4th place with a game in hand. Considering where we were after the first two matches, I am generally happy with the direction the team is heading in. Glazers Out still of course!

***

Speaking of needing a new striker, current striker Cristiano Ronaldo has now certainly played his last match for Manchester United and will be gone after the World Cup. His dramatic saga this season has been documented on this blog, and the latest chapter in this rather moronic story is Ronaldo going on a British talk show to talk about how he has been “disrespected” by the club and how he feels he is being “forced out.” He took shots in the explosive interview at United’s directors, ETH, and even former teammate Wayne Rooney. Ronaldo did not play in today’s match, but did play in the loss against Aston Villa last weekend.

Ronaldo has always had an ego, but he has now become arrogant and petulant. He seems to think he his owed a place in the team routinely based on his contributions in the past, but that is simply not how football works. He has not been good this season, plain and simple. He is either unwilling or unable to fit into ETH’s tactical system. If he is not scoring goals, he simply does not contribute much to this team. Routinely, the team plays better when he is not in the lineup. Ronaldo does not seem to be able to accept that reality.

This interview has tarnished his legacy. He has forgotten that no one man is bigger than Manchester United, even a player with that stature of Ronaldo. His exit was already pretty likely even before he went on television and started spouting off nonsense, but it seemed that he and ETH had at least temporarily made nice. Ronaldo was even named captain for a match a few weeks ago. He clearly doesn’t feel that was enough, though. Whatever favor he sought to gain by explaining his side of things, I think ultimately this will not be viewed positively. He comes across like a child stomping his feet in a grocery store because his parent won’t let him run around the store. No one is forcing him out except for himself. He’d be an amazing super sub when United need a goal, but he isn’t willing to accept that role.

Goodbye, Ronaldo. We’ll forever be grateful for the trophies but you’re done now, mate. Enjoy the big paycheck from the MLS or the homecoming if you go to Portugal. Just keep your mouth shut about the club that helped mold you into what you are today.

Premier League Final Day Round-Up, Plus a Preview of the Europa League Final

Going into the final matchday of the season, most of the important questions about how the league would finish up had already been answered. It was clear that Manchester City would be champions, and that Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and Sheffield United were all to be relegated. Really the only question of any importance that hadn’t been answered was who would take the final two top-4 spots. City and Manchester United had already clinched 1st and 2nd respectively, but Chelsea, Liverpool, and Leicester City were all fighting for the final two Champions League places and all the riches that come with finishing in those two spots.

Liverpool beat Crystal Palace, Chelsea lost to Aston Villa, and Leicester lost to Tottenham despite being two goals ahead at one point. As a result, Liverpool finished 3rd, Chelsea finished 4th, and Leicester were left on the outside looking in. They, along with West Ham, will play in the Europa League next season. Great season for West Ham considering they weren’t really expected to finish so high, but a disappointment for Leicester finishing 5th when they had been in the top-4 for most of the season. They still have the FA Cup to hang their hats on, but to not qualify for the CL is a let down for that club. Arsenal and Everton miss out on European competition all together, which is also a disappointment for clubs of that size.

United took on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineaux in the final match day of the season. Neither side had much to play for, and it showed by the team selection from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Wolves were perhaps a little bit more keen to win though, given that it was the last match of their beloved manager Nuno Espirito Santo. All of United’s regular starters sat out today in anticipation of the Europa League final on Wednesday, but I was indeed impressed with several of our youth players, including but not limited to Anthony Elanga, Amad Diallo, and substitute Hannibal Mejbri. They are young guys but they did very well today against an almost full-strength Wolves side. Elanga opened the scoring (and his United goal scoring account) after a peach of a cross from Daniel James on the left hand side. We conceded an equalizer to Woves via a Nelson Semedo finish from close range, but Juan Mata then converted a penalty after Donny Van de Beek was tripped in the penalty area by a Wolves defender. Some good defensive work from Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly ensured that Wolves did not get another goal. Seeing so many academy products on the pitch today was awesome and the fact that they managed to win is a great sign for the future of the club. OGS understands the importance of this club’s academy and integrating players from there into the first team, as evidenced by the fact that he has given more first team debuts to youth products than any United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson left.

Today was likely the last match in the United red for Mata, who looks to be either headed into retirement or possibly back to his native Spain for one last season. He is an absolutely class player, and he is equally class off the pitch as well. His skills have diminished due to age, but he is an excellent team leader and his presence in the locker room was key for many of the younger players and new signings. You always need players who are good for the locker room, even if their skills are perhaps just not quite good enough for the pace and intensity of the Premier League. I hope he gets a testimonial match in his honor, but if he doesn’t he can retire knowing he is a Premier League winner, Champions League winner, and Euros winner with Spain. There’s a possible club ambassadorship in the offing for him as well. Thank you for your services, Juan Mata!

Overall, 74 points and second place is a big improvement on last season. I am content with it, but not fully satisfied. We need some reinforcements in the summer, but this is the closest we have been to the Premier League title since the departure of Ferguson. A legitimate title challenge next season is the next step for this club.

Only one match left to play now – the Europa League final against Spanish side Villarreal next Wednesday in Gdansk, Poland. I do like United’s chances, but a big worry will be the absence of center back and captain Harry Maguire. OGS said in earlier in the week that Maguire is very unlikely to play, which means that the normal pairing of Victor Lindelof and Maguire will need to be changed. It is either Tuanzebe or Bailly that will fill in for Maguire, and it’s unclear at this time who OGS will select. Both had good games today, and there are pros and cons to selecting either of them. Bailly is more athletic and experienced, but Tuanzebe tends to show up in big games and is very good mentally in terms of concentration and awareness. I could see it going either way, but if it’s me I pick Bailly. He is a former Villarreal player so he probably knows some of the players there still, and he has experience playing against the passing tactics of Spanish sides. He just really needs to concentrate and listen to what Lindelof tells him to do. He must be disciplined and likely cannot go off doing his own thing, which he sometimes tends to do.

Villarreal are managed by the Frenchman Unai Emery, and he is indeed very good at setting up his team(s) tactically when playing against United. He is a former Arsenal manager, and he has previously given United fits when the two squared off in the Premier League in seasons past. Villarreal does not have the star players we have, but never underestimate the ability of an Emery-coached side to play better than the sum of their parts. When you can’t match the individual skill level of the opposition, playing coherently as a team and sticking to your tactics is the best way to still get a result.

I think United are going to need to score, and score multiple goals, in order to win this match. Our defense looks shaky without Maguire, so I am not super optimistic on our chances of keeping a clean sheet. Players like Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, and Edinson Cavani will need to be in good form to break down any stubborn defending from Villarreal. I think Bruno in particular will have a good game. He is hungry for trophies and now that silverware is on the line, I think he is going to take his all-world form to an even higher level. Players like Pogba and Rashford have already helped us win the Europa League once back in 2017, so I expect them to have big games as well.

Next weekend is also the Champions League final featuring Man City and Chelsea, which I anticipate doing a preview/review for as well. It is Europe’s version of the Super Bowl, after all.

Glory glory Man United!

Well, This Weekend Could Not Have Gone Much Better

On Saturday, United played Fulham FC at their stadium in West London, a legendary venue known as Craven Cottage. Fulham have been good in seasons past and just as recently as a few years ago they were finishing mid-table. This season though they are not very good and will likely be relegated when its all said and done. This did have a feeling of a trap game though before kickoff, though. I was concerned United would be looking ahead to Paris St. Germain (PSG) and Fulham might catch us sleeping.

But that concern was unfounded. Aside from a decent chance in the first minute and one towards full time, United dominated Fulham for most of the game. Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera were in scintillating form, along with Anthony Martial. Hard to pick a man of the match, but it’s one of those three players. We looked confident on the ball, we won it back quickly when we lost it, and really we were unlucky to score more than 3. Fulham’s back line is simply not good enough, and when guys like Martial and Pogba are in the form they’re in, they’re very difficult to stop.

Most of the reaction from the match was the continued awe of just how much this team has changed since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over from Jose Mourinho. Before Mou was fired, he said it would take a “miracle” for United to finish in the top 4 this season. Well, 7 weeks later under OGS, that “miracle” has been achieved. United now sit in sole possession of 4th place and will maintain that position until at least next week. A complete 180 from where we were two months ago. Our two nearest rivals have helped as well. Arsenal are inconsistent and Chelsea are in absolute free-fall. They got stomped on 6-0 today by Manchester City, and City appear to really be going for it in terms of the title. Liverpool have also had a dip in form that’s allowed City to catch them. For this United supporter, I’d rather see Man City lift the trophy at the end of the season than Liverpool. Hell, I’d rather see the Premier League trophy at the bottom of the North Sea than in the hands of Liverpool.

United play PSG on Tuesday afternoon America-time at Old Trafford, and I don’t think there has ever been a better time to play the reigning French champions. They will be without superstars Neymar and Edinson Cavani due to injuries and United could not be in better form. PSG were licking their lips when the draw was made a few months ago, but I think the tables have turned now. PSG are still a very dangerous team and can beat anyone on their day, but without Neymar and Cavani it will largely be down to Kylian Mbappe and Julian Draxler to create and score chances. They are more than capable of doing that though so United’s back four will need to be paying attention to the runs Mbappe makes from midfield. He’s got pace to burn and can be deadly when called upon. United will play PSG once at home and once away in Paris, and whoever scores the most goals will advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. For a full breakdown of how the CL works, see my earlier post from the beginning of the season.

If OGS gets even a remotely good result from the PSG tie and good results against Chelsea and Liverpool, he will be Man United manager next season. He’s shown tactical knowledge and the man-management skills to get the best out of this squad, and given a few positive transfers I think he could really turn this team into a well-oiled machine. Glory glory Man United!