Key events
7 min Fulham make it into United’s half without getting near Altay Bayindir. There’s a lull as Bassey got a poke in the eye from Mbeumo, not deliberate. Bassey has to go off for 30 seconds as it’s technically a head injury. “It’s a nonsense, this rule,” says Gary Neville, who knows the difference between the letter and the spirit of the law.
6 min Fulham finally string together some passes, albeit at the back. Sessegnon, by the way, is at left-back not right-wing, as suggested by some idiot on this page.
5 min De Ligt goes long to Dorgu, who can’t keep his cross in play. If his crossing ever matches his running, he’ll be a good player.
4 min Such a strong start from United. I am not used to writing that.
3 min Cunha hits the post! Some quick short balls, a nice lay-off from Mount, and Cunha almost passes it into the corner.
2 min United get the ball but don’t get it under control, as Shaw’s hoof ends up in the hands of Leno… but then United win the ball back with their new-found press and Cunha tries a screamer, just over.
1 min Fulham kick off and go long down the left. Alex Iwobi tries a cross that goes wrong.
The teams are out there. Fulham are in all white, like a Poundland Real Madrid; United in red shirts and black shorts, always the classiest of their change strips.
On the same subject … “So,” says Roger Kirkby, “with most teams now having played two games, only two have won both and only two have lost ’em. If the season carries on in the same manner, we are in for a treat of a season.”
What’s at stake (realistically). Man United are 18th in the table with nul points, so they can either stay there if they lose today, go 16th or 17th if they draw, or leap to somewhere between fifth and ninth with a win. Fulham, currently 14th, can slip a place or two if they lose, stay 14th if they draw, or soar to fifth with a win. All to play for!
Now, the view from Fulham. “I ought to be full of optimism,” says Richard Hirst. “The first home game of a new season, shiny new grass, shiny new kit, shiny new players (ah, OK, better scrub that one).” Ha. “But it’s Man Utd and, like The Great Escape, we’ve all seen this movie too many times and know the ending; spoiler alert, United win 1-0 with a deflected goal in the third minute of stoppage time. But what’s life for if you can’t dream, so COYW.”
An email! “You made a good point in your thoughts* about United’s defeat last week, Tim,” says Karen Asad, generously. “I honestly can’t fathom how Amorim can’t find a place for Mainoo. He is young and has already proven top-class. Isn’t it the coach’s job to teach players how to play in his system? Like what Liverpool did with Gravenberch last season. Top coaches do it all the time; it’s part of the job.
“Casemiro & Fernandes? Really? Nobody serious thinks United will go places with that midfield.
“If Amorim doesn’t work out, United are in deep deep trouble after investing so much for his system.”
With you on the elderly midfield, not so sure about the investment – Cunha and Mbeumo are good enough to slot into the 4-2-3-1 that the next manager will surely bring in, Sesko is promising, and only Dorgu would be a square peg. A bigger worry would be who on earth would go on the left wing, which has borne the brunt of Amorim’s purge.
*The piece was my attempt to make sense of the performance against Arsenal, which appeared in United Writing, the Substack newsletter I founded with Rob Smyth.
And in Everton’s spanking new stadium … a resounding home win! “Grealish,” says Tom Bassam, “was outstanding.”
Meanwhile, in South London … Palace and Forest have re-enacted their result from May. Scott Murray has the details.
Teams in full
Fulham (4-2-3-1) Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Castagne; Lukic, Berge; Sessegnon, King, Iwobi; Muniz.
Subs: Lecomte, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed, Cairney, Traore, Wilson, Smith Rowe, Jimenez.
Man United (3-4-3) Altay; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount.
Subs: Onana, Fredericson, Maguire, Heaven, Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo, Mount, Zirkzee, Sesko.
Teams in brief: three changes for Fulham
Marco Silva is more proactive, even though Fulham’s first result was a decent one (1-1 at Brighton). Rodrigo Muniz, who secured that point with a last-ditch equaliser after coming on as a sub, dislodges Raul Jimenez. Ryan Sessegnon replaces Harry Wilson on the right wing, and at the back Jorge Cuenca gives way to Timothy Castagne. The exciting Josh King, only 18, continues to edge out Emile Smith Rowe as the No 10.
Andreas Pereira is left out of the squad, as is Rasmus Højlund (again) for United, and possibly for the same reason – they seem to be on their way out.
Teams in brief: Amorim digs in his heels
Ruben Amorim makes only one change to United’s starting XI, replacing his right wing-back, Diogo Dalot, with the more attacking Amad. That means two surprises: Benjamin Sesko has to wait a bit longer for his first start, as Amorim persists with a false nine (probably Matheus Cunha); and Altay Bayindir is retained in goal after his expensive howler against Arsenal, even though André Onana has had another week to regain full fitness.
Preamble
Afternoon everyone and welcome to a game that ought to be a mismatch. A club that has spent £200m this summer is paying a visit to a club that has spent £500,000. And yet, on paper, it’s too close to call.
Fulham have continuity on their side. Marco Silva, who took over as their manager in summer 2021, is now the third longest-serving manager in the Premier League. (Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta are the only PL bosses to survive from the BC era – before Covid.)
Manchester United are more about chaos. A swathe of redundancies, a number of players banned from squad training, a whole new forward line, a whole new team of chief this and chief that, and a manager who has yet to prove himself in English football. Still, Ruben Amorim has discovered the secret that has eluded everyone else: how to stay in a top job while losing left, right and centre.
“We are playing a great side,” Silva said on Friday. Is he sure about that? Amorim’s United, well though they played in losing to Arsenal last Sunday, have been comically bad at coping with mid-table teams. In 14 league games last season against clubs that finished between 7th and 17th, they won two, drew two and lost ten, making a grand total of eight points out of 42.
To be fair, one of the wins did come at Craven Cottage – a jammy 1-0 conjured up by the persistence of Lisandro Martinez and a friendly deflection. Fulham soon took their revenge by going to Old Trafford in the FA Cup and winning on penalties.
Opta’s prediction machine gives Fulham a 30pc chance of winning today, United 44. The prediction pundits see it as closer than that: Chris Sutton and Paul Merson have both gone for a 1-1 draw, while Harry Redknapp says 2-1 to United.
Kick-off is at 4.30pm (BST) and I’ll be back soon with the teams.
