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MUPL | 21/03/2009 | Fulham v Manchester United, Craven Cottage @ 15:00 GMT

6.3K views 183 replies 31 participants last post by  Ronaldwho?  
#1 ·
A similar reaction to our last loss in the league before this weekend should see us through to our 18th league title and it's Fulham up next who we've played twice in the space of a few weeks already and soundly thrashed on all occasions. Will be a bit trickier this time, especially considering the need for a win to bounce back from the abomination witnessed at OT today.

No midweek games so that's a very rare rest for our players who have been playing nonstop for the past 3 months, dealing with 5 competitions admirably and we can still sweep the board despite what the ABU cvnts will have you thinking.

0-1 United here, Berbs with the goal. :thumbsup:

NB, How many games will Vidic be banned for? He was sent off for a professional foul and not violent conduct so will he only be out for a game? Absolute disgrace if its a 3 match ban considering that's what people get for breaking legs in England while all he did was deny a goalscoring opportunity.
 
#2 ·
I really couldn't care less about sweeping the board. LEAGUE, LEAGUE, LEAGUE and LEAGUE.





















But we might as well have a go for the others whilst we're at it.

They'll come back from today. Wounded animal and all that. I expect us to thunder in to Fulham like they were Liverpool. 3-0 United.
 
#3 ·
I think they will have something to prove, if they dont and come out with a third straight poor performance than something seriously is wrong. But we all know UTD and know what to expect. :proud:
 
#4 ·
NB, How many games will Vidic be banned for? He was sent off for a professional foul and not violent conduct so will he only be out for a game? Absolute disgrace if its a 3 match ban considering that's what people get for breaking legs in England while all he did was deny a goalscoring opportunity.
2 game ban. One for the professional foul today and a further game because today was his second sending off of the season. If today was his third sending off of the season he'd have a three game ban, and so on...
 
#5 ·
Misses Fulham and Villa at home then.

Evans has had a nice little break now though + the following week so he should be fresh for those games.

Oh and what the fvck is up with a international break just before easter? I really wish they could fvck that shite off.
 
#6 ·
Thankfully there's a full week off! Let it sink in for them and they'll be keen to dominate Fulham. Still a tricky tie especially since when beat them comprehensively in the FA Cup. No way will Fergie let the lads get complacent.

Do you think O'Shea will play RB? Miss old Wesley :(
 
#7 ·
To be honest, after what happened yesterday, I can't see us losing again this season. Ferguson simply will not tolerate it.

For all the times I hear "...but O'Shea is a good squad player", he's just not good enough for United. He can't pass, his 2nd touch is always a header, the QE2 turns quicker than him and he has no pace whatsoever. Apparantly Rafael and Neville are back next week, so should be ready for Villa or even Fulham. We need them both back desperately.
 
#8 ·
To be honest, after what happened yesterday, I can't see us losing again this season. Ferguson simply will not tolerate it.

For all the times I hear "...but O'Shea is a good squad player", he's just not good enough for United. He can't pass, his 2nd touch is always a header, the QE2 turns quicker than him and he has no pace whatsoever. Apparantly Rafael and Neville are back next week, so should be ready for Villa or even Fulham. We need them both back desperately.
Indeed, he's just p!sh. His missed header for their fourth, wasn't once in a while occurrence. Big mistakes like that happen frequently with him, even when he plays as a full back.

The good thing for next season if Brown is fit, is that with Rafael as second choice, O'Shea won't get as many games, because one would expect Fabio to be Evra's backup.

As for this match, only thing that will please Fergie is a dominant performance and a great result, score wise as well, so that we build a goal difference advantage.
 
#9 ·
O'Shea has not been that bad this season IMO, and looking at that hoof for the last goal, where was Rio? And it was just a big punt up the field, one of many that afternoon. It was a freak game so lets just forget about it and move on.

People need to remember O'Shea is only playing due to 3 other RBs being out injured.

It's very easy to blame the fat Irish bloke whos apparently gay. On a whole he has been dependable this season. What happened on Saturday was a collective mishap, nobody should be singled out.
 
#12 ·
Whatever happened to not letting the ball bounce? That's one of the first things you learn as a school boy defender ffs, I'll also add that he left his man (yes, Dossena, who is utter gash). I don't care if he's playing casue of injuries, he's just not good enough.

My criticism isn't just for that performance. The fact you say "he's not been that bad" says it all.
 
#10 ·
It was a collective bad performance true, but it cannot be denied that 2 of our 3 best defensive players were the KEY reason why the match changed from 1-0 up, to 3-1 down in addition to being down to 10 men and making the 3 attacking subs at 2-1, totally useless and irrelevant (Vidic for the 1st, Evra for the 2nd, and Vidic for the 3rd and red card).

Then you add the long ball to O'Shea at the end when the whole defence was pushed up, and you have an all round horrible defensive performance.

It was a freaky result, but you cannot deny that we got stuffed simply because of idiotic defending in this particular match, even if those players that committed them, have been superb for us till now.

Hope it does not feck up their confidence though, so it'd be nice to see Vidic back to his usual self once he is back. Same for Evra, considering that was the 3rd match in a row where he has been way sub-par (got raped by Lennon, was not that useful against Inter like the rest of the team, and got owned by Gerrard at the weekend).

It's crucial that we get an early goal against Fulham and that we then push on for a second. Because against Liverpool, we stalled once going up, just like we did at Anfield and against Everton, and in all those cases, we got punished.
 
#13 ·
You can't blame O'Shea for letting the ball bounce for any of the goals.

First was obviously down to Vidic, the second, neither Vidic nor Ferdinand challenged Gerrard when he stood alone to get the flick on and the fourth one Rio just ducked out of the way.

Okay O'Shea gave the ball away too many times on Saturday but he wasn't the only one that turned in a sub par performance, but he's the best we've got to put there at the moment because of the unusually long list of right backs we've got out at the moment.

If everyone's back fit and available then he doesn't get a sniff but we haven't got everyone fit so we have to make do with what we've got.
 
#14 ·
The thing about O'Shea is that he doesn't have any more to give. I am quite sure he is currently playing to his full potential as a right back and if that equates to being 'not that bad' in the context of the team, then so be it. It doesn't mean he is immune to criticism because it is only natural to want better quality in that position, but you have to feel for the guy. I am his biggest critic but at least he tries hard and clearly loves the club.

It would be far worse and far more frustrating if he was a better player who was just underperforming. However O'Shea genuinely just isn't good enough and that's not his fault. I, like many, will continue to bemoan his performances but I will still always consider that he is at least trying. When he drops below being 'not that good' though, then this shit will start to really hit the fan.

But for now, the most we can do is keep calling for injuries to subside or for a new signing to be made in the summer and hope that O'Shea doesn't get too exposed for the remainder of the season.
 
#18 ·
Can't see us losing this at all.

I'd like to see Berbatov play better tomorrow (assuming he will start) he was absolutely nothing against Inter. People say that he is supposed to be our holding player but he didn't hold the ball at all, as soon as he got it he would pass it off, a holding player was what Ibrahimovich was doing against us. Hopefully he took some notes from the match film.
 
#19 ·
Berbatov has been our most productive player this season in terms of goals and assists in actual fact. Which should be pretty encouraging considering its only his first season at this club and hes not had that pre season to acclimatise.

Think we'll see the very best of him next season but he will still contribute well to us winning the league and possibly more.
 
#21 ·
Official line up:

VDS

O'Shea
Ferdinand
Evans
Evra

Fletcher
Scholes
Giggs
Park

Ronaldo
Berbatov

Bench:

Foster,
Neville,
Fabio,
Carrick,
Anderson,
Rooney,
Tevez.

Both Rooney AND Tevez on the bench? Remains to be seen how the team shape up, could well be a 4-3-3.

I'm very puzzled at the exclusion of Rooney though, one of the few to come out with any credit from last weekends shambles. No surprise to Carrick on the bench, SAF said himself he was gonna rest him v Pool but had to play him as Fletcher had a virus.
 
#25 ·
very intresting line up.....no rooney...no carrick....
EDIT: fulham start brightly....
 
#28 ·
1-0 Murphy from the penalty spot after a blatant Scholes handball in the box from a corner.

And where did all that come from?

A misplaced Park pass, which then had to be cleared out for a corner.

I'd rather scholesy hadnt handled the ball there. We could come back from 1-0 but with 10 men its even harder.

Gonna be a massive ask to win from here.
 
#29 ·
The team looked like complete strangers out there for the 1st 15 minutes and then we finally got punished for not leaving the dressing room yet.

When we play a settled team, will we see the best of United, this is ridiculous, we know we've got a great squad but we've had a full weeks rest now, play your best players.