Aug 22
Fulham vs Manchester United: Preview
After a comfortable win over Newcastle on the opening day of the season, Manchester United face a much tougher task in West-London as they visit Craven Cottage to play Fulham side under the tutelage of United legend Mark Hughes.
Going into the match Sir Alex Ferguson will be well aware of his dismal recent record at Craven Cottage as United have lost their last two matches at the venue – 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. Something Sir Alex is all to aware of,
“We’ve had a bit of a topsy-turvy time at Craven Cottage the last couple of years,” Sir Alex concedes. “We ended up with nine men two years ago, and then last season we’d gone too far with the players we were using at the back.”
United are still without long-term knee victims Rio Ferdinand, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves, while Patrice Evra should be fit after a clash with the advertising boards in the dying stages of the Newcastle win.
The back five should remain unchanged but it will be interesting to see if Ferguson starts will Paul Scholes, who is clearly in top form but age has caught up with the ginger ninja, so he may be used sparingly by the manager. Nani and Antonio Valencia both impressed last week, but Ji-Sung Park may get his first league start of the season.
Wayne Rooney is likely to miss the match with a stomach bug thus leaving a starting place up front alongside Dimitar Berbatov. Will Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez get the not, or will Sir Alex go win an older head in Michael Owen?
One point to note is that Fergie has never lost a game to a club managed by one of his former protégés, adding weight to Sunderland boss Steve Bruce’s suggestion that Ferguson tries even harder in such fixtures. Something Fulham boss Mark Hughes agrees with,
“Invariably he seems to pick his strongest team against me, but I take that as a sign of the respect he has for the teams I’m involved with, because he knows I set up my teams to give his a hard time,” agreed Hughes.
“He likes to make sure we know our place, and rightly so! He’s always competitive, and, obviously, going up against guys he’s previously worked with, he’s always supportive of us, but he always likes to beat you. That doesn’t change.” Hughes concluded.
Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and defender Paul Konchesky, who both missed the match against Bolton last week, are rated doubtful for the game. Though Konchesky will have a late fitness test. Diomansy Kamara, Andrew Johnson and new signing Philippe Senderos are long-term absentees, but Belgium international Moussa Dembele could be thrown straight into action after only signing this week.
United though will have to keep striker Bobby Zamora quiet, he was Fulham’s top scorer last year with 19 goals and scored in the 3-0 victory over United last December. Clint Dempsey is another who can get amongst the goals especially when arriving late into the box from midfield.
Comfort though can be taken from the fact that United have won 10 of their last 12 games against Fulham in all competitions.
Prediction: 2-0 United
Probable Line Up: van der Sar, O’Shea, Evans, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani; Berbatov, Hernandez
***
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Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- Rooney and Evans celebrate winner v Fulham – Wallpaper
- Fulham v Man Utd: Preview
- Fulham Preview
- Porto it is then…
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Stephen (454)
Craig Mc (344)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss! You reviewed so we will win!!! Thanks!
prediction: 2-0 United! Chicharito and Berba to score…
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DAVID IS BACK, YAHOOOOOOOO!!!
We’re gonna win the League now because of you mate! Yipppie-yey-yeay! 
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haha, cheers lads!!
2-0 seems to be a popular prediction. Im looking forward to a Chicharito and Berba masterclass
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Two previews.Wow..
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Van der Sar, O’Shea, Evans, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani; Berbatov, and Giggs, if Scholes is rested. Considering that Carrick, Park and Giggs need time on the field too. Rooney may still start, 3-1 to united!
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@elvido: Fergie told that he will field the same eleven.Rooney is out.So replace him with Owen as Fergie came yesterday in support of him.
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@elvido: ya seems like owen will start..
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@David Schiavone: Is Neville injured?? no signs of him being around.
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From Telegraph :
Michael Carrick has the range of passing but lacks Scholes’ mental toughness.
Anderson, who was envisioned as the long-term replacement, lacks both.
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@Owen: great…
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If by some miracle United score first, and early in the game – then we should go on a romp!
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Owen – who is the white Heskey?
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@Craig Mc: Rooneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey.
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Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti says John Terry was ‘born with a captain’s armband on his arm’ .
It was some sort of miracle then.Whole England would have gone to the hospital to watch the child and mom.
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@despicable
As far as Im aware he is still recovering from injury
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From other preview thread @Craig Mc: Not found anything of him yet, other than the videos of his pre-season with the Portuguese club, which have been doing the rounds.
I’d expect him to have a game or two with the reserves for fitness if nothing else when the Reserve League kicks off. The Academy League is under way already (we beat Chelsea 3-2 away after being 2-0 down), so the Reserves League can’t be too far behind.
I’d start Bebe one wing and Obertan the other. The latter should be back from his injury soon. They said it as 4 weeks, and it seems like he did it ages ago!
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Yeah, the TV channel is jacking me for the game!
What’s up with removing my rights for the channel when the game is about to start? 
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vds, oshea, vidic evans, rafael, valencia, scholes, fletch, Giggs, Berbatov & Hernandez.
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@Owen: I’m hearing
VDS
OShea Vidic Evans Evra
Valencia Scholes Fletcher Park
Berbatov Chicharito
SB : PIG, Rafael, Smalling, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Owen
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Sorry.This is official .
Manchester United starting eleven:
Edwin van der Sar; John O’Shea, Jonny Evans, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Antonio Valencia, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Ji-Sung Park; Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez
Bench: Thomas Kuszczak, Rafael, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Nani, Michael Owen
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Newcastle scored 6 against Villa.
Can any one believe it?
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@Owen:
Great game by Newcastle! Carroll had a screamer!
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Villa were terrible, just watched it (I’m close to launching my footie blog, so I’m watching as much football as humanly possible) and it should have been more. Barton celebrated his goal with a hitler salute, so he should be expecting a ban.
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Well done by Newcastle, congrats on the win. And btw, Carroll has scored this seasons 3rd(!!!) Premier League hat-trick, in just the second round.
Damn…
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Anybody else see Shearers delight at winning a bet when Carroll got his hat-trick?
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@Owen: Are you trying to say Rooney is as BAD as Heskey mate – if you are watch out for the Rooney fans, because you are in for a lot of the VERBALS and profanity
.
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO – all the commentators are just getting through saying that United should win because their wide players Nani and Valencia are in fantastic form, and Fergie pisses it all up leaving Nani out. Well Park on his arse better turn it on then, and stay on his feet, or I will be giving him and Fergie major stick
.
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@Craig Mc: When you say watch out for Rooney fans, you mean watch out for people with eyes, and who have heard of football!
Anyone who thinks Rooney and Heskey are similar in literally any detail are lacking the above..
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@Traverse: In the same way,any one who thinks Rooney is While Pele have never heard of football.
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@Traverse:
I agree with you Trav – Owen for some reason doesn’t, well not today anyway, and he is equating Rooney with Heskey – that’s why I said with comments like that he is going to take some hits from Rooney fans!
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@Craig Mc: When they say him White Pele,do they mean he is as GOOD as Pele?If they mean the same,i also mean he is as bad/good as Heskey.
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Lot of focus on Chicharito… Hope he delivers.
BTW, Vidic captain again? Was hoping for Fletcher tbh
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HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA, AMAZING VIDA
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Vidic!!!
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Chicharito praying was a strong moment
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Great back pass by Scholes.
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Come on Scholesy!!!
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@Owen:
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Ginger KING!
Scholes scores goals!
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: The Ginger Ninja!
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@elvido: Ninjas don’t rule the land!!
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@Owen:
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@[OPTI]Madschester United:
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Nice combination football…
Gooooooooood, I adoooooooore United!
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Edwin is god
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Berba should have secured the match by half time.But as usual……..
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Park, Valencia and O’Shea are having a very average game.
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Bring Carrick in place of Chicharito.
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Good first 20min. Then we seemed to switch off.
Also is the chicharito honeymoon over? He looked like owen in the first 45. Hope he picks his game up.
Park, no end produt as always; berbatov and scholes continuing where they left off last week.
Good shout for Evans, he looked better than vidic in the first half.
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