At least it’s the international break!

Manchester United have had a very up and down (largely down) start to the season, and the game against Fulham sees the final club action before the extended international break. With United already under huge pressure, a defeat against Fulham would have seen a relentless pressure from the media and outside sources onto the squad, and especially Carrick. While the late Cunha equaliser could calm this pressure a little bit, and at least feels like Carrick is safe for another few weeks, it’s a result that for fans feels just like a defeat and complete drop of any optimism.

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Teams

Fulham: Leno, Robinson, Bassey, Affengruber, Castagne, Charles, Berge (Larsson 77′), Iwobi (Palacios 71′), King (Andersen 80′), Bobb (Kevin 71′), Garcia (Muniz 80′)

Subs: Lecomte, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe, Angel

Manchester United: Lammens, Shaw (Dorgu 84′), Martinez, Maguire, Dalot, Mainoo (Mount 80′), Tielemans, Rashford (Zirkzee 77′), Fernandes, Mbeumo, Cunha

Subs: Darlow, Yoro, Mazraoui, Santos, Baleba, Lacey

Fulham 1-1 Manchester United

Manchester United were forced to settle for a point at Craven Cottage on Sunday after Matheus Cunha’s late, deflected equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against Fulham. In a match that offered frustration in abundance for Michael Carrick’s side, United looked set to suffer another disappointing defeat after falling behind in the second half. Fulham, meanwhile, had worked hard to contain their visitors and appeared poised to claim a much-needed victory under new manager Álvaro Arbeloa. The hosts’ disciplined performance and United’s lack of cutting edge made for a tense afternoon in west London, with the decisive moments arriving at either end of a dramatic contest.

United had enjoyed promising spells of possession early on but struggled to turn their pressure into clear-cut opportunities. Bruno Fernandes came closest to breaking the deadlock when his effort struck the post, while Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno remained alert as the visitors searched for an opening. The home side grew into the game, showing energy and purpose in midfield, and eventually took the lead in the 63rd minute in bizarre fashion. Calvin Bassey’s powerful effort created danger in the United penalty area, and Lisandro Martínez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. It was a painful moment for the Argentine defender and a reward for Fulham’s persistence, leaving United with a difficult final half-hour to navigate.

Just when Fulham looked ready to hold on, United found a late lifeline. In the 89th minute, Matheus Cunha’s shot took a deflection and flew beyond Leno, sparking relief among the travelling supporters and salvaging a share of the spoils. The Brazilian forward once again proved to be one of United’s most threatening attacking outlets, while goalkeeper Senne Lammens also made important contributions to keep his side within touching distance. The result will leave both teams with mixed feelings: Fulham can take encouragement from a spirited display against strong opposition, but the late concession will sting, while United will recognise that a point does little to disguise an afternoon of missed opportunities and uneven performance. At Craven Cottage, neither side managed to claim the victory they wanted, but the closing stages ensured the contest remained compelling until the final whistle.

Talking Points

The first talking point from this one has to be the underwhelming feeling around this performance generally. With yet more of the same issues present, it feels like United haven’t taken any motivation from the City loss or Brighton embarrassment, and continue to look off the mark, unfit and a shadow of the team who ended the last campaign. While I understand Carrick is attempting to make the team who can hold possession and be structured in the midfield and defence, we are seeing so many issues continuing to reappear both in defensive errors and attacking wastefulness.

In the attacking sense, it’s becoming very clear that United without Sesko are seriously lacking a centre-forward, as despite his late equaliser, Matheus Cunha as a false-9 just doesn’t work in this team, as the creativity of Bruno Fernandes, the passing ability of Mainoo-Tielemans and wide play of Rashford has no target to aim for as Cunha is often a player dropping to the edge of the box to link up play, rather than being a focal point of the attack. With Sesko clearly starting the season with an injury, missing out on a replacement striker this summer seems like a major oversight.

Finally, United head into the international break with their join-worst Premier League start after 5 games since the 2014/2015 campaign under LVG. While avoiding defeat will probably ease some of the pressure and keep Carrick safe in his role for the foreseeable, anything but a positive return will see pressure ramped up instantly, with no ‘easier game on paper’ until their clash with Coventry City in December, at which point United will likely know their standing within the table both domestically and within the Champions League.