More Moyes Misery
Man United have won nine of the last ten meeting against Fulham. The London club have conceded 21 goals in their last ten games in all competitions an average of 2.1 per game.
Manchester United make three changes to the side that lost to Stoke City last weekend as Phil Jones hasn't recovered from the injury sustained in the last match as Nemanja Vidic comes into the side. Juan Mata,Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie all keep their place as Tom Cleverley and Johnny Evans are replaced.
Man United XI:De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Vidic, Evra; Mata, Carrick, Fletcher, Young; Rooney, van Persie
Subs:Lindegaard, Ferdinand, Giggs, Valencia, Kagawa, Januzaj, Hernandez
Fulham make four changes to their starting XI with John Heitinga, John Arne Riise, former Man United midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe & Muamer Tanković come into the team.
Fulham XI: Stekelenburg; Riether, Burn, Heitinga, Riise; Tunnicliffe, Sidwell, Kvist, Richardson; Holtby, Tankovic
Subs: Stockdale, Hangeland, Kacaniklic, Duff, Cole, Parker,Bent
21 minutes had past as the game had been quite until former Tottenham hotspur midfielder Lewis Holtby had got the ball on thhe left hand side. The travelling Fulham fans hadn't had much to cheer about lately as Holtby had chipped the ball into an unmarked Steven Sidwell who had taken his time and side footed the ball into the left hand side of the goal to put Fulham 1-0 up as the United fans are stunned by the Sidwell goal. The goalscorer has now scored three goals in 2014 for Fulham him and Dimitar Berbatov has netted for the cottages this year.
27 minutes into the match when the ball had found Michael Carrick and without the ball dropping yhe England international had flung a shot at the goal as it had gobe jyst wide of the right hand post. Man United looking very dominant but are losing 1-0.
10 minutes until the half time whistle when a cleared corner from Kieran Richardson had found Tankovic to breakaway, Tankovic had run 40 or 50 yards up the field as Richardson had caught up with him and was free on the left hand side unmarked one on one as Tankovic laid it through to him as the former red had misssed the chance blazing the ball over the bar.
At half time and it is hard to swallow for united fans as Sidwell has put the tesm that have lost 17 of their 24 league games this season ahead.
Manchester United have played as the better team and had 72% of the ball but are not shooting on site as they have only had nine attempts on the Fulham goal.
Fulham have set up to defend but gone ahead through Sidwell, the whites look to have every player in the united box trying to cling onto their lead.
14 minutes after the restart when Patrice Evra had drilled a ball across which goalkeeper Martin Steklumburg had pushed the ball out to Mata with the ball under neath his feet. The Spaniard had rolled the ball to Wayne Rooney with the Fulham defender on his back as the striker had shot on target. The Dutch keeper had jumped up and pushed the ball over the bar.
70 minutes into the game as substitute Adnan Januzaj had crossed the ball into the middle as the Fulham defender had headed the ball out to Rooney on the edge if the box as he had composed himself and curked a shot widr of the left hand post keeping the score still 1-0 to Fulham.
7 minutes later when Evra had fired over a cross as Riise had put in a brave block to deny Mata from Evra's cross. The ball had come back to the Spaniard as he had drilled a ball back acrossas United fans had been bitting their nails hoping that they could see United get back into the game as Van Persie had been st the back post to tap the ball into an empty net . United fans erput as they have got back into the game, Van Persie has seven goals and two assists in his last eight league apperances.
2 minutes later as Richardson had only cleared to the edge of the box, where Michael Carrick had been waiting. The United fans had hoped to get the most points available here which was three as Carrick had taken a touch to steady himself and the fired into the left hand corner of the goal. The United fans erput as United score two goals in 81 seconds.
Into injury time when Fulham had come forward with Sidwell, the former Wigan Athletic midfielder had played through Richardson on the right hand side as he had fired a shot at David De Gea. The Spaniard keeper had parried the ball behind him to were Darren Bent had been to head the ball into the empty net. The silence echos around the ground as a stunned shock silence descends upon Old Trafford. Bent has scored each of his 4 different goals against Man United at Old Trafford, each goal has been for a different club.
At full time and all the Manchester United fans have disappeared, Old Trafford is lonely for under pressure manager David Moyes as a late equaliser from Darren Bent earns the bottom club a draw to boost their survival hopes.
Manchester United had all of the ball, had 84 crosses a record, 75% of possession and have only managed a draw. The troubles for United are growing as the players didnt performance up to standard.
Fulham were defensively set up and were hard to break down as they took their two goals through counter attacks.
Next up for Manchester United is a trip to Arsenal which will not get any better fot United as they are now nine points behind Liverpool in fourth.