The View From South Texas -- Man United v. Fulham FC

[HatterDon]

Once again, sorry for the delay.

Moussa Dembélé Has a New Agent ... and His Name is Tony Gale

Well, what an interesting match that was. Fulham showed parity with United in the first half hour, played like 11 frightened mice in the second half hour, and scared the bejesus out of the hosts in the third. A one-goal defeat was a deserved result, but this match was really about assessing how good we are this early in the season. After summarily dispatching a very poor Norwich side at home, we were at perhaps the worst away venue for anyone fighting for 9th or 10th place.

United were nervous. Their defense looked shaky at times, and it took a brilliant goal by van Persie to bag their equalizer. YES, we were ahead. A clever and well-executed free kick [and how long since I've used that phrase?] from Brian Ruiz caught that nervous defense all congregating at the far post. Ruiz slid the ball rapidly sideways and Damian Duff slotted it home. I believe there were barely two minutes on the clock at this time.

Oh, yes, van Persie's equalizer. The replays show that there may only be three or four other players in the Premier League audacious enough to try the shot, and perhaps only van Persie is capable of converting it. And the fun was on. There were raids upfield by both sides that lasted until the 35th minute when the flashy Japanese midfielder Kagawa was there to put United up after Schwarzer should probably have held rather than punched an earlier shot. Fulham were disconcerted, and it only got worse 5 minutes later when United's Ninja Turtle headed in their third from a nice cross from Young. Fulham  spent the rest of the half in lock-down mode, as if the most positive result from the day's efforts would be a two-goal defeat.

The second half started much the same way. Fulham got a bit more possession, but it was almost exclusively in their own half. United were able to maintain a solid front in the unlikely case that the Whites would actually attack. When Sidwell came on in place of our most aggressive attacker – Kacaniklic – I thought the surrender was on. And yet ... . And yet Moussa Dembélé's brilliance, on display the entire time, suddenly turned serious. Only two minutes after Sidwell came on, Fulham turned the spigot on. Our second goal was a Vidic o.g., but it owed a lot to Dembélé, Ruiz, and Petrić – who, had the ball not trickled over the line, would have easily have booted it in.

This was in the 64th minute and for the rest of the match, United were on the defensive as Fulham went for a point. Dembélé created and actually took a shot or two, Briggs bombed up the wing, Ruiz delivered a magic touch or two, and Rodallega threatened. United brought on Rooney, Welbeck, and Giggs [nice subs, huh?] but to no avail. Fulham ended the match knocking on the door. As the travelers sang "Take Me Home Al Fayed" with gusto, the lads in the red tablecloth shirts just wanted the whistle to blow so they could take their own selves home.

3-2 United, but I turned off the television feeling like we had won. How did we look? Good marks for Hughes, Riether, Briggs, Kacaniklic, and Duff. Somewhat disappointing were Hangeland, Ruiz, Diarra, Petrić, and Schwarzer. TOP marks to Moussa Dembélé. After 90 minutes of constant praise by "color commentator," Tony Gale, Our Brilliant Belgian looked every inch "one of the most creative players in the league. Easily a top four player." As the final whistle blew, I turned to Hatter Mom and said, "Well, Dembélé's transfer fee just went up £2m." He was the leading man on the biggest stage in British football today.

So, how do we look after two matches and three points? Did the Norwich result flatter to deceive?  Well, possibly, but I certainly wasn't predicting Champions League football after beating a woeful Norwich last Saturday. I think things look bright this season. Despite fairly mundane performances by Ruiz and Diarra, I think that we have plenty of creativity and steel coming from the center. Briggs's creditable performance showed that we have some depth in defense. As a matter of fact, once we stopped inviting United to attack our back four, we looked fine. Counting Baird – nice to see him in a cameo, by the way – we have four good fullbacks, and four good centerbacks [once Senderos is back and Halliche is freed]. I like Special K up front, and Petrić looks very good. When Frei comes back, we'll have even more speed.

My guess? This squad [with Dembélé] is good enough to get us comfortably in mid-table. If Moussa goes, we'll need to pray for no serious injuries.

Obviously, Hatter Don's [and Tony Gale's]  MOtM is Moussa Dembélé. Good result, even if we got no points. Bring them all on, one at a time. COYW

[Laughing Spam Fritter]

Spot on. Great analysis of the game.

[Steve_orino]

Mladen Petric = Bobby Zamora in Andy Johnson's body...

Goodness me, I liked watching him lead the front line!  Agree, we needed a special performance from Ruiz to get at least a point.  

I know Duff scored but I can't help but think if Simon Davies (or a traditional winger) were on the right hand side, it would have opened up the ManU back four a little more & perhaps Ruiz & Petric could have exploited their weakend-middle-defense.

[BarryP]

Don for a change I think you missed mentioning one small thing and that was the favor Sir Alex did us when he took Kagawa off the pitch.  United's offense sputtered badly when their Dembele left the match.  If I ever get to Texas we'll have to watch a match. I do think it is scary how closely we see the match sometimes though.  Good write-up as usual.

[HatterDon]

Don for a change I think you missed mentioning one small thing and that was the favor Sir Alex did us when he took Kagawa off the pitch.  United's offense sputtered badly when their Dembele left the match.  If I ever get to Texas we'll have to watch a match. I do think it is scary how closely we see the match sometimes though.  Good write-up as usual.

thanks. Kagawa was a monster today. He was also United's brightest player against Everton. Looks like a VERY good signing.

[ffctom_b]

Good write up,

The thing I have liked about the two opening games, is that we look a lot more balance across the pitch now, but the most important signing we can now make is that of Dembele to a new contract!
Have to say that Reither looks very comfortable at right back, Petric is a clever centre forward, who will lead the line well for us and if we can add a couple of more faces before Friday, then we could be on for a very good season.

It will be interesting to see what sort of side we put out on Tuesday in the cup though.

[cebu]

Don for a change I think you missed mentioning one small thing and that was the favor Sir Alex did us when he took Kagawa off the pitch.  United's offense sputtered badly when their Dembele left the match.  If I ever get to Texas we'll have to watch a match. I do think it is scary how closely we see the match sometimes though.  Good write-up as usual.

thanks. Kagawa was a monster today. He was also United's brightest player against Everton. Looks like a VERY good signing.

Yes, he's an excellent signing and should provide Mr Rooney with plenty of food for thought, while he recovers from his injury.

[jarv]

Spot on.
We can't play Norwich every week and we don't have to play at OT every week. A good performance at upton park next week will settle the nerves again.

[btings]

Agree with the comments about Kagawa.  He was an absolute dynamo and when things were going poorly for us, there was nobody who looked able to handle them.  United's spark disappeared when he was subbed off.

[Snibbo]

Nice summary HD, and I bow to your greater powers of analysis and observation. My own (probably less objective) feeling was that Briggs scared the living daylights out of me in the first half. I just don't think he has a good footballing brain.  Less worrying in the 2nd half, but I reckon if we'd had Riise bombing up and down that wing, Kaca would have been in the game more, and we'd have been in with more of a shout.

Dempsey's absence is unforgivable. I just want him gone for a good fee or a couple of decent players in exchange.

[ffcitaly]

great report as usual Don.
ps
Kagawa is really a top player.

[Jimbobob]

Well done HD - only issue is how woeful we would have been without Dembele and the thought that he is history is really unnerving.
The "elephant in the room" would have helped tremendously as well if he had played. I just hate the manure probably more than any other team at the moment so I am constantly distracted while watching their ugly ass fans and their waste of skin manager I just don't analyze and watch the match as I normally would. All in all with the possession the manure had the fact we ended up 3-2 with a real shot(s) to equalize I just can't be that upset. I am very unsettled about losing two of our stars. I am really tired of Byran not manning up and fighting for the ball more as well.
But we fought and finally moved it forward and put them under pressure.
Well done again HD!  :take a bow:

[west kowloon white]

Great read as always-will be interested to see if Kagawa hacks it for more than 18 months ie is not a super Inamoto-not many have-their Kim included.Sadly football support here is very "Surrey"/top 4 only-
so more cash in Glaziers bucket I suppose- but didn't complain when the shop was full of Inamoto  shirt buyers.

[NogoodBoyo]

I've just returned form the darkest depths of off-the-grid Vermont, New England, USofA.  I swear the party in the woods I attended on Saturday night featured a magician called Mario, a 170 year old elfen hippy in medievally pointed pixie toe boots, a 60 year old chick who lives in a shack on the property with a spring as running water and an outhouse in which to bacate her vowels; there followed a guardian livestock dog who barked at coyotes surrounding the 70 sheep brought in for the sheepdog trial and a bunch of sheepdogs who howled at the moon all night long. Did I say "all night long"?
Back in the land of vibrator-strength electric power and GMO pizza, what was the first thing I did?  Check into Hatter Don's view from Texas.  A turn of phrase like a gaucho on a tango bender.  Observations as eyeballed as an African croc in a wilderbeest water crossing.  Opinions as strong as a ripe Stilton-socked infantryman?
Wouldn't have missed it for the world.  He brought the game into my study in the finest traditions of Morrow, All our Yesteryears and The Last of the Summer Wine all rolled into one big fat-boy of masterminding entertation.
Gawd bless 'yer, Big D.  Couldn't do without your reportoiriets if my life depended on it.
Nogood "hats off, isit" Boyo