Fulham v. ManUre

Ba Humbug.....We got exposed down the flanks...Shocking. Oh well, Bring on the scum. Nothing would make Boxing Day better than a bounce-back win against the undead...

 

We were never at the races tonight. The nightmare of my Old Trafford journey in April continued in leveraged form and owing to our same lack of pace.

Welbeck's opener was training ground variety as Nani went past Bryan and Bairdinho with condescending ease. When Phil Jones went off with an apparent head injury, Sir Alex brought on Ashley Young to give us more of what we could not handle: pace and control.

One of my neigbours thought we looked haggard-- a worrying thought given our impending fixture congestion-- and I was surprised how much space Carrick gave Dempsey and Murphy to operate. I sensed that we continued to battle and the players body language tonight was better than in May when we shifted five goals against Liverpool. That night my colleague said Hangeland looked a beaten man after 82 minutes but I did not leave thinking we lost due to spirit, tactics or execution. Had AJ buried his chances, we might have matched May's 2-5 and Halsey's inaction towards Young's challenge on Dembele was perplexing, but it would not have changed the outcome as measurably as say, the Arsenal "reversed penalty" match in '02.

Perhaps we could have countered with Briggsy and Kelly at FB but when Man Utd are in such imperious form, I do not think we ever had a chance. Wayne Rooney was at the heart of everything tonight and Giggs's tackle to dispossess Bryan late in the first half was a thing of beauty.

Man Utd were simply different class tonight and 0-5 was sorry to say, a fair reflection of the gulf between us. From the mumblings I heard on the way out of the ground, I think most Fulham agreed. I caught the fag end of MOTD tonight-- the bracket we are usually in-- and Lawro and Hansen probably agreed. (I do not know what Shearer might have said as I only understand English.)

Fair play to Man Utd. I would be surprised to see many changes to our 4-2-3-1 on Boxing day but hopefully, a better outcome will be in store for the wife and me, and the other 3000 of us who are "away" despite there being only one team in Fulham.

 

Aye yigh yigh. Someone get me a drink

 

Crap!