Fulham @ The Big Bad Bullies

Well, we make up our game in hand at long last. Just in time to break their streak of not letting in a goal since Don was a corporal at the Alamo.

My theory is this -- Woy played for a draw today. Hence, the resting of Pantsil, Dempsey, and possibly Zamora. It may possibly be the dawn of a new day in the case of the latter. Woy was fine with taking a draw out of Wales today to have a shot at taking something home from Old Trafford. It wasn't a bad idea, especially if it works.

My lineup choices are --
----------------------------Schwarzer
-----Pantsil ------Hughes --------Hangman------PK
-----Deuce-------Murphy----Unsure between Etuhu or Dacourt----Davies
-------------------Nevland-----------------F5

I am leaving the holding mid position open because I know nothing about Dacourt. Pantsil should be the first to come off because his lapses will certainly result in a goal for the Bullies.

Wow, theirs is a team that can hurt you in every way imaginable. Backfour and VDS? They've had a nice run lately. Vidic is a beast in every sense of the word, and my favorite non-Fulham player in the league. Hope he catches the flu this weekend. Rooney out still(possibly?) Berbatov and Tevez are both feeling it now. Their midfield against W Ham in their last game was Rafael, Carrick, and two old geezers named Giggs and Scholes. They won the game for them.

Why can't we get a point or all three from them. I want to reuse a line from the game at Anfield -- is it written in the Prem's bylaws that every team has to go to a barn like Old Trafford and start 1-0 down? Why can't we win there? We've done it before, with a team that was roughly as good as this one is now. This team seems to have the character to do it, why not us?

 

Ronaldo played on the left in their last couple games, but Ferguson probably knows that Paintsil is the favorable matchup for us. It will be interesting to see what Man Utd's lineup looks like tomorrow - Giggs and Scholes haven't been playing as much lately, so hopefully they start against Derby and are rested against us. I'll take my chances with Fletcher and Park.

 

"A nice run" probably doesn't do justice to the fact that they haven't given up a league goal since early November.

 

Wouldn't if be fulhamish of the highest quality for Zamora to be the one to break ManU's scoreless streak.

 

This season, the only club I've seen that can compete with United's form is Barcelona. Liverpool won't sniff the top again, nor will anybody else...the damn Red Devils are simply too good and deep.

Thus, a draw would be quite Fulhamish and it's a shame that the voice in my head insists on singing in its best Dean Martin voice "United, 3-0."

 

3-0 Manure. I can't see us scoring on them and I can't see us keeping the sheet clean, especially with the gaffes we're sure to have on the wings. I think the lack of television may be merciful.

 

i am definitely not optimistic going in to this match. maybe F5 will take a dive in the box and win us a penalty early. Just please make sure the ref isn't Alan Riley or whatever that dude's name is that gives Manure penalties every match he does of theirs

 

the match is live on setanta at 2:55pm and then aired again at 9:30pm.

Expect some bogus goal/dive from Nani and we'll lose 1-0.

I really, really hate United.

 

I'll share in the pessimism. These are must have 3 points for United in the title run. They will throw the kitchen sink at us. I bet we have a few liverpudlians rooting on our side though.

Hate to say it, 2-0 to the United. An absolutely phenominal game from Swartz and the D might garner a draw. If the odds are really good at the bookies, I may lay a tenner on 0-0 because I seriously doubt we put the ball in the back of the net.

There are few times I like to be proved wrong in life and this would be one of those times I would relish being absolutely dead wrong.

 

I'm thinking I'm the only one who has a feeling that we're gonna win on wednesday. 1-0 to Fulham. They really want to see my patches gone.... and so do I.

 

Ian, you have a basketball beard -- 5 to a side

 

how many cards has Pantsil had? because after being skined by Ronaldo for the 5th time you know whats going to happen! I think Woy is going to go for it(nothing to lose,we could put 11men behind the ball and still get beat) I think that would be our best bet-"They don't like it up em" lol

 

"...usually they wear red and are called the Red Devils – because they are so evil."

Fun article (even though it deals with West Ham too.)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... mierleague

 

I have very mixed emotions about this game, it is surely one of those games that us as Fulham supporters look forward to, because Fulham are in the premiership.
But simply put Man U are in a different World to us in footballing terms, their movement on and off the ball is astounding, and they have truly world class players, who the Fulham players cannot really get close to.
RH as by his actions made no secret of the fact all year that survival in this league is paramount, and realistically tomorrows game is a luxury, WBA at home on Sunday is so much more important, a genuine 6 pointer, and looking at the fixture list we have two other home games, against Blackburn and Hull, that in a normal year wins would give us 39 points and safety, so I would not be surprised to see a few Fulham players who maybe carrying slight injuries rested.
It is also interesting, that Fergie rested so many players on Sunday, he usually does that against us, it would seem that he is taking us a little more seriously this season.
So I would be in favor of looking past this one, concentrating on WBA, and then Swansea then taking our shot at them at the cottage in the 6th round.

 

The way I see it, Man Utd's games with Chelsea and Liverpool were pretty even - if anything, they were a little worse. We did alright against those two, so I'm hoping that translates to some success tomorrow.

John, you may be right about a couple players being rested:

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsA ... eport.aspx