ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Manchester United

Posted by Mark Payne on 08/23/2010

Your house is on fire. Someone has stolen your credit card details and run up a six-figure bill. You just found out your wife was born a man. These are reasons to be hysterical; drawing 2-2 with Fulham at the Cottage is not one of them.

It seems the days when you could just shrug your shoulders and say ‘it wasn’t our afternoon’ are long behind us. Now Manchester United are the Biggest Club in The World ™ in the most fabulousest sports league in history, anything less than a solid victory against everybody is seen as something gruesome from the Old Testament.

People have called me a cynic in the past but I am not ready to panic or concede the title after the second weekend of the season. When looked at in the cold light of day you have to see this game as two points dropped but it is nothing the team can’t learn from.

The annoying thing is when lessons are NOT learnt. At this stage last year we lost to Burnley and Carrick missed a penalty. I found it inconceivable at the time that there should be no allocated penalty taker yet the same thing has happened again. Is it too much to ask for everybody to know what they're doing in commonplace situations on a football pitch? This is not a dig at Nani, rather at the coaching staff.

I should imagine that Rooney would have stepped up had he been playing. Unfortunately, he was sidelined with a last minute stomach bug. I myself had many a stomach bug in my college days. Bizarrely, they often followed nights out and parties, I never figured out if there was a connection.

A penalty not taken by Wayne Rooney
©Getty

This is the period of the season when we are subjected to the delirious proclamations of rival fans who are certain the empire will crumble and their club shall rise. It has been Liverpool fans over the past few seasons who have had what I like to call an ‘Aug-asm’. This year, it is the Rent boys and after two 6 nil wins you can hardly blame them. History does teach us though, that United will be there or thereabouts come May time.

Looking at matters on the field, I really like the actual football United are playing at the moment. It is good passing stuff and really enjoyable to watch. Not only does Valencia jink around and cause trouble to opposition in the manner that you would like he also seems like a nice, unassuming bloke. That’s a breath of fresh air to me in the era of petulant players and dummy spitting.

Alas, petulance and dare I say, ill-discipline, are often character traits found in born winners. This United side is indeed a pleasure to watch, but without finding a killer instinct they won’t be a side hauling in the silverware. My bet is that Rooney might have something to say about that when he ‘recovers’.

Follow markjpayne@twitter.com and thedevilinme.co.uk

Comments

Posted by Harry on 08/23/2010

Mark, even last season manu dropped points so i think you are very well justified in being calm. Last couple o seasons manu have lost at craven cottage,that they have managed one should be looked at optimistically

Posted by huzi on 08/23/2010

Great article. Couldn't agree more. The worst part is seeing so many 'fans' actually calling for Fergie to be sacked. It's not the end of the world now that United DREW to a team that they lost to in the last two seasons. And as you said, the title is not decided after 2 games. 36 games to go.
CMON UNITED!

Posted by Davez on 08/23/2010

Harry: Who or what is MANU

Posted by lyousef on 08/23/2010

Agreed Mark, a win against Fulham is not a given anymore, they are a good organised side and once they began to get a bit of the ball it was always going to be close. I think a few teams will go to the cottage and struggle. My only gripe would be that if we can play that well in the first 10 minutes then we should keep it up for the rest of the game (Barcelona vs Seville for expample)Pedal to the metal and all that. Maybe we just got a wee bit scared from the past two times we went there.

Was a bit concerned about Evans lack of any sort of defensive form, very poor and that was against Zamora, what happens went that Bull Drogba comes up against him?

Season is still early, it was a good game and still plenty to go. Who have Chelsea played anyway, the might of West Brom and Wigan....hmmmmm nuff said.

Posted by lyousef on 08/23/2010

Was a bit concerned about Evans lack of any sort of defensive form, very poor and that was against Zamora, what happens went that Bull Drogba comes up against him?

Season is still early, it was a good game and still plenty to go. Who have Chelsea played anyway, the might of West Brom and Wigan....hmmmmm nuff said.

Posted by maria on 08/23/2010

well said mark...he he...it really isn't a hysteria moment. but did nani really have to take that shot i woulda given it to giggs....but not my call. its only the second game!! but thanks for bringing out the augusmic thing....now i understand the pensioners.
game week three coming up and its still GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!

Posted by valentine on 08/23/2010

It is not he players that concern me... our squad is perfect. My problem lies squarely at united's coaching staff.

1- play Park on the left?!! WTF?!!! check evry single united thread all over the net and you will notice that none but united's coaching staff could have made such a pathetic tactic

2- John Oshea when we have Rafael... player selection is horrible.

3- Nani to take the penalty... Umm... speachless

4- Owen is still in the squad?! Hernadez never got decent chances yet they pull him off WHEN WE NEED HIM. when crosses start coming in the pull Hernandez out...

I am not in hysterea, but we will not win the league because the coaching staff are TERRIBLE on MATCHDAY TACTICS. great players, great attitude, great fluency... ordinary tactics

Posted by Ruba West on 08/23/2010

Sure i am not supposed to be happy but the season has just started and man u always start a little slowly. But my consolation is that we will catch Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.KUDOS TO CHICARITO!

Posted by Parimal on 08/23/2010

Friends... We are and always were slow starters... Don't worry... Wait for christmas.... League is always like a long distance race... You conserve your energy for middle and last bursts..

Posted by temmy on 08/23/2010

I sincerely dont know what to call this,though Fulham played a great game but that was a poor show by MANUTD,we were outplayed,outclassed and deserve to loose the match,for heaven's sake,Berbatov is not producing anything meaningful,can we ever challenge for the CM?
Rooney remains the key to our goal scoring,what if Scholes and Giggs should get injured?
I hope Fergie could make a new signing in the midfield,once Scholes is silent,Manutd is caged.

Posted by giorgi on 08/23/2010

You are right valentine. There is no reason to put John Oshea in squad when MU has Rafael. This youngster is extremely talented: fast and technical player - good in defense and helpfull in attack. He needs encouragement from the coaching staff and more experience.

Posted by valentine on 08/23/2010

Thanks to Temmy for mentioning Rooney. That was the biggest positive yesterday- United an now play withou Wayne Rooney. That is a good, warm cosy feeling inside. And when he comes back... what a bonus

Posted by ManUtdFan. on 08/23/2010

Temmy, are you sure Berbatov didn't produce anything? He assisted the goal, created chances for players, had 3 shots saved.
Don't be too fast in judging MU, because you never know what SAF have on hands.

Posted by seph on 08/23/2010

enuff about manu's failures,first we are usually that kind of stater;slow,secondly some players much as they are top class are yet to blend,however technical staff decisions are cruicial lest we end up with errors that are purely not from players and still blame the players.
but overall,we are not hysterical,the league is yet to take shape.

Posted by Danielhz on 08/23/2010

Let's put past behind us and focus on future,but surely combination of Nani and Valencia should not be messed up with,we saw the points it caused,bcoz of no flow along flanks.

Posted by TheJepit on 08/23/2010

It was a good match, a 2-points dropped instead of 1 point gained.
However credits must be given to Fulham, they fought hard in the second half. Having said that, we could have worked more, Nani should have been introduced earlier since Jisung was rather ineffective and tends to drift to the middle.
Why Owen is still in the team is a wonder, he burned out long ago when he moved to Real Madrid.
Evans are basically outmuscled by Zamora and Hangeland's equaliser could have been prevented had Berba and Vidic not entangled between themselves.
It is only the first away game and players are still not hitting form. The league is not won in two matches and it is not a reason to panic. The penalty missed is not a thing to worry about, it happens in football and it would have not mattered much if we had not conceded the equaliser.
Looking forward to the next match and hope that everything will be coming our way.

Posted by Dan on 08/24/2010

Clearly, our players are not good enough and for the last 2 seasons, we have been playing like a moderately improved version of Bolton. Good thing is, that just like last season, Mr. Own Goal is performing. Little bit of Fergie time and we should be on our way this season too

Posted by Mohamad Darus on 08/24/2010

I just don'd get it. If we have a lot of young players, how come we haven't seen alot of them? I remember during the 90's SAF was full of confindence with the golden generation (Beckham, Giggs, Butt, Scholes, The Neville's). I think we should give our youngsters the chance to shine this year (Cleverly, Rafael, Fabio, Macheda). I am sure they can step up to the plate when we need them, they just need a chance. Instead of playing Owen, I would rather loke to see Macheda instead. Good Luck guys. Man U Forever

Posted by Raizzen on 08/24/2010

Dont get me wrong I love those 2. But why were O Shea and Park on the field befuddled me to no ends. And Fergie's decision to retain Park when the guy was virtually ineffective is way beyond me.

Nani looked dangerous from the outset, albeit a few bad decision making here and there. He should've been introduced earlier not some 15-20 minutes from time.

I really think they were points we lost rather than Fulham's muscles. Not disrespecting them of course, they were marvelous, organized and a very determined team. I just thought we were a little bit better. Our first 20 minutes of the first half oozed with confidence. I still think Nani should've been introduced earlier !

And Berba did produce, he was superb most of the time in the game. I think the guy's slowly finding his feet in the game. I think its about right to say this shall be the season he delivers his full potential.

Posted by uchenna umunna on 08/24/2010

The qustion i have is if rooney dose not play man u can not win a game,is very bad of us.........

Posted by Raizzen on 08/24/2010

On 2nd thought I think theres a lot of positive to be taken from the Fulham match. That match graduated us from over reliance to Rooney to some poor decision making which isn't bad at all considering last season's so called Rooney over reliance.

Yay to that !

Posted by adam on 08/24/2010

I agree with the previous comment, lets play the young guys more. If there good enough, then play them. They need game time to get better i.e. more experience. Macheda has the confidence and skill to do well, as does rafael. Too many of the top teams keep on buying players and the young guys never get a chance- well we are not buying anyone, so....... I think if we could buy someone then rafael van der vaart is the man to give that extra creative outlet (and he wants to come) and give Anderson plenty of game time (as I rate him very high when hes fit and playing a lot, he will only get better, chuck in nani and valencia and fletcher then that is a great midfield for years to come. Mark do you think there is any chance of them coughing up the cash for rafael van der vaart?????

Posted by David Smith on 08/25/2010

I'm sorry Mark, but two dropped points at Fulham after the second game of the season is a big deal. Especially when those points were thrown away in the dying moments due to some woeful defending and minutes after a frustrating penalty miss that would of made it 3-1. Chelsea's incredibly "easy" fixture schedule to start the season means that United could soon find themselves 5,6,8 points adrift if they don't do the business in the next month or so. Then what? In a Premiership that's as competitive as it's ever been, I don't relish playing catchup come October. Remember, the three dropped points last season at bloody Burnley of all places, didn't seem so fatal then either. Now I'm almost certain Saturday's frustrating result won't spell the end of our title challenge, but your attitude seems to mirror that of the players at the beginning of seemingly every season. It's a world where three points mean exactly the same, whether it's the second game of the season or the very last.

Posted by anand on 08/26/2010

Yeah Smith!!! i agree with you...."It's a world where three points mean exactly the same, whether it's the second game of the season or the very last."....come on MU wake up. Don't chuck ur head in ur bloody *** ****!!!Beware these season going to be worst than the previous(s).Che, MC, ARS,TTH....all r awaiting MU to to drop points man!!!!Only lucky star is "LP" they r doing "better" than us.!!! he he he

Posted by johanzul on 08/26/2010

personally, to be realistic, 1st choice of winning the title for this season is Chelsea. Based on the fact that they excel in every department, either attacking and defending, creativity and necessity to excel. Man U still same O same O, start slow and progress after that, well, with stability and maturity shown now on Chelsea side, who wouldn't pick 'em, our only chance is to see injuries on their 1st 11 and hopefully their 2nd line up is not up to the challenge. Depending on injuries on other team seems kinda lame to be an excuse to win the BPL but is part of the game. For Man U players, wake up! nowdays, when the wisel blows, you must be on top of yr game, no excuse please as later on using statements like "what if...who should...". Tq.

Posted by Mike Ponter on 08/26/2010

there should be concern. This midfield was over-run by Danny murphy. What happens when it comes up against Fabregas, Essien, Gerrard and Toure? This is rapidly turning into a mediocre team destined to continually finish 4th to 6th each season. Fergie says the transfer market is over-inflated. Yes, but that is the new world order with the money flowing into the game. You have to suck it up and live with it.

Posted by Justin Roland on 08/26/2010

We were poor in the 2nd half. Don't deserve to win. Evans played poorly. Agreed that its a mistake that it seems ManU don't have a designated PK taker.

Yes memories of Burnley came flooding back once Nani missed the PK.

2 points lost and we lost the title by 1 point.

Posted by Carter on 08/26/2010

I agree with David. Every game is an important one now that the EPL is so competitive, and it IS a big deal that our squad played so poorly. Evans and O'Shea were complete jokes, and our attacking line simply ran out of ideas. Let's also not forget that Rooney is just one player. He can still get injured or "sick", and can experience dips in his form. I shudder at the thought that Man Utd's results this season are going to be solely dependent on Wayne's performance. The last thing we'd want is a one or two man team, just like the scousers last season.

If we can't get it right against Fulham, how the hell are we going to beat the bigger clubs? Furthermore, shouldn't the team be more pressured to produce since Chelski and City are doing so well right now?

I seriously hope the coaching team gets their act together, and Fergie starts picking the right men to start games.

Posted by Joaya on 08/28/2010

yes! personally I don't understand why Luis Nani took a penalty in presence of Ryan Giggs. Though that is happening in the second game of the season yet are the moments we will talk about after failing to win the league. Ups and downs are happening in team's performance but discrepancies like those observed from Fulham match are not expected from the team of MANU calibre. Remember the incidence in Chelsea's match against Wigan in the closing day of the season in which Drogba was looking to increase tally for the Golden boot and Frank Lampard denied him to take the spot because he was the one answerable. Fergie watch out!

Posted by Hai_bee! on 08/29/2010

Truly, manU is known 4 a slow start bt we need 2 know that changes are bound 2 happen. Young players needs 2 b introduced in matches earlier 2 prove their worth

Posted by Urmstonian on 08/29/2010

I agree that there's a long way to go but the league can be won or lost by the tiniest of margins. Remember Valencia being one-on-one with the Blackburn goalie in April and missing? If he'd scored we'd still be champions. So that penalty miss from Nani could be very expensive.

What is bugging me a bit is that Fulham, as so many other teams, were expecting to lose and when Scholesey scored they may have been expecting a pasting. So what do we do? We ease off and suddenly they think 'Hey, we're in with a chance here' and we end up having a desperate struggle. I fear that could be the difference between us and the horrible blue outfit from London, who do seem to have mastered the art of grinding the opposition into the dust.

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