Manchester United faced a challenging week, starting with new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe expressing his intention to “knock Manchester City off their perch” and ending with a home defeat to Fulham, a team with one of the worst away records in the Premier League.
The 71-year-old British billionaire’s ambition faced a reality check as Fulham secured a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford. Despite being one of the teams with the fewest away points this season, Fulham emerged triumphant in their first away win since August. The defeat highlighted the considerable task ahead for Ratcliffe and other stakeholders at Manchester United.
United looked like they had salvaged an unlikely point through Harry Maguire’s 89th-minute equaliser but then conspired to concede Fulham’s winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The campaign for Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag has been tumultuous at times, and the recent defeat serves as another setback. While Sir Jim Ratcliffe wasn’t present in the stands, his representative Sir Dave Brailsford was there to witness the disappointing performance. This loss does little to convince decision-makers about Ten Hag’s suitability to lead the club into a new era.
However, Ten Hag remains steadfast in his belief that he is the right person for the job. “You have to see the bigger picture, and the bigger picture looks very good,” he stated. “We have to get the injured players back, and then we will be more balanced. We also plan to strengthen the squad in the transfer windows.”
He expressed optimism about the team’s direction, citing upcoming opportunities to recruit talented and high-potential players. Nonetheless, the question remains whether Ratcliffe and Brailsford share the same vision, especially given the underwhelming performance in the first game following the partial takeover.
Fulham, without their best player, João Palhinha, because of suspension, dominated the first half and created two good chances for Alex Iwobi. Rodrigo Muniz, a handful up front, hit the post and former United midfielder Andreas Pereira brought a good save from André Onana.
It was a poor first half from Ten Hag’s team but, somehow, they managed to get even worse after the break, and when Calvin Bassey scored his first Fulham goal to put the visitors ahead, it was no surprise.
United only decided to start playing in the final minutes and scrambled an equaliser through Maguire. They looked the most likely to find a winner in nine minutes of injury time, but their defensive vulnerability was exposed. Substitute Adama Traoré skipped past Maguire and passed for Iwobi to score and hand Fulham their first win at Old Trafford for 21 years.
As the final whistle went, Alejandro Garnacho, United’s best player, lay face down in the turf and the Fulham fans began to sing, “How s— must you be, we’re winning away.”
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It needed a last-gasp winner, but it certainly wasn’t a smash-and-grab.
“It is clear in my opinion the better team on the pitch won the game,” Fulham boss Marco Silva said. “We are the team that created the most chances, that played better and tried to win most of the moments of the game.
It was a harsh evaluation of the situation.
Once again this season, Ten Hag emphasized the impact of the growing injury list on Manchester United’s performance. Missing key players like Luke Shaw, Rasmus Højlund, Lisandro Martínez, and Mason Mount, he had to improvise, fielding Victor Lindelöf at left-back and giving 19-year-old Omari Forson a full debut. The early exit of Casemiro due to injury further compounded their challenges, although Fulham also faced absences due to suspension and injury.
“We don’t have a left full-back,” Ten Hag lamented. “Then the drop out of Casemiro, a big drop out. Licha Martinez [is out] but still we have players in the squad and still today we could win this game and we should.”
With a five-game winning streak halted by Fulham, the upcoming week carries significant weight for Ten Hag. An FA Cup fifth-round tie with Nottingham Forest followed by a derby against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium looms ahead. Positive results in these fixtures would strengthen Ten Hag’s case for continued leadership under Ratcliffe. However, further setbacks could render his words hollow, especially after the dismal display against Fulham.
Ratcliffe’s entry has underscored that everyone is vying for their position in the journey to reclaim the top spot in English football. Less than a week after Ratcliffe’s investment received approval, Ten Hag’s trial period began on a sour note.
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