Manchester United returned to winning ways this weekend with a 4-1 victory against a struggling Fulham. But the scoreline is just a farce if you look into the actual performance.
The Red Devils were out on a mission when they arrived at Old Trafford on Saturday. Jose Mourinho knew that another loss could end his chase for a spot in the Premier League top 4, which would end his time at Manchester United.
Ashley Young opened the scoring with a wonderful finish from the edge of the box. Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku found the back of the net before half-time. But things weren’t the same after the break.
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This has been the story of Manchester United this season. On most occasions, Jose Mourinho’s side concedes an early goal and are forced to sit back for the rest of the game. It was a different scenario this time around.
Manchester United managed to gain a strong grip of the fixture from the first whistle but failed to keep up the tempo. Fulham came back strong after the break and managed to breach the defence in the second half.
Jose Mourinho was lucky as their strikers were having an off day. It seems like the tactics take a tumble at Manchester United when they are in lead. In this game, Romelu Lukaku seems to have forgotten that he is a striker and drifted on the wings on multiple occasions.
Another issue is the midfielders. The United gaffer has defended the use of Nemanja Matic over Fred in recent interviews. The lack of fluidity in the middle of the park was clear against Fulham. Jose Mourinho needs to inject some dynamics players which means that the Serb should be rested in the next few games.
Yes, Manchester United moved up on the Premier League table with this victory. But the fans must realise that the performance was way below par. The Red Devils should have dominated the fixture and scored more goals, considering Fulham are battling for relegation this season.
A big game against Liverpool is coming up for Jose Mourinho. The United gaffer needs to sort out his tactics especially the static midfield that has been caught out by the opposition this season. Could Paul Pogba and Andreas Pereira be the solution? Comment below