Manchester United held 1-1 at Craven Cottage as fans boo Mainoo substitution
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by winless Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, a result that drew audible boos from the travelling supporters after Michael Carrick substituted Kobbie Mainoo with 10 minutes to go.
United’s recent rebuild, which focused on the attack last summer and central midfield in the most recent window, has been criticised for addressing one position at a time rather than multiple areas; the club’s ownership is described as reviled and the fanbase as increasingly mutinous. The squad balance was questioned before the match because the options at full-back were viewed as potentially insufficient for a season back in the Champions League, and Carrick’s appearance in the dugout follows a long managerial transition at Old Trafford. Carrick previously filled in as an emergency centre-back when United last lost this fixture in December 2009.
The game turned against United when Lisandro Martínez inadvertently put Fulham ahead with a deflected finish after Fulham’s Matheus Cunha was involved in a challenge with Calvin Bassey that saw the Fulham centre-back surge forward and test Senne Lammens, Martínez turning the rebound past his goalkeeper. Gary Neville, commentating on Sky Sports, criticised United’s lack of effort during the 15 minutes before Fulham’s goal, saying players went through the motions and pulled out of tackles and describing the manner of the concession as feeble.
United’s late equaliser came when Matheus Cunha’s potshot struck David Affengruber and went in, deceiving Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal. Cunha said Fulham “put in more energy than us” at the start of the second half, and United’s only clear chances before going behind included Bruno Fernandes hitting the post at 0-0; Cunha also clipped the woodwork via a heavy deflection and Marcus Rashford wasted two opportunities.
Manchester United’s midfield setup featured Bruno Fernandes as the No 10 with Kobbie Mainoo deployed deeper alongside Youri Tielemans, who was signed from Aston Villa last summer, but Sander Berge and Shea Charles were credited with dominating Fulham’s engine room. Andrey Santos, an unused substitute, joined United from Chelsea for £50m and is yet to establish himself in English football; Tielemans arrived for £35m. The piece contrasted United’s summer activity with rival spending, citing Manchester City’s £300m outlay on three midfielders and Arsenal’s £75m purchase of Bruno Guimarães.
United were described as being outrun and lacking fitness during the game, with the absence of Benjamin Sesko through injury leaving the side short of an effective target man to introduce. Carrick turned to Joshua Zirkzee when United were chasing an equaliser; Zirkzee has five league goals since joining two years ago. Marcus Rashford, who was reportedly up for sale last year, started on the left, “flattered to deceive” before being taken off, while Fulham threats such as Alex Iwobi’s first-half surge and Josh King’s inside-right raids repeatedly troubled United but were let down by poor finishing; Bryan Mbeumo also almost equalised but was inconsistent on the right.
Carrick is under pressure with United on five points from five games and already out of the Carabao Cup; those results are likely to intensify doubts over his appointment. He will hope Carlos Baleba, back from an ankle injury, makes his debut after the international break.
