Fulham v Manchester United - Match Thread (Set Irl) 5.15 pm 7/3/09

Carroller16

v

CHD

1-1

Headshot

United have no new injury concerns ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final trip to Fulham on Saturday.

Sir Alex will take a 20-man squad to Craven Cottage with the manager confirming he will make changes to the side that won at Newcastle in midweek.

"It's an opportunity to keep the players' engines running," Sir Alex told reporters at his pre-match press conference. "They have all been applying themselves very well, so rotating the squad has been working well."

The Reds' boss also revealed that Gary Neville should be back in training next week, while Wes Brown and Rafael are making good progress with their recovery from injury.

"Wes needs a couple more weeks, but Gary may be back a bit sooner - hopefully he’ll be training with us again next week," said Sir Alex. "Rafael will be out for a little longer with a hairline fracture of his ankle."

United are returning to London for the second time in a week following last Sunday's Carling Cup final. With Wednesday's demanding trip to St James' Park sandwiched in between, Sir Alex is grateful to have been able to call upon a strong squad to freshen up his starting XI for the games.

"It certainly helps us to make changes," he said. "We played on a tiring pitch at Wembley, then we had to travel back home and up to the north-east, which itself can be exhausting.

"But there’s no doubt the changes helped and against Fulham hopefully they’ll help again."

im hoping we'll see few rested for this

1-2

JimiTime

0 - 3

VDS
O'Shea Ferdinand Evans Evra



Ronaldo Fletcher Anderson Park

Berba Rooney

Though I have to say, I think Ronaldo could probably do with a rest.

Headshot

ill go for

---

foster

---

oshea---evans----Rio----fabio
Nani---giggs--ando----park
----tevez---Rooney

---

Rather not have Rooney playing but he needs the games

I do want Anderson to play

ill be really gutted if scholes plays tbh

Loco

Hope they rest Ronaldo. Don't want to see him wrecked for Wednesday.

Will go with a 2-1 win for Utd.

Mgoraf

Neville is out for this one I think....

Not got a good feeling about this, can see it endign 1-1. Hopefully we can get a 1-0 win.

Foster
JOS Evans Vidic Evra
Nani Ando Carrick Par
Rooney Giggs

RasTa

I'm pretty sure Giggs will be saved for Milan. We might see Welbeck and Gibson start.

Mgoraf

RasTa wrote: »

I'm pretty sure Giggs will be saved for Milan. We might see Welbeck and Gibson start.

Would have hoped Scholes would be saved for then and bring Giggs off the bench in that game.

Mikeyt086

Sir Alex said Gibson and Evans are starting i think.

Ronaldo, Vidic, Giggs and Rooney will be rested for Inter i reckon.

So ill go with:

---

VDS

O'SHEA--RIO--EVANS--EVRA

PARK--GIBSON--CARRICK--NANI

---

TEVEZ--BERBA

Mgoraf

I think Gibson could be on the right then if he's going to start :S

Smegball

Mgoraf wrote: »

I think Gibson could be on the right then if he's going to start :S

Why? His natural position and where he performs at his best is the centre of the park.

Mikeyt086

No no, thats a fair point. Could well be Anderson and Carrick with Gibson and Park on the flanks.

Adamcp898

Smegball wrote: »

Why? His natural position and where he performs at his best is the centre of the park.

He has been shoved out on the right before though, think it was one of the cup games

Mikeyt086

Ronaldo will be wearing the new Nike Mecurial Vapor IV boots next time he plays.

The last 2 times he has unveiled new Vapors he has scored. So i wonder if its Fulham or Inter

ROCKMAN

Would love to see Anderson start this game , Think he could have a big role to play in a every busy finish to the season.

(With Inter in mind ) wouldn't mind

Foster

O Shea
Rio
Evans
Fabio

Park
Fletcher
Anderson
Nani

Welbeck
Tevez

Resting Rooney , Scholes , Carrick , Berbs , Vidic , Evra ,VDS , Giggs and Ronaldo (jesus we have some squad )

PHB

Gibson and Anderson in the middle I'd say, rest Carrick and Scholes, we'll need some creativity in the middle against Inter to win it. Then we'll have Fletcher there for when we need to protect our lead.

Personally flat choice between progressing vs Inter or Fulham most people would pick Inter obviously, hell I'd prefer to get past Inter than win the FA Cup.

You gotta start VDS so he can get his confidence back (or if he's lost it, to realise it and start Foster (ballsy))

O'Shea--Ferdinand--Vidic--Fabio

Evra is the only one there who would get tired.

Nani and Park on the wings, Tevez up front with Welbeck imo.
That should be enough to beat Fulham.

Mikeyt086

Evra doesnt get tired. What a silly thing to say.

Im_No_Superman

Going to be a very tough game this evening. The team I would like to see -

Foster

O'Shea
Vidic
Evans
Fabio

Park
Anderson
Giggs
Nani

Rooney
Tevez

If this game is it a draw does it go to a replay or extra time penos?

Headshot

Im_No_Superman wrote: »

Going to be a very tough game this evening.

If this game is it a draw does it go to a replay or extra time penos?

replay

1-5

GLaDOS

rarnes1 wrote: »

1-5

I'd be very surprised if this was the case, Fulham have been excellent defensively this season (although not against Utd )

Headshot

ScienceNerd wrote: »

I'd be very surprised if this was the case, Fulham have been excellent defensively this season (although not against Utd )

and great home form

ill take a 1-0 to utd

Im_No_Superman

Headshot wrote: »

replay

We could do without a draw so!

Ronaldo hasnt travelled according to SSN which is good imo, needs a break.

Mr.Nice Guy

Are Fulham going to really be up for this? I'm not sure. When they went to Old Trafford they didn't offer an awful lot. Hodgson before the game didn't seem that optimistic about his chances.

I can see United winning it 2-0. Hopefully it will be a decent game.

CHD

Its the FA cup quarter final of course they will be up for it.

Necronomicon

Anderson needs football, but wouldn't be entirely surprised to see him not start. I dunno, it's tough enough to predict, but you'd think Gibson will be in there with one of Ando or Fletch. Cannot see Carrick or Scholes playing with Inter next week. Can't see anything other than Park and Nani on the flanks. Up front, Wellbeck and Tevez come to mind but it didn't work particularly well against Spurs so I wouldn't be surprised to see Rooney in there.

ROCKMAN

Utd Team

VDS

O SHEA
RIO
VIDIC
EVRA


FLETCHER
CARRICK
ANDERSON
PARK

ROONEY
TEVEZ

Mr.Nice Guy

CHD wrote: »

Its the FA cup quarter final of course they will be up for it.

What I mean is, will they effectively be beaten before they take to the field? I'm sure they'll work hard alright but I'm not so sure they actually believe they can knock United out. Maybe they'll prove me wrong though. Hope not. :pac:

jaykay74

Wow stronger team than I thought... no Foster, Evans, Wellbeck, Gibson. Is Neville struggling again these days ? Does this point towards Giggs and Scholes for the Inter game ?

ROCKMAN wrote: »

Utd Team

VDS

O SHEA
RIO
VIDIC
EVRA


FLETCHER
CARRICK
ANDERSON
PARK

ROONEY
TEVEZ

Im_No_Superman

Very strong team although I would expect to see Anderson pushed out to the left with Fletch and Carrick in the center and Park on the right

jaykay74

Utd Bench: Foster, Eckersley, Evans, Giggs, Scholes, Nani, Berbatov


Fulham: Schwarzer - Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky - Davies, Etuhu, Murphy, Dempsey - Johnson, Zamora

Headshot

im delighted anyway with that line up

scholes for the inter game

get in there

rather have fabio playing but over-all very happy

Tom65

In case anyone is looking, ITV stream the FA Cup games on their website.. It works for me here in Sweden, so I'd imagine it'll stream anywhere.

redout

VDS in goal to help him get his confidence back in my opinion after putting in a dodgy performance on Wednesday night.

PHB

Fergie always want to win the FA Cup so I guess this could have been expected

That said, Berbatov and Ronaldo rested, and they will be key. If Rooney was like other players you'd want him rested too, but in all fairness, he doesnt ever get tired

PHB

PHB wrote: »

Fergie always want to win the FA Cup so I guess this could have been expected

That said, Berbatov and Ronaldo rested, and they will be key. If Rooney was like other players you'd want him rested too, but in all fairness, he doesnt ever get tired

He's not exactly been over played recently though. He'll be fine.

PHB

Fletcher as usual having trouble playing on the right of midfield, why Fergie plays him there I'll never know, he hasn't put in a good shift there in years. This is especially true when Anderson does have the techinal ability and pace to play on the wing.

Raskolnikov

Very lively start. Have to give kudos to Fulham, they're not parking the bus.

Raskolnikov

What a flick by Johnson! Luck my ass!

redout

redout wrote: »

VDS in goal to help him get his confidence back in my opinion after putting in a dodgy performance on Wednesday night.

Good Fuvk !

We are screwed on Wednesday if he is like that.

ShaneU

FU*K, that was close

PHB

PHB wrote: »

Fergie always want to win the FA Cup so I guess this could have been expected

That said, Berbatov and Ronaldo rested, and they will be key. If Rooney was like other players you'd want him rested too, but in all fairness, he doesnt ever get tired

Always?? :eek:

K4t

F**k, he was bloody close to taking Vidic down too :eek:

Raskolnikov

Nearly for Dempsey!

PHB

rarnes1 wrote: »

Always?? :eek:

Really want to open that debate again?
The FA specifically requested that United compete in the World Club championships to help England get the World Cup. They complied, England didn't get the world cup, and everyone remembers that United pulled out. If United had done the other way, they'd be criticised. No matter what they had done, they would be been criticised.

juvenal

Tom65 wrote: »

In case anyone is looking, ITV stream the FA Cup games on their website.. It works for me here in Sweden, so I'd imagine it'll stream anywhere.

Good steady stream - working here in Canada.

redout

Tevez

1 - 0

K4t

In for Tevez!

Raskolnikov

Scrappy goal for Tevez, assist by Rooney.