Man U vs. Fulham
Venue: Old Trafford
Kick off: 4PM
Manchester United head into today’s Premier League encounter with Fulham having failed to record a win in their last four matches in the top flight.
Claudio Ranieri has registered four points from three games since his arrival at Craven Cottage, but Fulham still remain bottom of the league standings.
United have come from behind on three occasions in their last two Premier League matches to avoid defeat, but it has done little to lighten the mood at Old Trafford as the club continues to drop off the pace.
Jose Mourinho’s team are still just the eight points adrift of fourth position in the table, but the club’s hierarchy and supporters will be concerned that little progress is being made with regards to performances.
Mourinho suggested that ‘panic’ had started to emerge in his defence against Arsenal, and it was difficult to argue with that statement as the Gunners squandered several chances to defeat United on Wednesday night.
The North-West giants lined up with a back three with wing-backs featuring either side, but the fact that each of those five players had not been involved in the previous fixture at Southampton highlighted the problems which Mourinho is having to deal with right now.
Injuries, the form of a number of his star men and the desire to get another win on the board has left the Portuguese failing to find any consistency with his team selection, and United now find themselves on the brink of dropping into the bottom half of the table.
That possibility appeared unlikely at the beginning of the campaign but with just three points separating United to 11th-placed Watford and Liverpool to follow at Anfield next weekend, United effectively need three points against Fulham to fend off what would be perceived as embarrassment.
The subject of Paul Pogba remains a hot topic for debate with Mourinho seemingly alluding to the Frenchman’s work-rate in his programme notes earlier this week, but the club’s record signing may be given the chance to redeem himself against the league’s bottom side.
Pogba’s form should not necessarily be highlighted more so than his teammates because this is an under-performing team – not just an individual player – but an improvement from the midfielder could act as the catalyst for progress from the rest of the squad at a crucial part of the season.
Man U possible XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Rojo, Young, Matic, Herrera, Mata, Pogba, Rashford, Lukaku.
Fulham possible XI: Rico, Christie, Odoi, Mawson, Le Marchand, Chambers, Seri, Schurrle, Cairney, Sessegnon, Mitrovic.