Manchester United earned its first result of the season at Fulham, yet the point proved representative of the persisting issues of last season on the field and in the technical area.
In last week’s reading of the vibes-o-meter and on the unaffiliated Fergie Fledgling’s podcast, I said the next step for Ruben Amorim’s project is to turn what would’ve been a loss last year into a draw this year and what would’ve been a draw last year into a win this year.
Not even accounting for Bruno Fernandes’ inexplicably missed penalty in the 38th minute, United had the lead at Craven Cottage — a place they’d won eight straight matches at prior — in the 58th minute. The expectation was/is to gut out that win, even if the match begins to spiral out of your favor.
That’s what good — or at least improving — teams do.
Instead, Emile Smith Rowe entered the match for Fulham in the 71st minute and scored less than two minutes later.
That’s the kind of error that United made last season. That’s the kind of error you’d expect to be eradicated when Amorim promised that good times are coming.
United turned a win into a draw, and those positives we were banking on after the loss to Arsenal might have already evaporated.
Adding salt to the wound were the quotes coming from Fulham’s mix zone after the match…
I can’t say it any better than friend of the Fergie Fledglings podcast, Carl Anka, of The Athletic, said on the newest Talk of the Devils podcast.
The playbook on how to attack United is not a secret. What happens when Pep Guardiola is on the opposing touchline in three weeks? Enzo Maresca in four weeks? Arne Slot in mid-October or Thomas Frank in early November? What is this system’s counter when the opposing team makes a tactical shift?
Fernandes is getting hung out to dry in the pivot next to the ghost of Casemiro’s past and Manuel Ugarte, while Kobbie Mainoo has not yet featured this season because he is apparently only in direct competition for Fernandes’ spot.
Additionally, spending all 90 minutes on the bench with Mainoo was Joshua Zirkzee, while Amorim subbed in two defenders in the 87th minute. I could jest and say that because Harry Maguire was one of those defenders, he represented another attacking option. However, given the jeopardy this team could find itself in with a couple more poor results, it would be nice to see them go for the win, utilizing their attacking players.
We’re not sounding a panic alarm. We’re not calling for sacking. We’re not calling for panic buying like in 2022; although if United have appropriately scouted a couple of midfielders that improve the club and don’t tank the budget for next year, maybe bring them in! We’re searching for signs of improvement. We’re searching for hope.
This past Sunday’s result didn’t offer much of either, and the reading on the vibes-o-meter suffered as a result.
Matchday 2 Vibes Rating
Now, the Manchester United 2025-26 Vibes-O-Meter is a very specific device developed with the most advanced science available to us: our gut.
The Vibes-O-Meter uses a scale of 1-10 based on the contemporary highs and lows of the Post-Fergie era; one being the feelings immediately after losing on penalties in the 2021 Europa League Final and 10 being the feelings after winning the 2023 Carabao Cup Final.
After matchday two, things are looking a lot less alright than last week!
MD2 Vibes reading: 3/10
Positive Influences
The first 15ish minutes
Leny Yoro
We’re only two games into the season, so the restrictor plate on the meter is still engaged, and we’re not going to panic
Negative Influences
Fulham’s post-match quotes about how to attack Amorim’s system
We continue to ask the question, ‘What’s the counter when the opposing team makes a tactical shift?‘
Fernandes is playing out of position and is not supported properly in the midfield partnership(s).
Mainoo, when???
Despite spending nearly £200m on the attack this summer, a Manchester United player is still not credited with a goal, two matches into the season
Last matchday rating: 5/10
0 Comments