Manchester United vs Fulham .

Match Day LIVE .
Match Week 1. (English Premiership League Opening Match .).2024/2025 football season .
Venue – Old Trafford . Manchester .
Manchester United vs Fulham .
August 16, 2024 .

Manchester United takes the center stage again for the 10th time in 11 seasons of an opening English Premiership League match at Old Trafford AKA Theater of Dreams ,while 8 of the 11 opening EPL games were against Fulham, with United trying to improve their performance as well as their on going rehabilitation and transition , after a turbulent last season where they cane a distant 8th position , only to secure a Europa Cup slot at the dying minutes , courtesy of Chelsea failing to beat Tottenham in their last league game which ended in a draw .
With 8 visits to Old Trafford by the Cottagers , in an opening game of the EPL ,the pressure is on Erik Ten army , to overcome Fulham.
According to Ten Hag , the team manager in a recent interview , “that they are not 100% ready for the opener in the English Premiship League Season 2024/2025 season, he went further to say that they can’t hide it . , but they will try and improve on their recent form as against last season when they struggled and came from the back door to get the 8th position .

After a dismal performance last season , their ray of hope to end the season was an FA Cup win against Manchester City 2-1 that qualifed then for a berth in the Europa this season after Chelsea failed to beat Tottenham at away on the last day of the 2023/2024 season . But their FA Cup glory last season was hurt when Man City beat them via penalty shootout in the Community Shield , after a 1-1 draw at Wembley last Saturday , thereby posing many questions that needs to be answered only by the Reds as they re open hostilities this Friday for the EPL Opener on home turf, Old Trafford , AKA , Theater of Dreams.

Ten Hag manged to keep his job after the paltry FA Cup victory against City last season , despite rumors from United s ambitious new owners , but he has been joined by fellow Dutch man former Man United player , Ruud Van Nissetroy in the *Dugout* for more technical assistance , and to add pepper to an already injury hit defensive department , Mathiijis de Ligit and Noussair Mazraoui have been added too to the squad .
A below average performance as well as a mixed fortune during the pre -season campaign away from home from five matches is a bit suspect , they managed 3 wins and most importantly a 3- 0 pummeling by Premishio rivals , Liverpool ,need much to be desired as they file against the Cottagers on home turf. tonight .

Last season out of 19 top flight matches they lost 6 times including to Fulham in February this year , 2-1 , whom they have previously lost only 3 times out of 33 meetings .
While Man Utd have been busy buying players in their heavily mutilated squad that appears to be in transition and without a quick fix and whom we doubt will come close to winning the trophy this season or even coming top four , Fulham have been busy too rebuilding their squad after the summer exit of Joan Palihna , to Bayern Munich, Tosin Adarabioyo, as well as star defender Tim.Rean after coming 13th position last season .in the EPL ..

Injury worries will be Man Utd s greatest handicap in tonight’s encounter with the absence of Luke Shaw , Leno, Yoro , Tyreal Malacia , Rasmujd Hojiund as well as Lindelof .Though Luke Shaw and Lindelhlof will need to be crossed examined before the match after missing the Community Shield with minor injuries ..

While lady luck seem to be on the side of the Cottagers as they have their squad almost 100% , but they must find a replacement for Joan Palihna their play maker and football tactician , who recently left the Craven Cottage to Bayern Munich on a summer transfer But Serbian international Lukic seems to be their primary replacement for Palihna , only time will tell if he will withstand the pressure from though a half fit as well as bemused and tactically deficient , injury ridden ,Man Utd side thet can slso spring surprises when it matters most other things being equal..
Their new signing this season are likely to make their debut in today s opening match of the season , like Jorge Cuenca, Ryan Sessegnon and Emile Smith Rowe ..

Predictions

With Fulhams recent triumph in February against Man Utd ,is a confidence booster for the Cottagers tonight
who are most likely to pick up a point at Old Trafford .The start of this season seems to have come so early for Man Utd who are not fully prepared for thr opening game , Ten Hag in a recent interview also admitted this that his team is not 100% fit for the opening match., this was clearly evident in the Community Shield Match with Man City which they lost via penalties after a 1-1 draw at full-time ,.with a team that appears to be in transition and needs a rock solid rebuild which is under way though , with emphasis on lowering the age of players coming into the squad lately . Man Utd s problems seem to be growing in ilips and bounds and there is no quick fix for now , their faith seems to be swinging like that of the pendulum. A win or draw for them will be great , but football is no mathematics .

Whiile Fulham s ambitions seems to be modest and achievable , their major problem tonight is to fill the vacuum created by the exit of their football tactician and mid field dynamo , Palihna to Bayern Munich , though a near replacement is the Serbian International Lukic who is likely to fill the gap , we need to see if the gamble will work out tonight .

Man Utd 2-1 Fulham Or 1-1 , 2-2 .

Happy Viewing and Welcome to the New English Premiship Season of 2024/2025 with so many exciting matches as usual lined for the next 11 eleven months of top flight football..

@Uche Freetips (2024 ).
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