Fulham v Manchester United: Where did it go wrong?

All the positives that came out of a loss against Arsenal seems to be extinguished after a bleak display against Fulham in a 1-1 draw. But where does the blame land?

It finishes level 🤝

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 24, 2025

The game started well for the Reds in the first opening minutes with chances coming from Cunha which should have made it 1-0. But as the game carried on Fulham grew into the game and by the end of it were looking the dominant team out there.

Is The Writing On The Wall For Amorim?

The answer to this question is complicated, at the moment? No, there are no talks or rumours, INEOS are looking to depart with the manager they brought in less than a year ago, but it looks almost inevitable if the results and performances like this remain the same.

Glaring Structural Issues.

Question marks have been asked about Amorim's system ever since his appointment to the Manchester club 8 months ago. But even after personnel being brought into the club to suit the gaffers 3-4-2-1 system, issues from the 15th place finish of last season still remain.

The midfield feels obsolete in this system with Amorim seeming to favour playing on the wings, with the ball going from side to side at the back until eventually hoofing it up the pitch back into Fulham possession. Not exactly the free flowing football seen at Sporting under Amorim.

The Goalkeeper Situation.

The United manager controversially decided to stick with Bayindir between the sticks and although no goal was converted due to a goalkeeping mistake today. Every corner is a horror film, Bayindir is no where near strong enough during corners seemingly getting bullied every time the ball enters the box. This is something teams will see and exploit during games each time the number 1 is in goal, with Onana not being much better at this problem either.

Manchester United are looking to fix this problem with the club set to win the race for the Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for a fee estimated to be around the 20 to 25 million Euro range.

The Midfield Problem.

Forgetting the abysmal penalty kick. The Reds' captain Bruno Fernandes looks out of his depth in the midfield with him, in my opinion, looking the worst player in the team for both games of the new season leading to the number 10 being completely bypassed by his teammates, opting to play around him as stated earlier. Bruno was also at fault for Fulham's equalizer, not marking his man in the box leading to a straight forward goal for Fulham midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe.

Questions surrounding Kobbie Mainoo's lack of game time are starting to grow with him seemingly being frozen out of the squad with no way back in, even after Fernandes' below par performances. With the gaffer opting to either put Mason Mount or Manuel Ugarte in midfield instead.

The depth in the position also looks dim and reinforcements need to be brought in to the midfield for, in my mind, United to have any hope of a good season.

Where Do We Go From Here?

This week is crucial for the Reds' with the transfer window closing and a premier league fixture against Burnley. With any luck the team can turn this bad start around and get some points on the board but a bad result against Burnley will leave the team, at best, with 2 points from 9 with Man City and Chelsea on the other end of the international break, Ruben Amorim's position at Old Trafford will be hanging by a thread if not cut loose already.