Bifurcated Manchester United ~ FAC: United vs Fulham

We’re inviting some of our Twitter friends, and now resident thought sharer Iwan Lehnert, to share some of their ‘Pre and Post Match’ thoughts with us from now on. You can still enjoy my nonsensical, confusing, punctuation buffets below their proper good ones…

Iwan (@IwanLehnert):

At the risk of alienating the gentleman below me, I don’t miss Dimitar Berbatov. He’s far better off playing for a club where he has the freedom to play how he wants than at United where he needed to be a bigger, better and more consistent player than I think he could ever realistically be. Besides, it’s hard to miss him too much when you consider how wonderful his replacement’s been this season. Speaking of which, it’s an afternoon where we could probably do with giving the Dutchman another rest, or at least not start him if we can avoid it. By the time the Champions League starts back up, Welbeck and Hernandez will find starts harder to come by because of the players ahead of them, so this is definitely an occasion for them to pique the manager’s interest.

Considering that we’ll be turning out at Craven Cottage come next Saturday afternoon (at exactly the same time, oddly enough. COINCIDENCE? YES.), and with Southampton to come before that, it’s time to give the likes of Nani, Anderson and Rooney some game time. The squad needs to be sharp, not just our regular starters, and we’re nearing the stage of the season where the games don’t stop.

Well, they do…..in that bleak, barren period known as summer, but you know what I mean.

As I’ve said before, FA Cup progress cannot come at the expense of the other competitions that we’re still trying to win but a home tie against anyone is a good chance to progress in a competition that we should’ve won a lot more recently than 9 years ago.

Prediction: 3-1.

Goals: Hopefully, one for Welbeck. It’s been far too long, and he was great last weekend.

Brett:

If how much Fergie cares about a particular competition is reflected in the teams he picks, then you’d be forgiven for thinking, in spite of the endless views to the contrary, that he actually wouldn’t mind winning the F.A cup this year. My heart does often sink a little when some of the team sheets are released in the English cup competitions, but that’s not the case in the FA Cup this year. I’m sure Fergie genuinely believes the teams he puts out in any game are good enough to win them (without endorsing all of them) – whether they actually are, is another matter. One thing is for sure, you can’t always put out your strongest team. Why am I still talking?

In sharp contrast to what I’ve just said, the fact “we’re ONLY playing Southampton on Wednesday”, should guarantee us putting out a better team that you might expect, were we to be playing someone “bigger”. I’m still talking!

I do love Berba and am looking forward to seeing him get a good ovation on his return. There’s a script somewhere with him scoring the winner, but when he’s trying really hard to make a point, he often doesn’t or in this case, more I like Fulham, Martin Jol and Brian Ruiz are definitely amongst my favourite things in the Prem and I think we can look forward to them giving us a good game. I’m going to shut up soon.

Rooney needs minutes, so will I’m sure feature, possibly in behind Danny? Fingers crossed (though either RVP or Chicha are always more than welcome). What a lovely collection of strikers we’ve got. Always nice to remind yourself of that from time to time. A little more choke and I think Tony’s engine will start – hopefully he’ll play.

*Yuck* (I apologise for almost making some serious points there, normal nonsense will resume next week.)

Prediction: 4 – 3

Goals: Danny! Danny! Danny! Danny! What?