FIVE ASIDES FA Cup: United 1, Fulham 1 (3-4 on pens)
United are out of the FA Cup, undone by their own bad habits. Yet again, they lost the first half. Yet again, Rasmus Højlund was in the starting XI. Yet again, he didn’t score. Yet again, United didn’t have a winger on the field until Alejandro Garnacho came off the bench. Yet again, most of the subs did better than the players they replaced. Yet again, a home game against one of the top 12 teams in the country ended in defeat.
It wasn’t really about the penalties. In 24 shoot-outs before this one, United had won 12 and lost 12, neatly confirming that penalties are like tossing a coin, albeit with more nerves, more drama, more joy and pain. Those who live by the pens, as United did at the Emirates, also die by the pens. Three seasons running they had squeezed through this door, beating Coventry and Brighton as well as Arsenal. You can’t do that indefinitely.
The bottom line is that one of United’s two routes into Europe has now gone. Just like in the league, Amorim has done worse than Erik ten Hag, whose only FA Cup defeat in two years came in a final. Even more is now riding on the Europa League tussle with Real Sociedad. And United’s record against Spanish teams is not encouraging.
Still, there was some good news. Poor as they were for most of the first half, United were the better team thereafter. Overall, they outdid Fulham on expected goals (1.47-0.85), shots (20-12), shots on target (9-5) and clear-cut chances (3-2). They were better than they had been at home against similar opponents – Bournemouth, Brighton, Palace – even if that’s not saying much. Matthijs de Ligt had his most assured game for United, defending solidly and sending a series of Rooneyesque switches from one wing to the other. Ayden Heaven came on for a promising debut at the back, showing quick feet and a clear mind. Bruno Fernandes was again outstanding, despite being heckled by Roy Keane (‘imposter!’) and the Fulham fans (‘Bruno Fernandes, he looks like a rat’). When he delivered an immaculate first-time finish with his weaker foot, we could have done with an inset on the screen showing the look on Keane’s face.
Best of all, there was Chido Obi. He’s not just playing senior football at 17: he’s already making the team better. This was his first proper outing, after he had no touches at Spurs and no shots at Everton. Ruben Amorim only meant to give him 22 minutes, but that stretched to 32 with added time and then to an hour with extra time. It was long enough for Obi to begin to feel at home. With his movement and his ability to find space in the box, he was an instant upgrade on poor old Højlund. He managed three shots to Højlund’s none, four completed passes to Højlund’s two. Some teenagers would have been intimidated by finding themselves up against Calvin Bassey, who is built like a brick shithouse. Obi kept calm and handled him with an impressive blend of strength and guile. Obi has yet to taste victory but with him on the field, United have scored three goals and conceded none. ‘Great movement,’ Amorim said afterwards, ‘[but] there's a lot to improve and [he was] a little bit naive.’ Well, of course he was. He’s 17! But the positives far outweighed the negatives as Obi played without fear. If he’d been trusted with a penalty, United might still be in the Cup.
Tim de Lisle is the editor of United Writing and a sportswriter for The Guardian. He’s been supporting United since the days of Brian Kidd.