What should Manchester United look like against Fulham in the Premier League?

[ad_1]

Manchester United will be hoping to end their Premier League campaign successfully with a win when they take on Fulham on the final day of the season at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United secured a fourth-place finish and clinched Champions League qualification for next season with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Chelsea on Thursday night. Despite an uncharacteristic defensive performance in the first half, goals on either side of the first half from Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford got the job done without much fanfare.

This means the pressure will be off when Fulham visit the M16, although the Reds still need a win to ensure they finish third ahead of Newcastle United. Two points currently separate the two teams and Newcastle boast a superior goal difference.

Read more: Depth of United’s squad for next season if they secure five new signings

But with the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley now less than a week away, United manager Erik ten Hag could make the decision to shake up his squad and save some of his high-profile figures for the fantastic event in the capital.

Our writers have had their say on how United played out against Fulham…

Samuel Luckhurst

As good as it would be for United to finish above Newcastle, they will have to take turns before the FA Cup Final. Raphael Varane should rest and there could be changes at full-back, especially given Luke Shaw’s injury.

Casemiro and Christian Eriksen should not start, as they should not have faced Reading in the FA Cup in January. Today is the only day Scott McTominay and Fred get together.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho can make starts and Jadon Sancho should be under consideration to line up on the right against City, so it would make sense for him to start there again. Fernandez can get an hour.

Seven changes

Tyrone Marshall

Injuries are starting to haunt United ahead of the FA Cup final, so they will have to be careful on the final day of the season. That means relief for Varane, for sure, given how he can pick up knowledge out of nowhere. Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof and Malacia can start from behind.

In midfield, Casemiro and Eriksen deserve to rest too. McTominay needs a start after coming back from injury and I think there’s a good chance Fred will start in the cup final, so getting him up to speed this week would make a lot of sense. Fernandez loves to play, he’s in good shape and he should be back.

Garnacho also got a start after three spirited moves off the bench. He will get more minutes in his legs before playing a minor role at Wembley. Sancho looked good on the right flank on Thursday so he could start there in Anthony’s absence and Rashford could start in the middle. I’ll give him an hour before Weghorst is brought in.

George Smith

With a top four finish in the bag and the FA Cup final now just six days away, Tin Hag must be tempted to make changes. The Reds have been through a difficult schedule for most of the season and this looks like the perfect opportunity for the manager to make some adjustments.

The likes of Wan-Bissaka, Varane and Shaw will all benefit from a break ahead of the clash with City, which means Dalot, Maguire and Malacia came off the bench at half-time on Thursday to replace Shaw. .

Casemiro must be protected at all costs to clash with City, which means it would make sense for McTominay to step into the defensive midfield berth. Despite this, Eriksen could hold his place.

Up front, Ten Hag may be tempted to try Fernandes on the right wing again ahead of the clash with City following Anthony’s injury, but he’s another player who will certainly benefit from a rare break. Weghorst could make his final start for the club and Garnacho deserves a place in the starting lineup after three consecutive matches off the bench.

read the following:

[ad_2]