Van Persie And Kagawa Open United Account

Manchester United 3 - Fulham 2
Scorers
Manchester United: Van Persie (10), Kagawa (35), Rafael (41)
Fulham: Duff (3), Vidic (og 64)

Team: De Gea, Vidic, Carrick, Rafael, Evra, Anderson (Giggs 81), Cleverley, Valencia, Young (Welbeck 68), Kagawa (Rooney 68), Van Persie

Looks like we can look forward to alot of goals this season. We have what looks like a potent strikeforce and a terrible looking defense. While this is only one game, we do look good upfront, if and when we get our chances. I expect the defense to improve significantly when the treatment eventually does its job repairing the likes of Rio, Evans, Smalling and Jones. Right now it just looks like we have to deal with the pairing of Vidic and a bewildered Carrick as our centre pairing.

Our defense started off in the worst way possible. Duff scored a well worked goal and we were left wondering if the previous week's results were on the cards. Rooney and Nani were dropped from the team and it was the summer signings that took the spotlight.

Our reply was swift with Van Persie scored a wonder goal, somehow directing Evra's somewhat wayward cross into the net. Once the ball left Evra's leg, it never looked anything but a terrible cross, yet somehow RVP made something out of nothing with his first touch. That's the reason why we spent 24 million pound on the 29yr old. In a split second he repaid a huge amount of that transfer fee.

United threatened to take last week's result on Fulham, coming close on a few occasions. Rafael had a goal disallowed for offside before Kagawa pounced when Schwarzer could only parry Cleverley's screamer.

The trio of Cleverley, Ando and Kagawa was a delight to watch. Their play was positive and lacked the usual lacklustre ball movement when Carrick, Giggs or sometimes Scholes, are on the ball. There was also plenty of off the ball movement, making it difficult for the Fulham players to contain and follow.

Rafael got on the scoresheet with a header from an acute angle to round off a very good first half.

You would expect the second to be more of the same, but in typical United fashion, we allowed the opponents in. After threatening the Fulham goal, a comedy of errors between De Gea and Vidic resulted in a Vidic own goal to help Fulham close the deficit.

The momentum had shifted and De Gea redeemed himself with stunning double save to protect the United lead. For those familiar with United, it was the typical we attack, you attack kind of finish to the game. For all our attacking prowess, we were defensively vulnerable at the back.

In the end, De Gea proved to be our match winner when he parried Ruiz last second shot from point blank.

I suppose a win is a win is a win and 3 points are better than 1. I know the team will take it, but there are huge improvements to be made. Once again, for all our attacking potential, we only managed 7 shots on target (although 3 went in). I suppose in the larger picture, it's a good return, but it must be noted that we also allowed the opponents 6 shots on target. If De Gea had an off day, we could have lost this one easily.

It's a tight rope we're walking and our walking wounded can't come back soon enough. At least our next fixture looks much easier on paper against the newly promoted Saints.