Manchester United are two games into the 2025–26 season, but Ruben Amorim’s side remain win-less after only mustering a draw at Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
There was plenty of optimism heading into Gameweek Two off the back of last week’s performance against Arsenal, even after suffering a defeat. And United initially impressed in west London but faltered after taking the lead early in the second half.
Fulham deservedly found a route back into the game via Emile Smith Rowe, and United struggled to give much of a response in the closing stages. A point for both teams was fair, but some will be concerned with the nature of this United performance, which was more in line with 2024–25 as opposed to the freshness from last Sunday.
Here are the major takeaways from United’s 1–1 draw at Fulham.
Calvin Bassey Victim of Holding Clampdown
There are a few rule changes to consider for 2025–26, including the introduction of semi-automated technology for offside decisions and the awarding of a corner kick if goalkeepers hold onto possession for longer than eight seconds.
One switch that may have gone under the radar was the instructed clampdown on deliberate holding, particularly from set-pieces. At Craven Cottage, Fulham defender Calvin Bassey fell foul.
There was little commotion immediately after the seemingly innocuous incident, but intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR) spelled doom for Bassey, who rather needlessly hauled Mason Mount down in the Fulham box. There was pushing and shoving elsewhere, but Bassey’s indiscretion was certainly the least subtle.
After checking the pitch side monitor, Chris Kavanagh awarded Manchester Unietd a penalty and thus, a great chance for the Red Devils to open their account for the season. Instead, Bruno Fernandes thumped his spot-kick wildly high.
Amorim’s Midfield Plea
It didn’t take Ruben Amorim long to turn to his bench in the second half, and the United boss certainly raised eyebrows with his first double change.
Benjamin Šeško’s arrival was no surprise, and neither was the straight switch at right wing-back. However, Amorim withdrew Casemiro in favour of the Slovenian, meaning Mason Mount dropped in to the form a mightily attacking central midfield pivot with Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese coach may well be in the business of sending a message to the hierarchy, with the summer transfer deadline looming. Amorim could’ve opted for Manuel Ugarte or Kobbie Mainoo but went with something radical. Ugarte’s woeful cameo against Arsenal last week done him no favours, but Mainoo’s absence remains curious.
It’s clear that Amorim wants a central midfielder signed over the next week, with his overlooking of more natural candidates at the start of the second half an indication that he’s not content with United’s current crop.
Ugarte later entered the fray in place of Mount, who didn’t look quite so comfortable in a deeper position. However, the absence of midfield control during the latter stages was alarming. Fulham knew they could have their way with whoever Amorim opted for in his ‘engine’ room.
United’s Regression to the Mean
There were genuine reasons for positivity after last week’s defeat to Arsenal, but there will be concerns over United after their performance here.
Matheus Cunha provided an early spark, and the Brazilian, through sheer individual brilliance, has the capacity to uplift this United team that so often looks stuck in this current framework. The superior talent in attack means there simply has to be an improvement, but a greater onus surely has to be placed on the manager to maximise his frontline as a collective. There’s a distinct lack of systematic cohesion, with and without possession.
United started well, but quickly allowed Fulham a foothold. A passive press allowed the hosts to access one of their spare men in midfield, either Alex Iwobi or Josh King, and eventually breach the final third. This Red Devils team simply doesn’t exert enough control with or without the ball to emerge at the top of this division.
Their goal came against the run of play, and the second half performance was insipid at best. They were out of puff, and there were notable issues in midfield, no matter how much the manager tinkered. His opposite number, Marco Silva, enlivened his team with the moves he made off the bench, but Amorim’s only inhibited the visitors, and the inability to shift from Plan A means United will forever be easy to prepare for.
Despite the new additions, there was no sense of evolution on display.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Takeaways From Man Utd’s Draw at Fulham.