Another weekend, another two points thrown away. Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Fulham was more than just a bad result; it was a grim reminder of how far the club has fallen. A team that once made winning inevitable now makes mediocrity routine. As a fan, it is suffocating.
Let’s start with the most damning stat: Manchester United have failed to score a single goal in the first half in 29 games since the start of last season. Only CFC Genoa (30) tops that in Europe’s top five leagues! In the current campaign, the tally remains zero first-half goals from open play. For a club that once prided itself on fast starts and relentless attacking waves, this is an indictment of mentality and system. Old Trafford used to roar teams into submission within the first twenty minutes. Now, it groans through a dull and predictable opening act.
If there’s one image that captures United’s collapse, it is Bruno Fernandes at the penalty spot. Once automatic, Bruno has now missed five Premier League penalties – the most by any United player. The latest miss at Fulham was painful: a stutter, a strike, and despair. Even Gary Neville suggested the referee’s brief interruption unsettled him, but let’s be real – top captains find composure in those moments. Bruno’s penalty record is no longer a weapon; it’s a liability. For fans, every spot kick now comes with dread rather than confidence.
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And that is the wider story: this team has lost its aura. Opponents no longer fear Old Trafford; they fancy their chances. Fulham didn’t park the bus..they came to play, and they were rewarded. That tells you everything. The “theatre of dreams” is now a theatre of yawns, punctuated by groans of misery from supporters who know this club should be so much more.
The bigger picture is even more alarming. Last season, United finished 15th in the Premier League, enduring their worst start since 1989–90, and suffering nine home defeats—a joint club record. The current campaign has begun with more of the same: winless, toothless, and joyless. This is no longer about tactics alone…it is about identity. The United of Sir Alex’s era thrived on belief, intensity, and an unrelenting will to win. The modern United limps from one missed chance to another, a team in limbo.
As a fan, this is agony. Every matchday begins with the faint hope that maybe, just maybe, the old United will show up. But by full-time, it is the same sinking feeling: a goal drought in the first half, a missed penalty, and two points gone. Misery has become the new normal, and for supporters, there is nothing worse than recognising that.
The solutions aren’t rocket science. United must rediscover first-half urgency. They must rethink penalty responsibilities because Bruno’s inconsistency is now psychological baggage. Most of all, they must reset mentally. Belief isn’t bought, and history isn’t enough ..it has to be forged in performance, week after week.
For now, we remain stuck. Stuck with stats that sting, a captain who falters, and a team that looks more like mid-table filler than a European giant. And yet, in spite of it all, we fans will be back next week. Miserable, yes. Hopeful, still. Because that’s what it means to love Manchester United.
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