Q&A: Manchester United vs Fulham

I was lucky enough to be joined here on Fulham’s Finest by Manchester United blogger Jordan Street from Old Trafford Faithful. Here are his thoughts on the upcoming fixture:

1. After losing to Everton and watching Fulham destroy Norwich 5-0, are you at all worried about this fixture?

To be honest with you, i’m not as confident as I’d like to be. Fulham looked impressive at the weekend and although I expect a more defensive style from Jol’s side, Fulham will still pose a massive threat going forward. Especially with Moussa Dembele in the side, I really rate him highly as a player.

2. I believe United will win the league. After week 1, with a chance to see the new players and how they will fit in as the season goes on, is there any reason for me to rethink that?

I also think that United will win the league this year, with the addition of RVP you’d expect us to score bags of goals this season. Kagawa looked sharp against Everton albeit we lost the game 1-0. It was nice to see Shinji playing ‘in the hole’ behind the striker as Fergie tried to use him in a more central role on the pre-season tour, but for me playing him there is a bit of a waste. I fully expect RVP to earn his first start this weekend though, he and Rooney up top are certainly going to be a handful for any defence.

3. With a perspective of being at the top of the league consistently, what is your perception of Fulham and how do you see them finishing this season?

I said this when Jol was appointed boss last season, I really rate him as a manager and likewise I really rate Fulham as a side. Rodallega is a great addition up front and he certainly can be a handful. Bryan Ruiz is another player who impressed me at times last season, if he can add a bit of consistency to his game he certainly could make a real impact on the Premier League. Before last weekend’s game I thought that Dempsey would be a huge loss, but all credit to the team who played last weekend. I was really impressed! I expect Fulham to finish in the top half this season. I’ll go for an 8th place finish and an FA cup quarter final.

4. Knowing about the rumors of Sir Alex Ferguson’s interest in Moussa Dembele, would you want to see him at Old Trafford this season or next, and if so, how much would you pay for him

As I mentioned before, I really like him as a player. He’d certainly fit in with our style of play but i’m not sure he’d be able to force his way into our starting XI with the recent addition of Kagawa. He’d be a welcome option from off the bench as he can really stretch defences. In the current market, it’s hard to put a price on a player, I’d say he’s worth around £10-15 million.

5. With Clint Dempsey refusing to play for the club, do you side with him wanting a move to a bigger side, or do you feel for the club who’s having a player under contract deciding not to honor his deal? Will his absence give Fulham less of a chance this weekend, knowing what they did to Norwich without him?

There is no denying that Dempsey had a great season last year, at times he won Fulham the three points almost single-handedly, but a at the end of the day, no player is bigger than the club. I certainly feel that he’s wrong to refuse to play for Fulham as the club are still paying his wages, and if a proposed move to another club was to fall through, that leaves the player on the wrong side of the manager and fans alike. As a United fan, his absence can only be a good thing, but as the result at the weekend shown, Fulham have players more than capable of filling the space left by him.

6. Prediction?

2-1 United. RVP and Rooney both on the scoresheet, with Rodallega scoring a consolation for Fulham.

Thanks so much Jordan! I also answered some questions for his site, as well as for another Manchester United blog Can They Score