After 15 years, we’re due a win against Manchester United at Craven Cottage

Noah Langford says it’s time for the Whites to put United to the sword at home for the first time in 15 years.

Sunday, 7pm: the best Fulham team and the worst Manchester United team in a decade will meet under the Cottage lights. The taste of Alex Iwobi’s glorious goal at Old Trafford last season is still fresh on the tongue, but we must look back a long way into the archives for our last home win against the Red Devils.

Bad memories

Being seven years old at the time, I don’t have the clearest memories of successive home wins against the then-champions in 2009. Any memories I did have would not be fond either; being raised in an (all too common) United-supporting London household meant that the obvious decision to supporting my local didn’t come until the much more mature age of nine.

Occasions since have also been devoid of fond moments. In Martin Jol’s last full season at the helm, a memorable home game in 2013 saw cult hero Bryan Ruiz hit the crossbar and have a header cleared off the line, before Wayne Rooney struck late to give United an inevitable narrow win – resulting in a tense and silent post-match burger with my Dad. That feeling of United’s inevitable late show at the Cottage has sustained in much worse sides – Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes’s recent stoppage-time winners come to mind.

Woes on the road

Until last season, away success hadn’t exactly been frequent either. The last 15 years have seen us pick up two out of a possible 48 points against United, not including a painful FA Cup quarter-final defeat in 2023. A miserable away day in 2018 optimised this recent history – an eight-hour round trip to Manchester rewarded us an Anguissa red card to kill the game less than a minute after Kamara got a goal back from the penalty spot. It was a day that was not helped by my family hiding their smiles when I came home.

It’s time

But 15 years and nine managers later, there seems no better time for a home win against England’s most famous club. Ruben Amorim’s side are floundering in 13th place, seven points below the Whites, and are failing to pick up results week after week. Marco Silva’s Fulham possess all the qualities United they wish they had – a hard-working, stubborn team which embodies their manager on the pitch no matter the opposition. We also seem to have a superior squad – apart from the talented Amad Diallo, it is hard to envision a single United player who could consistently break into our XI.

So, Sunday’s game represents a real opportunity for Fulham to secure what, despite United’s struggles, would still be a famous win by the river. The cottage has seen no shortage of magic against the big sides in the last season or two – wins against Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham and Newcastle in the last 12 months have shown we can beat anyone here on our day. And after last season’s away triumph, a home win – not least because it would secure me the bragging rights I have looking for since my primary school days – feels more possible than ever.

Come on You Whites!