Even I'm starting to get concerned about Moyes lately, and that's saying something because (as I'm sure you all know) I'm a fairly eternal optimist who always looks to see the good in things rather than the bad.
Now, having said that, I don't know how many of you actually watched the match but their keeper pulled off more than a few incredible saves. I'm talking me actually ranting "Oh, come on, really?" at the TV when he managed something like the fourth or fifth incredible save in the first half. We had something like 70-80% possession to boot, and we weren't only sending in crosses.
As for the goals we conceded, can I just say that I love Vidic to bits but I'm delighted he will be finishing his United career at the end of the season and I hope that Rio stops playing, too. They can't keep up with attacking players. It's not a case of "they struggle to" - that implies that they still do, but with a struggle. Rio and Vidic outright can't keep up with them. It's no shock to me that Smalling & Evans as a partnership retain a 100% win record for United. It's because they can actually run.
The reasons I'm concerned with Moyes is not for the fact we fired in that number of crosses (that was a simple side-effect of having 75% possession and some good wingers on the pitch), but for the fact we played most of the match with only one player regularly forward enough to be attacking these crosses. The moment Hernandez came on, we looked dangerous again, because Rooney simply doesn't play that far forward anymore. He used to be able to head a lot of goals, but he won't from the edge of the penalty area, will he?
The other reason I'm concerned is because, for the second game, he opted to throw all our attacking options on at once. He took off a midfielder and, rather than adding Giggs to centre mid, pushed Rooney back. Now, Rooney is more than capable, sure. You could argue he's more capable than Giggs. But there's a lot to be said for desperation without considering your defence. Valencia on for Rafael, Januzaj on for Fletcher, Hernandez on for Young. All were forward pushes. And I suppose that would be fine if it weren't for the late goal when we had three certified defenders, one which is (I'll say it again!) unable to run fast enough to defend, and only one deep-ish playing midfielder. As soon as Fulham got the ball near our box at the end, I could see the writing on the wall and I was miffed before the goal even went in.
What should have happened is that the attacking players should have kept the ball in the far corner of the pitch instead of trying to make it 3-1. If they have the energy to run around the box, they better have the energy to run back to our box when the opposition is throwing players forward at your weakened (via Vidic + Valencia, let alone Fletch coming off) defence right on the last minute. What did they think Fulham were running back for? To shake our hands and congratulate us on a win? Please.
/endrant
Still, I've kind of accepted we probably won't get CL games next season, regardless of manager, so I'm happy for Moyes to play out this season and see what he does in the summer transfer window. What Moyes and Woodward do then and how the team performs in the early part of next season will be what makes or breaks the chairman and manager.
