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On This Day In 2014, Manchester United Attempted A Staggering 81 Crosses In One Game

On This Day In 2014, Manchester United Attempted A Staggering 81 Crosses In One Game

David Moyes' Manchester United did a lot of crossing in a 2-2 draw with Fulham.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

It's been said that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" and Manchester United's game vs Fulham seven years ago today is perhaps the most accurate example of that statement being true.

On this day in 2014, David Moyes' United drew 2-2 against the Premier League's bottom club in a game where they attempted a staggering EIGHTY-ONE crosses.

Incredibly, only 18 ended up reaching a United player.

Fulham went 1-0 up in the 19th minute through Steve Sidwell but United scored twice in two minutes through Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick late on to turn it around.

However, Darren Bent popped up with an 94th minute equaliser in one of United's lowest points under Moyes.

United had nine shots on target, 66 touches in the opposition area and 75% possession but there was only one statistic that everyone was talking about.

As much as United fans want to erase it from their memory, "crossgate" is something that they won't be forgetting anytime soon.

A compilation of the Premier League record 81 crosses was created and set to the Benny Hill theme song.

Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen, a former trusty coach of Sir Alex Ferguson's, described United's style as "straightforward".

Moyes said it was "in United's genes" to play with width but Cottagers 6 ft 7 defender Dan Burn provided the ultimate insult to the Red Devils post-match when he was quoted as saying he had "never headed that many balls since the Conference".

Burn made 10 appearances in the Conference for Darlington in 2011.

Moyes, having signed a six-year contract as Fergie's replacement at Old Trafford, was relieved of his duties just two months after the drab Fulham draw and Ryan Giggs took charge of the final few games of the campaign.

Fast forward to 2021 however and the Scotsman is in his second stint in charge of West Ham United, guiding them into sixth position after a superb season so far.

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Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Fulham, David Moyes