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Match report Alyson Rudd Times:

‘FORMER PLAYERS, BEING POLITE about present ones, have not been telling Sven-Göran Eriksson, the England head coach, to dump Rio Ferdinand. Before Manchester United’s match at Craven Cottage, pundits instead suggested that Ferdinand needed a solid performance in his final domestic match before England face Austria this weekend. Possibly Ferdinand disagreed. Possibly he feels under pressure. Either way, he was the least impressive defender on the pitch during a match littered with errors but brimming with incident and delightful touches.

“It was a game of one half,” Sir Alex Ferguson said and indeed after the five goals of the first 45 minutes, nothing much of note happened thereafter.

Fulham decided to attack what they considered a porous United and United decided to attack what they considered an even more vulnerable Fulham. “I thought they weren’t so comfortable at the back,” Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager, said. “They do give you chances. I think United play great attacking football. I don’t know why Sir Alex is getting criticised for his formation. They don’t play one up — that’s three for me, sometimes it was five.

“They are so difficult to play against because they are so good going forward, but we felt we could hurt them because, defensively, I didn’t think they were great. They looked a bit shaky, so that’s why we had a go.”

Shakiest of all was Ferdinand, who attempted to block a shot from Collins John but instead gave the Fulham striker another chance to shoot, which he did to give Fulham the lead inside the first two minutes. Edwin van der Sar, on his return to Craven Cottage, was left exposed by Ferdinand for Fulham’s second goal. Claus Jensen’s curling free kick should have been dealt with, but somehow Ferdinand failed to reach the ball. Yet another Ferdinand error could have resulted in a third Fulham goal when he mistimed a tackle on Luis Boa Morte, allowing the winger to set up Papa Bouba Diop, but the Fulham midfield player placed his promising long-range chance wide.

Asked who he would like to see at the heart of the England defence this weekend, Coleman opted for John Terry — “the best centre back in the country who always makes the right decisions” — and said that he “wouldn’t look beyond” Sol Campbell to partner him.’