Manchester United 0-1 Southampton: 5 talking points
Manchester United’s stuttering season took another turn for the worse, as Louis van Gaal’s side were humbled at Old Trafford by his Dutch counterpart Ronald Koeman’s Southampton side for the second season running.A late header from a free-kick by debutant Charlie Austin gave Southampton a deserved 1-0 victory against a United side devoid of any rhythm, energy and urgency for large periods of the game. A lacklustre first-half saw Sadio Mane miss a glorious opportunity for the visitors and Wayne Rooney’s shot went closer to the corner flag than to the goal.Mata’s introduction in place of Marouane Fellaini briefly put the hosts in control, but some resolute defending by Virgil van Dijk and Jose Fonte shut out any little threat the Red Devils had to offer. The moment Matteo Darmian was taken off injured in the 60th minute, it was all Southampton as Manchester United struggled to deal with the pace of Sadio Mane and the strength of Shane Long up the field.The Saints pressure finally paid off in the 87th minute, when former QPR striker Charlie Austin making his debut as a substitute directed a free header past David de Gea from a well taken James Ward-Prowse free-kick. The away section of Old Trafford broke into ultimate delirium while intimidating a massive booing from the remaining 73,000 fans donning the red colours of Manchester United.Here are the five key incidents in and around a historic victory for Southampton and Ronald Koeman:
#1 Wanyama and Clasie win the battle of midfield
If Manchester United failed to offer anything as an attacking unit, it was all down to some excellent shielding play by midfielders Victor Wanyama and Jordy Clasie. The duo were solid in front of their 3-man defence – making crucial interceptions and tackles to stem the progress of the likes of Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard into the Southampton penalty area. As a result, Manchester United were struggling to get any rhythm in their passing and were guilty of losing possession on a number of occasions. While the Kenyan did play in an advanced role on a few occasions – especially during Southampton set-pieces – it was the Dutchman Clasie, who stayed behind to neutralise any counter-attacks led by Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney. Their efforts paid dividends in the end, as they shut Manchester United out to earn a highly deserved clean sheet.