Southampton 2-3 Manchester United: Five talking points

A callous Manchester United comeback from behind to win 3-2 against Southampton as St. Mary’s witnesses a five goal roller-coaster. Southampton made an impressive start after taking lead via Graziano Pelle only to surrender it to a classy Anthony Martial goal.The home side’s below-par second half display let Manchester United snatch victory from jaws of defeat to move second in league table, behind local rivals Manchester City. Here are the five talking points from this thriller at St. Mary’s.

#5 Tadic and Mane - The terrifying duo

Tadic and Mane were the brightest prospects in Southamptons attack

Southampton made a rollicking start to the game where the almost pinned Manchester United to the mat. This was majorly due to the intensity and artistry of two Saints forwards, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane. Not only the start, in fact, everything promising on the attacking front was the byproduct of their efforts.

Tadic was the brightest of the duo as he gave a torrid time to Uniteds impressive full-back Matteo Darmian. The Serb tormented Darmian to such an extent that Louis van Gaal had to take him off at the half-time. His influenced diminished in the second half as he was unable to cope up with Valencias physicality. But he was a constant threat for the 90 minutes.

Mane started the game as the playmaker in the hole but soon began drifting towards the left flank after sensing unease in Uniteds defense due to Luke Shaws absence. Mane made incisive runs and was the catalyst in both the goals scored by the hosts. Uniteds left-sided defenders found it very difficult to cope up with the raw pace and guile of Mane, as he made them pay twice.

It was an unlucky day for Saints as they blew away their advantage by some sloppy play. But things look very bright on the attacking front as their forwards are firing all guns blazing.

#4 Saints pay for their inconsistencies

Koeman’s side failed to keep up the momentum during the entire game

It was a tale of two halves for Ronald Koeman’s Southampton as they let Manchester United claw their way back into the game. The Saints made a bright start to the game where they blew the Red Devils away with their high-intensity pressing and directness. Despite all this, the hosts went into the half-time with the game perfectly hung in the balance.

But some carelessness and disorganization undid all their good work. This is largely down to the fact that the team is still lacking the coordination in midfield and defense. Maya Yoshida’s shift to right made the matters worse as the defense lacked cohesion which resulted in two Anthony Martial’s goals. Van Dijk and Fonte lacked understanding during the game. This unsettled their defense resulting in United’s slumbered comeback.

Oriol Romeu, too, lost his influence on the game in the second half. This has been the story of Southampton so far in the season. The giant killers of the last season have struggled to stich a consistent spell of domination; forget a consistent run of games. Koeman and his boys, need to address this in order to save their season which has been nothing but pedestrian.

#3 Defensive muddles for both the teams

A defensive error from Yoshida allowed Martial to score United’s second goal

One thing which can be deduced clearly from this goal fest at St. Mary’s is both the teams were lacking defensive solidity and cohesion. The reasons for this are completely different for both the teams. United, for most parts of the season, have been fairly solid at the back but Luke Shaw’s absence made a settled back four into a nervy rearguard, akin to last season which gasped for calm and chemistry.

The crack in the backline was exploited by the Saints as they scored two goals from the left flank giving United nervy moments. Marcos Rojo’s lack of game time and Daley Blind’s lack of pace were the two major factors in making left side as the weak side for the visitors.

Southampton, on the other hand, shocked one and all by playing Maya Yoshida as the right back. It was baffling to bench impressive Cedric, who would’ve been a good competition to Memphis.

But as expected, the Japanese defender crumbled under pressure in the second half. It was he, who played the horrendous back pass, which resulted in Martial’s second goal. And he was beaten fair and square by Memphis during United’s third. The pace of Memphis was too hot for the Saints’ makeshift right back.

United were forced to disturb their defensive combination, but Saints are themselves to be blamed for their downfall.

#2 Schweinsteiger and De Gea save the day

De Gea pulled off a magnificent save to deny Southampton a goal

The visitors were lackluster for major parts of the game. They were being rammed left, right and centre by the Saints with their intense pressing. The pressing was targeted specifically towards United’s midfield lynchpin Michael Carrick.

Southampton tried to recreate their master plan from last season where they slained the Red Devils in their own den by marginalising Carrick’s influence on the game. And they succeeded to a considerable extent. But what made the difference this time around for Louis van Gaal’s men was the presence of Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The German midfielder replaced Carrick at around the hour mark and completely changed the dynamics of the game. The third goal scored by Manchester United highlights his clout on the game where the Reds made the home team chase shadows before hitting them with a killer blow. Der Bomber seems to be hitting his top gears as he continues to build up on his slow start to the season.

De Gea proved today why Manchester United’s fans and Louis van Gaal are pleased to have him back. The flying Spaniard made some crucial saves in the game to keep Southampton at bay. He was decisive and also commanded his penalty box with some authority. He is still some way off from his imperious self but still he’s quite a handful when it comes to rescuing his team from precarious situations.

The turnaround by Reds at the St. Mary’s can be attributed to these two gentlemen who chipped in with their telling contributions when it mattered the most.

#1 Martial and Rooney - Contrasting tale of two forwards

While Martial has been proving his worth, Rooney’s woeful form in front of goal continues

This is a tale of two forwards which is more contrasting than chalk and cheese. Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney are having a shocker of a season albeit for different reasons respectively.

The most expensive teenager in the world is off to flying start in England as he has now scored three goals in his two games for Manchester United. After being touted as a ‘waste’ and ‘overpriced’, the French wonder kid has silenced his critics with his sublime performances. The 19-year-old is a breath of fresh air to this lethargic United attack which has yearned for a spark like him for quite some time.

It seems all rosy for the new boy Martial at the moment, but it is dreadful for United’s captain Wayne Rooney. The forward has failed to score for almost 900 minutes in Premier League. But what has been a cause of concern is the sub-standard displays over past four games for the club. Today, the United’s talisman was shambolic as he failed to lay zero chances for his teammates despite playing in his favoured no.10 role.

He was nonexistent for the visitors in the first half, where he struggled to complete a single pass in Saints’ half. The numbers speak volumes about his performance.

The England captain still looks miles off the pace and light years of his best. Louis van Gaal and his staff have a tough decision to make if Rooney continues his abysmal displays.