Southampton ended Manchester United’s 11-game unbeaten run thanks to a goal from Dusan Tadic. The visitors almost opened the scoring inside the opening minute, but after a fast start, looked content to sit back and absorb the pressure. The Red Devils, who started the game with Robin Van Persie, Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata in attack, were unable to break down the meanest defence in the League and when they did, they fluffed their lines. In the end, a long ball up field resulted in visitors scoring with their only shot on target and securing their first win at Old Trafford in the Premier League era and catapulting them above United and into third place.
Here are the major talking points.
Van Gaal yet to find a spot for Di Maria
The return of Angel Di Maria from the start, was supposed to give them the pace and the penetration that they have lacked during their unbeaten run. But playing up front, alongside Van Persie meant that the Argentinean seldom had a chance to run at the Saints defense. Instead, one of the game’s best dribblers was asked to hold the ball, with his back to goal and score goals, instead of create them, like he always does.
And that is precisely the problem Van Gaal has had with Di Maria so far. He has so far played on the wings, up front and also centrally at the start, but the Dutchman has been unable to pin point a role for the 26-year-old. At Real Madrid, he thrived as he played centrally as the more attacking midfielder in a three-man midfield. But with United playing three at the back, that formation is unlikely. So Van Gaal has to quickly devise a way to fit Di Maria into the side’s plans or else, the record British transfer is simply being wasted on the pitch.
Schneiderlin shows what the fuss is all about
Whenever there is a talk about the need for a defensive midfielder, especially at Arsenal, one name that is always mentioned is Morgan Schneiderlin. And while everyone has been raving about Nemanja Matic for Chelsea, nobody has really spoken too much about the work that Schneiderlin does for the Saints. Against United, the Frenchman showed just he is one of the League’s best defensive midfielders as he put in a sublime performance that helped his side to their 10th clean sheet this season.
Far too often, Schneiderlin’s work on the pitch goes unnoticed. The same was true about his performance against United. They weren’t too many crunching tackles or blocks, but what he did very well, was shield his defense. Whenever one of the defenders was out of position, he covered for them and his partnership with Victor Wanyama was the perfect platform for the Saints as they looked to stay strong defensively and nick a goal on the break. With performances like that, you can certainly see why the Gunners want him and if the Saints are to have any chance of getting into the Champions League next season, they will need to keep hold of the Frenchman.
United play into Southampton’s hands
If there is one thing that the Saints have done really well this season, it is their defending. Not just their marking during set-pieces, but also from open play, they have demonstrated a tremendous ability to stay compact, rigid and organised for the entire duration of the game. And by trying to get at the Saints through the middle via intricate passing, the Red Devils played into Southampton’s hands.
Instead of getting the ball out wide and running in behind defenders, the hosts tried to pick open the lock that was the Saints midfield centrally. And when United went long towards the end, they showed a lack of understanding of how to play the ball. Even though Marouane Fellaini was winning headers, the lack of support around him meant that the hosts couldn’t win the second and third balls and keep the attack alive. All in all, it was a performance that smacked of a lack of creativity and one that showed that, although the defense is slowly improving, the attack still has a long way to go, before it can be compared with the great United sides of the past.