Panicky, amateurish and dicing with defeat against Southampton, who are bottom and had failed to win away in the Premier League: Manchester United flirted with the crimson embarrassment of a reverse they would long be reminded of.
But, enter the game-winner, Amad Diallo, with a stunning 12-minute hat-trick. His third strike came in added time – into an open goal – his second on the stroke of the 90 – a fine finish of Christian Eriksen’s chip – and followed the winger’s mazy run and equalising stab just minutes before. All from a refusal to lose.
Ruben Amorim said he would learn more about his players here than from Sunday’s FA Cup penalty shootout win at Arsenal or the previous 2-2 draw at Liverpool. He certainly did after a display so concerning it was surreal.
Yet by the final whistle United’s sequence of not losing to Southampton had stretched to 17 matches via a pell-mell late show that should not have been required against Ivan Juric’s side, who arrived with a point from his four games in charge.
This was a contest Amorim dare not lose. In the end, United enjoyed victory in regulation time for the first occasion since 15 December – the 2-1 derby win at Manchester City.
Amorim spoke of wanting United to control the ball and occupy the opponents’ final third far more. Here he wishes to reverse the pattern of the post-Ferguson era. Southampton duly dominated the ball and most of the evening.
After 11 minutes Kamaldeen Sulemana swooped in from the left past Leny Yoro and let fly, André Onana diving low to save. More Saints keep-ball ensued. Juric’s men coasted as if a top-10 unit rather than one that arrived with a goal difference of minus 32.
From Taylor Harwood-Bellis to Joe Aribo, Lesley Ugochukwu, James Bree, Tyler Dibling and back to Bree went possession, in a move that preceded Mateus Fernandes driving through and testing Onana again.
On the sideline Amorim despaired. Once more his team were living off scraps, seeking to damage Southampton via the counterpunch. This was how they should have scored: Rasmus Højlund broke down the left, moved into the visitors’ area and teed up Alejandro Garnacho, but he slashed wide.
A golden opening for the player making a first league start since 7 December and who could depart this month.
Moments later, Ugochukwu survived a handball shout in his area – John Brooks waving this away – and Saints defended the corner the referee awarded instead.
These were odd moments, while Amorim yearns for control. Those in yellow had this and only an Onana double-save prevented Juric’s side taking the lead.
Yet again United parted as Dibling zipped in along an inside-right channel and unloaded: United’s No 1 went down to save, then bounced up to repel Fernandes’s follow-up.
More followed: Yoro, again, was slipped by Sulemana, the forward burst through and ran across the edge of the area before missing with an attempt that had Juric comically raging away down the touchline.
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Too many times “oohs” from the home crowd signalled United’s latest error and, now, silence ensued as Southampton scored. Fernandes swung a corner in from the left, Dibling flicked on and the ball rebounded off Manuel Ugarte who was as hapless as the flailing – and ineffective – Onana.
“We’re winning away, you must be shit,” sang a jubilant away section. When the half-time whistle sounded United were jeered off, the deficit nearly having become 2-0 but for Onana’s save from the excellent Dibling’s long-range attempt.
Kobbie Mainoo was the fall guy, replaced by Antony at the break. There was a near-instant dividend when Fernandes ran on to Ugarte’s pass along the left and flipped the ball to the Brazilian but his shot was deflected over.
Then came more chaos in United’s back line. Sulemana bullied Diallo, and passed to Kyle Walker-Peters. He skated in and a corner was the result. Soon after, Sulemana once more shrugged off Yoro, advanced into United’s area and his effort hit Matthijs de Ligt behind his shoulder. No handball was Brook’s correct ruling.
Already, Amorim was disgusted, taking off Højlund and Ugarte for Joshua Zirkzee and Toby Collyer. This was early in the second half and showed the head coach in desperation mode. His team were poor, though that would be an understatement.
When Garnacho’s sprint down the left ended in a weighted pass to Antony there was a gaping goal to find but instead he scuffed an unwitting back pass to Aaron Ramsdale, a virtual spectator in Southampton’s goal, who collected gratefully.
How Amorim wished his side had more composure. Two more illustrations came when Zirkzee dawdled near Saints’ goal and Garnacho fired a shot straight at Ramsdale.
This was before Diallo’s intervention: the one home footballer who is up to it, currently. At 22 years and 189 days, the Ivorian is now the youngest United Premier League hat-trick scorer at Old Trafford.
Source: theguardian.com
