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Southampton Hat-trick Shows Why United Signed Van Persie

Last week I criticized David De Gea for his over confidence with the ball at his feet and his erratic, almost panicked, punching towards the penalty spot together with being at fault for Fulham’s second goal.

Although I took some stick for this opinion, Sir Alex Ferguson agreed and dropped him for the Southampton game, and the keeping position remains a weakness as Anders Lindegard demonstrated that he is also not dominant in the air, and that he is weak with the ball at his feet.

We are leaking goals and the keeping position needs a Hugo Lloris, Peter Schmeichel or Joe Hart figure to make it his own. 

Although the headlines went to Robin van Persie, the defence again looked shaky to a single tactic on knocking diagonal balls over the head of the opposing fullback for Rickie Lambert to attack. Patrice Evra and Rafael fail to stop the crosses or head the ball away and with a keeper stuck on his line, it’s a glaring weakness that Everton, Fulham and now Southampton are exploiting and 5 goals leaked, with most of them headed, means we have to get Chris Smalling and Phill Jones back to stop the rot at fullback.

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic returned to a start that showed that age means it takes time to recovery your form and poise, they were not at their best but they did ok. It’s much better seeing the centre-backs being players who know the position than Carrick filling in, the team looks more solid thru the middle and that was reassuring.

In midfield Anderson was out, Danny Welbeck played wide, with Shinji Kagawa and RvP in front of Michael Carrick. That Looks OK on paper and possession stats started very well as we dominated until they scored.

Carrick and Antonio Valencia were the standout players for me. Carrick clearly enjoys RvP turning the back four and the balls over the top troubled Southampton all day. He has vision, passes with both feet and keeps possession well, he is fit, mature and looks like getting his England place back has boosted his confidence.

Valencia is so strong, direct and fast. Like a modern Andrei Kanchelskis he just drives the fullback into his own area backwards at speed, and RvP’s first goal shows how well they link up.

Welbeck and Tom Cleverley were a contrast. Cleverley is like a modern Ray Wilkins, we called him the crab as he only went sideways, and that’s the problem for young Tom. He gets and gives but rarely giving dangerous balls. It was just too predictable and slow, no vision shown, few passes that cut open the defence. When Paul Scholes arrived you could see how far Tom has to go, it was not his best day.

Welbeck is a striker and again when Javier Hernandez arrived and drove directly at goal, you could see how an effective, quick striker hurt Southampton but Welbeck didn’t from too wide and too deep.

Kagawa was effective for 45 mins but faded, he is going to be a great player for United, but on this day a more direct style was needed.

And so to Robin. His first goal was why we bought him, sweet chest control and instant volley across the keeper, perfect strike. Rooney must have watched that with envy as the touch, power and accuracy are three things he has been missing most of 2012. Robin is the finished article, no question about that. The man is class.

Goal 2 – the poacher, simple but he was there.

Goal 3 – what a header. Only Hernandez could do that in the United squad.

So we won but only just, against a team I’ve tipped for relegation.

Overall we dominated play but looked shaky on the counter, Southampton regularly stretched us and better teams will punish us. But 6 points after 3 games is at least back on track, and with the International break upon us we should get some players fit and back in that defence.

Right now I’d like to see us stop leaking goals, and by giving Rafael and Evra a break with Smalling, Jones, Jonny Evans, Rio and Vidic sharing the spots behind Carrick, that will happen but we will be far less effective on the wings when the fullbacks stay at home. For now that’s probably the best idea.

On the offensive side, Ashley Young, Valencia and Nani should supply ammo for Robin, Chicariito, Welbeck and Kagawa.

Rooney needs to get fit, Scholes needs to play 30 mins every game, Ryan Giggs can back up in many positions and Anderson needs reserve games and some form.

It’s a good time to take stock, enjoy our lucky escape and start getting some clean sheets. Because when we play the bigger teams, leaking 2 goals won’t give us any points.

United are up there, and the season is in full swing. 6 points and Liverpool at the bottom of the table isn’t all bad by any stretch.

Sir Alex is also back and excited; just watch how he reacted to Mark Robins’ winner to see what it means to him!

By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve

2 Comments

  1. To say Carrick and Valencia were our best players is poor analysis they were infact our worse players who could not play a 5 yard pass between them i rate them both highly but they made so many simple mistakes and because of this Kagawa struggled to get into the game because other players couldnt pass an easy ball.

  2. Its a game of opinions but I like the way the Guardian lets people vote and with several thousand votes the people don't agree with you. Carrick and Valencia were amongst the highest rated starters. Valencia was the better of the two but I liked the way Carrick was more positive and direct because Van Persie is faster and more athletic than Rooney (who isn't ?)

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