The game between Manchester United and Southampton was really contrary to popular perception.
Many, including yours truly, were of the view that an easy 3-0 win or more would be the final outcome. It was so not the case! Here are the five talking points from the game:
1) The State Of The Pitch: The pitch at Old Trafford looked bad on TV. Imagine how it would’ve been actually! Sir Alex Ferguson himself has said that the pitch has run its course and it is in need of relaying. Incidents like the Fulham FA cup game where Javier Hernandez`s first goal was followed by the grass kicking up doesn’t show the pitch in good light at all.
Good, flowing football invariably suffers and both the players and the fans are deprived of the joy they deserve to get from a well laid pitch. Real Madrid come to town next month and the pitch ought not to be a source of embarrassment for a club like Man United.
2) Robin van Persie’s Off Day: Seems weird doesn’t it? An Off day for RvP? I must be joking! But that is exactly what happened yesterday. He was not in the game as much as he ought to have been and even though Artur Boruc made that fantastic save from his header; it was essentially his mistake for not converting.
Immediately after that he was marginally offside as he scored past Boruc. Had he been more clinical and aware, United may have well been 3-1 or 4-1 up by the 75th minute and all of Saints` pressure would have counted for nought and would’ve saved United the nail-biting finish they served up yet again! He is the principal striker at the club and I for one would like him to work on these small matters which may come to haunt the club later on.
3) Wayne Rooney’s Brace: Wayne Rooney`s brace yesterday was welcomed with delight by the fans and the boss. He is a versatile player no doubt but the way he brought his knack of being in the right position into focus was heartening to see.
He finished well for the first goal from Shinji Kagawa`s pass and was in the right place as Patrice Evra`s header came into the 6 yard area. With RvP looking a tad off colour, it was good to see Rooney stepping up to score two goals to overturn the 1-0 deficit. Rooney` been known to go on and get a few when he starts scoring and some more from him would be great!
4) A Shaky Defence: The defending yesterday was pretty shaky. Early on, Michael Carrick`s misjudged pass to David De Gea wasn’t dealt with properly by the keeper which allowed Jay Rodriguez to score a simple goal. This unnerved the 22 year-old De Gea who looked uncomfortable throughout the game.
In the second half, such was the dominance of the away team (which moved the boss to say that this was the best second half display by an away team at Old Trafford this season; a big compliment!) that Rio Ferdinand and Rafael had to summoned from the bench so that United could hold on to their 2-1 lead.
They did do that ultimately but the way in which it happened left a lot to be desired. The defending needs to improve more and De Gea needs to calm down and stay focused else players like Gonzalo Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil will punish United heavily.
5) Brilliant Saints: Southampton were simply amazing yesterday. New manager yes but the way in which they played betrayed no such signs. Calm, confident and positive in their style of play, the visitors put the home side under massive pressure and a 2-2 draw (just as they drew at Chelsea) wouldn’t have been unfair at all.
Their players rose to the occasion and gave a great account of themselves. Seeing how they ran the show in the second half, one would be hard pressed to correlate it with their current league position!
On such form, they will avoid relegation easily and look well set to get a decent league table position. It was good to see United being made to work ever so hard to earn their three points. Saints didn’t just roll over and go through the motions. Oh no. Guys like Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Fox and Rickie Lambert made their presence known and did their club proud.
This game served to tell us that you just cannot underestimate any team in this league. Also, even if you are playing badly (as United were) you still have to get the three points. So, kudos to United for achieving that!
By Yashasvee Prasad @yash647
