Manchester United 3

  • A. Diallo 82', 90', 90'+4*

Southampton 1

  • M. Ugarte 43' og

Officials


  • Referee: John Brooks
  • Assistants: Simon Bennett, Dan Robathan
  • Fourth official: Tom Bramall
  • VAR: Paul Tierney
  • Assistant VAR: Con Hatzidakis

Premier League


  • Old Trafford - 8pm
  • Attendance: 73,722

    Intro

    Intro & Team News

    IBO Reporter: Spot51

    Embed from Getty Images

    Kamaldeen Sulemana played like a man possessed and did everything but score


    Intro


    |Hot on the heels of Ivan’s first win comes a visit to OT. Ruben Amorim has already been in charge there for 13 games, winning 4, drawing 3 and losing 6. Two wins were in Europe, the others home to Everton and away at City. Their last 2 games were away draws at Liverpool and Arsenal. The latter saw their 10 men knock AFC out of the Cup on penalties.

    United are anything but consistent and that won’t change much till Ruben brings in some of his own signings. United’s precarious PSR situation may force them to sell academy products Mainoo and Garnacho along with Rashford this month. At the moment all 3 are available for selection. When they are good, United are good. When they are not, they’re shite.

    Ivan’s recent interviews suggest Dibling and Sulemana will again be deployed up top. Back 3 will be Bedders, THB + 1 and (assuming he is fit) Downes should replace Aribo alongside Ugo. Hopefully, KWP and Manning will keep their places as wingbacks.

    John Brooks is the Ref with Paul Tierney on VAR. It is usual to expect all the decisions to go against you at OT so expect more crap officiating from these jokers.



    Team News


    |Ivan made just one change, dropping Manning, moving KWP to the left and bringing in Suga at RWB. We were in the yellow kit this evening. United made 3 changes from their 3rd Rd win at Arsenal: Onana back in for Bayindir, Yoro for Maguire and Amad in at RWB allowing Maszraoui to replace the suspended Dalot wide left.


    Match Report


    Match Report


    Embed from Getty Images

    Bednarek celebrates after Ugarte (25) headed into his own net just before halftime


    Report

    IBO Reporter: Spot51

    |TNT always winds me up and their choice of pundits, Karen Carney OBE (Ind) and Paul Scholes (Not Ind) was just typical. At least we got a better pairing on the gantry with Ally McCoist beside Darren Fletcher.

    United kicked off and won an early corner which we cleared. As Saints settled into the game, Sully went past Ugarte only to be dragged back with the Ref not seeing the foul. No change there then. He could not avoid seeing Martinez clattering Matty a minute later but the FK was cleared.

    Saints had brought a huge following and after 10m the home fans were quiet as OWTS rang round the “Theatre of Bad Dreams”. Amad is not a wing back and was no help to Yoro when Sully collected KWP’s pass and went past him like he was nailed to the pitch. He smashed a low, angled shot that Onana did well to turn away.Saints were dominating the ball now and created another chance on 16m when Aribo set up Matty but his shot was right at the keeper.

    United then enjoyed a period of attacking but efforts by Bruno and Garnacho were both blocked and cleared. Garnacho did get a shot away when set up by Hojlund but stuck it wide. Hojlund himself had a shot blocked before Amad shot wide. Two more Garnacho efforts were blocked and you sensed a growing frustration among the home team and their fans.

    Saints survived another corner before getting forward themselves and creating chances. Bree was getting forward on our right and on 28m he played in Dibling. The youngster smashed his shot right at Onana but the rebound fell to Matty who also put his shot too close to the keeper. You need to be smarter to beat a goalie of his quality, not just smash it every time.

    Our next two efforts were from further out: Dibling set up a chance for Aribo which was blocked then Matty found Dibling whose effort was off target. On 34m THB hit a diagonal out to Sully who was past Yoro again, cut in and shot wide of the far post.

    United then created a couple of chances. Bruno drew a routine save from Rammy after being fed by Hojlund then Amad set up his captain but this effort was blocked. The next time Sully tried to go by Yoro, the defender brought him down.

    On 42m another lovely Saints move earned a corner off De Ligt. Matty swung in the cross which Dibling headed on. The ball flew into the box, bounced off Ugarte and past the keeper. Miracles do happen - Saints ahead 1-0.

    A minute later Aribo set up Dibling who drew a save from Onana but the teenager then fouled Ugarte to collect a yellow card. In the one added minute, Mazraoui got into our box before being clattered but still found Bruno whose shot was blocked. Matty suggested that the Ref should book Mazraoui which, of course, meant he got the card himself. HT and the Saints were ahead at OT.

    United hooked Mainoo for the 2nd half, dropping Bruno alongside Ugarte and bringing on Antony on the left. He was soon involved, collecting a pass from Bruno and shooting. THB blocked it away for a corner. Garnacho’s corner fell to De Ligt but his effort was blocked.

    On 51m Sully came inside but he too saw his effort blocked. We won another corner which United cleared. Ugo then carried the ball forward only to be felled by Martinez who was booked. Amorim used the pause to bring on Zirkzee for Hojlund and Collyer for Ugarte - both defensive pivots had now been hooked.

    Matty took a shot which was blocked for a corner from which nothing transpired. Our next attack saw Sully again carry the ball in from the wing, twice feinting to shoot before curling another effort wide.

    Ramsdale was twice called into action either side of the hour mark. First Garnacho played in Antony whose shot was saved as was the next effort from outside the box by Garnacho. The game was halted with Dibling down and the medics on. He was replaced by Smallbone who took over as false #9 with Matty going out on the right wing.

    United’s changes had improved them and Zirkzee’s movement gave our backline a different problem. He would rarely play up against them and encouraged runners to bypass him. Both Bruno and Amad got into shooting positions but their efforts were blocked.

    On 73m Ivan made 2 direct swaps AA for Matty and Downes for Aribo. Into the last 15m and both teams were creating chances. Garnacho forced another save from Rammy and AA saw his effort blocked. Downes was carded for a crude foul on Antony. From the free kick, Zirkzee set up Bruno but his shot was saved under the crossbar.

    Suddenly Amad began to threaten and his first effort, set up by Zirkzee, was blocked. His next drive forward backed KWP into our box. His first attempt hit our man but fell invitingly into the Ivorian’s path so he smashed it low past Rammy. Bugger! 1-1.

    Maguire and Eriksen had been waiting to come on and now did, replacing Mazraoui and the shell-shocked Yoro. Ivan took off Ugo and Bednarek, sending on Tall Paul and Wood. Our defending was getting more frantic but the evening’s worst decision was a free kick for Antony who wasn’t touched by KWP. Same old, same old!

    In the final minute, United opened us up again. The ball reached Eriksen who lifted it beyond our defenders into the path of Amad who drove into the same corner of our goal. 2-1 and +5m to go.

    Saints went up the other end and forced a corner off Collyer. Suga was nearest so he took it, found THB but his header hit Downes and went wide. That should have been that but, to rub salt into the wounds, Ramsdale overhit a routine pass across the box to THB who mis-controlled it and in stepped Amad to complete his hat trick.

    It was hard on Saints who had looked better than their hosts for much of the first half. United’s subs had made a positive difference and the same could not be said of ours. No points but there was a bit more about us in this match. I don’t think we are staying up but perhaps the Derby low points total may be exceeded.



    Man Of The Match


    I never thought I’d write these words but Kamaldeen Sulemana was our MOM. Ally McCoist was going to give him it too - till Amad eventually joined the party and took home the match-ball. United have good footballers despite being a poor team, yet Sully bested them more often than not. Doubt Yoro has had such a tough time since arriving in the UK.

    I’d hope, as Ivan gets us to be more “evil”, there will be options for Sully to play the ball to teammates in the box rather than keep having to cut inside and hit it himself. The other upside of his performance is that opponents may be obliged to double up to counter his threat. In theory, this will create space for our other players who may (possibly) capitalise by scoring…

    Teams/Stats


    Teams



    Manchester United

    Manager: Ruben Amorim


    • 24, A. Onana
    • 6, Lisandro Martínez 🟨 52'
    • 4, M. de Ligt
    • 15, L. Yoro, (H. Maguire 82’)
    • 3, N. Mazraoui, (C. Eriksen 82’)
    • 37, K. Mainoo, (Antony 46’)
    • 25, M. Ugarte, (T. Collyer 53’)
    • 16, A. Diallo
    • 17, A. Garnacho
    • 8, Bruno Fernandes (c)
    • 9, R. Højlund, (J. Zirkzee 53’)

    Substitutes

    • 1, A. Bayındır
    • 18, Casemiro
    • 43, T. Collyer
    • 14, C. Eriksen
    • 87, G. Kukonki
    • 5, H. Maguire
    • 12, T. Malacia
    • 11, J. Zirkzee
    • 21, Antony

    Southampton

    Manager: Ivan Jurić


    • 30, A. Ramsdale
    • 6, T. Harwood-Bellis
    • 35, J. Bednarek (c), )N. Wood 83’)
    • 14, J. Bree
    • 2, K. Walker-Peters
    • 7, J. Aribo, (F. Downes 73’, 🟨 79’)
    • 26, L. Ugochukwu, (P. Onuachu 83’)
    • 16, Y. Sugawara
    • 18, Mateus Fernandes 🟨 45'+1, (A. Armstrong 73’)
    • 20, K. Sulemana
    • 33, T. Dibling 🟨 44', (W. Smallbone 63’)

    Substitutes

    • 19, C. Archer
    • 9, A. Armstrong
    • 4, F. Downes
    • 10, A. Lallana
    • 3, R. Manning
    • 1, A. McCarthy
    • 32, P. Onuachu
    • 8, W. Smallbone
    • 15, N. Wood

    Match Stats


    Overall Possession
    Manchester United 59.5% - Southampton 40.5%

    • xG
      • Manchester United 3.2 - Southampton 1.52
    • Shots
      • Manchester United 23 - Southampton 13
    • Shots on target
      • Manchester United 9 - Southampton 5
    • Total touches inside the box
      • Manchester United 49 - Southampton 18
    • Goalkeeper saves
      • Manchester United 5 - Southampton 6
    • Clearances
      • Manchester United 22 - Southampton 29
    • Corners
      • Manchester United 5 - Southampton 4
    • Fouls
      • Manchester United 7 - Southampton 10
    Embed from Getty Images

    Ivan Jurić once again found that the Premier League is an unforgiving, unrelenting place

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