Manchester United dropped two points away to Southampton to keep their 27-match unbeaten run away from home alive.
It wasn’t the sort of performance to help any fan think that this season will be different, though none of our new signings featured in the starting eleven and many still hope the club make a final addition before transfer deadline day.
A midfielder.
*Fingers crossed*
Here are four talking points I had immediately after the game – more to follow this week on the Strettycast.
Non-existent midfield
Let me start by saying United were nowhere near good enough against very limited opposition. Fred and Matic never got going and it’s clear that new signings Sancho and Varane, who didn’t start today’s game, don’t fix the glaring problems with that performance. I feared how we’d get on in midfield after seeing the team.
The same defence
Well, it was pretty much the same team as last season, with Maguire and Lindelof back from being moments away from a disaster. Southampton pressed and I’m surprised we managed to keep out their set-pieces since we conceded 18 of those last season.
Read more: Match report: Mason Greenwood scores as Man Utd equal 17-year-old record
Greenwood should have started centrally
After his incredible performance against Leeds, it beggars belief that Greenwood was shifted out wide to accommodate Martial. The Frenchman offered nothing up front and it was only a matter of time before he was replaced. This decision killed our attacking momentum (so did Fred’s passing) in the first-half.
No excuses, Bruno
I accept Bruno Fernandes has an argument that he was fouled in the build-up to Southampton’s opener, but why didn’t he put his body across the ball? United were in sleep mode at the time and Fernandes was one of the guilty party. He was caught trying to draw a foul when United needed to get the ball away.
Why sign players and then leave them on the bench? Same old story.
What if they are squad players? This was the second game of the season, if you are talking about Van de Beek, who has yet to earn his spot.
Why change the game plan from the last game, Ole🤮
Not sure he had a plan last week it was Leeds after all, however putting Martial in the team was just stupid and not playing Sancho from the off was bewildering, I honestly think we are in big trouble with Solskjaer as manager.
He got away with murder last season with no fans, and seeing how Tutchell has settled in at Chelsea makes me think we missed a trick with that chap
why did he start martial at the first time
I think ole has to take the blame for keeping mactominey on the bench,
And again why starting martial upfront?