Match report
Full time: Manchester United 0-0 Southampton
Boooooooooooo! United are jeered off after an underwhelming draw, which extends their winless run to four games. They looked ponderous, low on confidence and lacking leadership; Southampton were determined, organised and might have nicked it on the break. Thanks for your company, goodnight!
Updated
90+2 min Yoshida makes an excellent sliding tackle to block Martial’s cross, and the resulting corner comes to nothing.
90+1 min There will be three minutes of added time. A loose ball is about to fall for Lingard six yards out when Stephens stretches to make a vital interception.
90 min Hoedt makes a superb block to deny Lingard. He was found in space by Mata, 15 yards from goal, and opened his body to sidefoot towards goal when Hoedt appeared from nowhere.
89 min United are finally putting Southampton under extended pressure, though it’s all a bit desperate.
87 min United have been poor in the second half. They certainly don’t deserve to win the game.
85 min Redmond replaces Boufal for Southampton. We’ve just seen a few replays of Pogba’s disallowed goal. On reflection, the ball might have bounced in off the post without his touch. There was also a slight touch from the keeper McCarthy before it got to Pogba. Does that mean it should have been a new phase of play and Pogba was therefore onside? I lost touch with the offside law sometime in 2004 so I’m not sure.
Updated
83 min A dismal header from Lindelof falls for McQueen, who cracks a cross shot well wide.
82 min Lemina on, Tadic off for Southampton.
81 min Pogba has a goal disallowed for offside. He stabbed a deflected shot into the net from two yards after a scramble in the box. It might have sneaked in without his touch, in which case it would have stood, though I suspect it would have rebounded off the post if Pogba had left it.
Updated
80 min Ward-Prowse is booked for kicking Lingard in the chest.
79 min Manolo Gabbiadini replaces Shane Long, who has put in his usual lung-busting shift.
78 min Here’s Peter Oh. “Unless Guardiola wins something with Wimbledon FC he won’t fully convince me either.”
Yeah. And let’s see him produce orgiastic football with Beighton Miners Welfare FC.
77 min Martial hares into the area from the left and blunders through a couple of defenders, with the ball running back to Rashford. He tries to place a shot into the far corner and it’s blocked by McQueen.
76 min After a good move involving Boufal and Long, Tadic dribbles a tame shot well wide from 18 yards. Southampton look the likelier scores, with United looking a bit lost.
74 min “’Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him!’ is a tired old cliche, but it was, for a very long time, true of Jose Mourinho,” says Gary Naylor. “But now? Unless one is invested in Manchester United, he feels totally irrelevant, the spats as predictable as a pantomime villain’s, the football blandly effective to a point, the results trundling along in the middle lane, neither disastrous nor triumphant. He must hate it - at least, I hope so.”
I wonder what the turning point was. I have a vague theory that the experience of managing Real Madrid – the strain of trying to ruin one of the greatest teams of all time, the dressing-room politics, the boardroom politics, the media politics – took away some of his spark. He’s still a bloody good coach, and I think he’ll win the title with United if he’s given time, but he has become so sour.
71 min Boufal’s cross is headed over by Tadic, ten yards from goal. The cross was quite flat, with no pace on it, so it was a tricky header to execute. But the way this game has gone, a Southampton winner would not be a huge shock.
70 min Matic lines one up from 30 yards. Goal kick to Southampton.
68 min “I agree that sometimes, there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place,” says Niall Mullen. “He fits right in there. And that’s Pep, at Manchester City. Nonetheless I don’t think it should be taken as a given that City’s players are light years ahead of United’s. For example if you asked me who had the most talent, Raheem Sterling or Tony Martial I would say Martial every time. Yet Sterling is outperforming him all season. Could be many reasons for this I guess but I’m giving Pep the credit.”
Yep, that’s a fair point. The FA should throw all the money in the world at Guardiola and try to get him involved with England in the next few years, especially as he is already working with a few of the squad. If he can’t change the culture of English football, nobody can. Might even be worth trying to use him as a consultant at the World Cup.
67 min Young’s free-kick deflects off Stephens in the wall and goes a few yards wide of the near post. United make a Horlicks of the corner.
Updated
66 min Martial makes an instant impact, winning a free-kick 25 yards from goal.
65 min The inevitable substitution has happened. Anthony Martial replaces poor Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who had a Bebe.
Updated
64 min Zlatan isn’t on the bench for United. They could use his leadership now. That’s one of the bigger problems with this team, I think; a lack of leaders. It’s in total contrast to Mourinho’s first Chelsea team.
63 min “You said if Guardiola wants to go down as the greatest manager of all time, he needs to win something with Rushden & Diamonds,” says Mike Baldwin. “He’d would be, indeed. Seeing as the mighty Diamonds folded a few years back.”
Typical Guardian ignorance of the lower leagues.
62 min Pogba sprays another crossfield pass out to Mkhitaryan, who wallops a cross out for a goalkick and is helpfully jeered by the crowd. Poor bloke; his confidence is shot.
60 min Lingard is booked for a lunge at Stephens.
60 min “Now that we’re all competing for coldest temperature, you can tell Rachel and Kevin that Saskatoon is sitting pretty at -29C, feeling like -44C,” says Kristina Holm. “That makes us colder than both Poles. Too bad this game isn’t warming the cockles of my heart.”
59 min Ashley Young may be in trouble after the game, with a video showing him plant an elbow in the stomach of Tadic off the ball. That has potential for a retrospective three-match ban, which will really please Jose Mourinho.
58 min Boufal is booked for repeat offending.
54 min “Re your exchange with Gerry Scott @32 min, do you think Spurs will be able to hang together for as long as it takes for Levy to start writing proper checks?” says Ron Stack. “I think Spurs have a plan the way City have a plan, but they haven’t spent near enough to make it happen and it seems like time is running out. Your thoughts?”
No. I would love them to win a big trophy but I don’t think it will happen. The FA Cup, maybe. I suspect they have – at most – 18 months before the team starts to break up. They’ll become a romantic ‘what if’ team, like Yugoslavia 1992, Newcastle 1996, Denmark 1986 and the rest.
53 min Southampton could win this. United look a bit short on confidence and leadership. I don’t think it’ll be long before we see Anthony Martial.
52 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “The darts is dead to me now that Gary Anderson is out, but a Taylor - Van Gerwen final would be, how to say ... competitive? And a great story whichever way you look at it.”
Don’t get me started on that. I’ve kept really quiet…
Gary Anderson, though. As somebody said of Alastair Cook, he makes me want to be a better person.
50 min De Gea makes another good save! Ward-Prowse curled a precise low ball into the box from the right, and Long got in front of Matic to stab a first-time shot towards goal. It flew towards De Gea, who thrust out his right foot to kick the ball over his own bar.
Updated
49 min “In comparing Guardiola & Mourinho I think the real question is what would each do with the other’s set of players,” says Niall Mullen. “My suspicion is that Mourinho would not get half the tune Pep has out of Sterling & Sane (say) while I imagine Martial, Mkhitaryan & Rashford being considerably better under Guardiola.”
What about the other 20 players? Guardiola has redefined football but he has always had elite players. Guardiola reaches greater heights; Mourinho is a superior all-weather manager. In my opinion, if Guardiola wants to go down as the greatest manager of all time, he needs to win something with Rushden & Diamonds.
48 min The impressive Boufal plays a good ball down the left to McQueen, whose first-time cross is put behind by Lindelof.
47 min “Tell Rachel that -7C sounds quite balmy at the moment,” says Kevin Smith, “as Ottawa is a lovely -18C, feels like -26. Good weather for a walk if you ask me.”
46 min United begin the second half. No substitutions on either side.
“Hi, Rob,” says Adam Griffiths. “I’ve no emotional involvement in this game (apart from hoping that Lukaku is ok, obviously) so nothing to say about it, but here’s thanking you and your fellow MBMers for all your sterling work this year and a merry new year to you all and to all the readers/emaileriners. May the football gods be kind to you all next year.”
Well isn’t that nice? Thanks Adam! And have some of that, digital ne’er-do-wells!
Half-time viewing
Half time: Manchester United 0-0 Southampton
Peep peep! That was a poor half with a few good bits. Jose Mourinho is moaning at the fourth official as they walk towards the tunnel. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.
45+5 min It’s gone a bit flat. Boufal looks lively on the break for Southampton, as do Pogba and Rashford for United. Neither side deserves to be ahead.
45+3 min “You mentioned the winter of 1989,” says Gordon Pittendrigh. “As the last chart of 1989 had Live Aid 2 at number one, Jive Bunny at number 2, Jason Donovan at number three and Andy Stewart at number four with Donald Where’s You’re Trousers, I don’t think we need to mention that period of time again.”
Yeah, but Phil Collins had just released Another Day In Paradise, so it’s swings and roundabouts.
45+1 min There will be six minutes off added time. Matic’s low drive from 20 yards is comfortably saved by McCarthy.
45 min Hoedt is booked for something or other.
44 min That’s better from Mkhitaryan, a fast cross from the left that is flicked just wide by the head of Lingard. He probably should have hit the target as well. The move started with a majestic crossfield pass from Pogba, who is starting to influence the match.
41 min Des Kelly, BT Sport’s Touchline Man, says there are no plans to take Lukaku to hospital. Whether he’ll be allowed to play at Everton on New Year’s Day, I don’t know.
40 min “Hello from a very snowy and cold New York,” says Rachel Clifton. “It’s -7C here - -13 with wind chill - so that’s a good reason to stay in and watch Saints and eat Thai red curry. Am increasingly concerned about Is getting relegated this season...”
Yeah, but you on the plus side, you live in New York.
39 min Chris Foy on BT Sport says the referee was right not to give a penalty against Yoshida because it wasn’t deliberate. I’ve never understood that - hardly any penalties given for handball are deliberate.
38 min Matic splats one into orbit from 35 yards.
35 min It’s a good game, this. Rashford looks really sharp in his favourite position of centre-forward.
33 min United have a huge penalty appeal turned down. Lingard did brilliantly to first kill and then juggle Pogba’s dinked pass into the area. He tried to flick it away from the covering Yoshida, whose outstretched hand definitely touched the ball. Southampton will say it wasn’t deliberate; United will say his hands were where they shouldn’t have been.
32 min “Good evening Rob,” says Gerry Scott. “Having initially scoffed I’ve become more sympathetic to Mourinho’s position about funds. Surely the real problem isn’t the amount he has spent versus Pep but rather the fact that City have been building their squad for years with some degree of planning and consistency whilst Utd have splurged huge sums post Ferguson with no particular rhyme or reason. What is needed is someone to actively build a squad with a consistent vision of how they will play and it is not ridiculous in the current climate to suppose it will take hundreds of millions of pounds. Of course the question of whether Mourinho is the right person to do so is another one entirely.”
Yep, I agree with every word. Guardiola inherited a far better squad but also, as you say, a philosophically consistent one. Mourinho inherit a hodgepodge that had every type of footballer from Daley Blind to Marouane Fellaini. I think the job is bigger than Mourinho realised.
30 min Another chance for United. Young reminds everyone that he used to be a winger with a superb run and cross that is headed wide from six yards by Rashford. He couldn’t quite get over the ball to direct it towards goal.
Updated
27 min Lindelof clips a good pass over the top for Rashford, who tries to make space for a shot but is crowded out. The ball runs loose to Mata, whose low sidefooted shot from 15 yards is kicked away by McCarthy.
26 min Hojbjerg is booked for a foul on Shaw.
25 min The atmosphere is sluggish and flat, as are United. Mkhitaryan looks particularly rusty. After a cautious start, Southampton are starting to fancy this.
22 min Hoedt misses a superb chance to give Southampton the lead. Ward-Prowse curled a superb cornber from the right that dipped onto the head of Hoedt, who had the run on Matic on the six-yard line. He should have thumped a header past De Gea but allowed it to skim off his forehead and it drifted well wide of the far post.
21 min “Hi Rob,” says Alex Netherton. “I was just wondering, what is your favourite pre-assist of 2017? I know there are so many to choose from!”
Are we talking all pre-assists or just half-space ones?
Updated
20 min United, led by Rashford, break thrillingly from a Southampton corner. Rashford plays the ball left to Mkhitaryan, who makes a mess of his attempted return pass.
18 min Long harasses Lindelof, who gives away a foul just outside the area on the left. Ward-Prowse might go for goal here. He does, whipping it over the wall towards the near post, and De Gea punches it behind for a corner.
16 min Shaw plays a one-two with Mkhitaryan and flashes a superb cross along the six-yard line. Rashford just couldn’t get there.
14 min “What a sad slump United is in the middle of,” says Geertjan Wielenga.
I know. Three games without a win. It’s like the winter of 1989 all over again!
13 min Lukaku has an oxygen mask on as he is stretchered from the field. Marcus Rashford replaces him.
12 min This is a long delay, almost five minutes now. The medical staff are being extremely careful with Lukaku.
Updated
10 min Anyone out there?
9 min Lukaku is being eased onto a stretcher. He’s conscious but looks pretty dazed and won’t be taking any further part in this game.
8 min Lukaku is flat on his back after a clash of heads with Hoedt. I’m not sure he’ll be able to continute.
7 min De Gea makes an excellent save! Boufal’s cutback from the right of the box wasn’t cleared by Shaw, a poor piece of defending, and ran to Ward-Prowse. He clipped a low left-footed shot that would have sneaked into the corner but for a superb save down to his left by De Gea. Boufal tried to follow up but he was offside.
4 min Lukaku misses a sitter. Pogba’s flat crossfield pass was controlled beautifully by Mata, who moved the ball onto his left and crossed towards the near post. Lukaku got away from Yoshida and headed over from six yards. He should have scored.
4 min “Good Lord your body clock must be a mess Rob,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “Up all night with the Ashes now back in the evening for the football. Are you going to try for the treble and cover the darts too?”
Don’t give The Man ideas.
3 min A slow start, with precisely nothing to report.
1 min Peep peep! Southampton, in their black and blue away kit, kick off.
Updated
“Remember when is the lowest form of conversation”
There’s plenty happening in the 3pm games. You can get the latest news with the man who gives me surname envy, Gregg Bakowski.
Team news
Henrikh Mkhitaryan starts for the first time since the defeat at Chelsea on 5 November. Luke Shaw starts consecutive league games for the first time since September 2016.
Southampton have dropped Fraser Forster and Nathan Redmond. In a World Cup year!
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Young, Lindelof, Jones, Shaw; Pogba, Matic; Mata, Mkhitaryan, Lingard; Lukaku.
Substitutes: Romero, Blind, Tuanzebe, Rojo, Herrera, Martial, Rashford.
Southampton (4-1-4-1) McCarthy; Stephens, Yoshida, Hoedt, McQueen; Romeu; Tadic, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Boufal; Long.
Substitutes: Forster, Bednarek, Pied, Lemina, Redmond, Davis, Gabbiadini.
Referee Craig Pawson.
Updated
Preamble
Hello. Happy new year! Manchester United will sure be glad to see the back of 2017. It’s been an utterly miserable year, if you discount the two trophies, the 39 wins, the 117 goals and the return to the Champions League.
I know it’s a bit more complicated than that but, jeez, football fans are a bloody tough crowd. In this age of entitlement, even the neutrals have unrealistic expectations. No wonder Jose Mourinho has the look of a man whose face has been permanently soured.
You’d expect United to end their mini-slump against Southampton, who are in danger of following Swansea’s shortcut from model club to laughing stock. Since the EFL Cup final against United in February, when they lost 3-2 despite being the better side, Southampton have taken only 35 points from 33 league games. That’s relegation form in some cultures. For a team who finished in the top eight in each of the last four seasons, it has come as a bit of a shock.
Kick off is at 5.30pm.
Updated
