Just Punishment: Manchester United 1 - Southampton 1 -- Game Summary and Player Ratings

Photo by Rachel Kramer Bussel on Flickr

Adam Lallana scored an 88th minute equalizer to peg back Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, the latest setback in a season full of them for the Red Devils' increasingly under-fire Manager David Moyes.  Only the most ardent of United supporters would deny Southampton their point on a day in which the visitors outplayed the home team in virtually every facet of the game.

This year's United squad seem unable to keep the ball, and the visiting Saints were keen to exploit that deficiency, pressing the error-prone United midfield and backline into giveaways and inaccurate passes all afternoon long.  Other than the undeniable spark provided by the coltish Adnan Januzaj, the United attack looked flabby and uninterested again this afternoon, a possible sign of tired legs or a lack of cohesion in the locker room.  Compounding matters for the frustrated fan base, the team and its Manager appear to have fallen into a defensive shell as the game neared the 70th minute, hoping their once-invincible Old Trafford fortress would provide them the support necessary to stretch a shaky lead all the way to the finish line.  Unfortunately for both the team and Moyes, the strategy failed to work, and United were justly punished on the afternoon.

It's early days, but three wins in eight league games was clearly not the start the club was hoping for.  The glum reaction after Lallana's strike from former manager Alex Ferguson and former United CEO David Gill, sitting side by side in the Old Trafford Directors' Box, told the story of the game: another disappointing performance, more dropped points, and the pressure beginning to mount. 

Herewith, our individual player ratings on a game that has to be seen as a collective loss: 

De Gea: Stood up to the early pressure from the visitors, and denied Clyne from point blank range as the game wore on. Unclear if he could have done more on Lallana's late equalizer. 6.5

Rafael: Offered more than the alternatives at right back and his defensive brain farts seem to be fewer and further between these days. 6.5

Jones: Could he finally be fulfilling his promise as a center back? Jones offered a quietly efficient performance today and made a crucial second half interception to shut down a threat. Missed a late clearance when moved to midfield to accommodate Smalling. 7.0

Evans: Doesn't give off the same air of authority as Vidic, but cleaned up an awful lot of messes.  A generally confident performance from the Northern Irishman. 7.0

Evra (c): Made some nice attacking runs and overlapped well with Januzaj. 6.0

Nani: Looked lively on the right wing and offered accurate crosses: a novel concept for United this season. 7.0

Carrick: Forced to play a deeper role with Fellaini involved. He's not playing at nearly the same level as he did last season. 5.5

Fellaini: Turnovers and poor touches remained the norm for the Belgian. It's becoming clear that he's unsuited for the role in which Moyes is playing him -- which is strange given their collective history. Fellaini fouled often to break up Southampton's play, but was too easily beaten too many times to be considered for a central midfield role. 4.0

Dickens Was a Fan: Southampton 3 - Liverpool 1

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We always knew that, underneath it all, Scott was a scholar -- despite an abundance of evidence to the contrary:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of Andre Wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of drawing at the Stadium of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to the Champions League, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

How can you read the (somewhat altered) sentence/paragraph (gotta love Dickensian-length sentences) above and not conclude that not only was the father of Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Nicholas Nickelby a Liverpool fan, but that he also foresaw the 2012/2013 season?  The pendulum that is my emotions this year has swung so wildly that father time is in danger of tipping over and squashing three visionless rodents, to mix my metaphors and literary genres all at the same time.

Liverpool's hopes of extending their League winning streak to 4 came to a calamitous crash last Sunday at St. Mary's in Southampton.  It seems the Saints could do no wrong and it was the Reds who performed like relics, never able to get a toehold in the fixture. Liverpool's malnourished, Oliver Twist form was no match for the Old Testament wrath wrought by Southampton before a zealous congregation unable to conceal their increasing delight during every cacophonous rendition of "O When the Saints Go Marching In."

Hanging By a Thread: Manchester United 2 - Southampton 1

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Two minutes in and a massive defensive blunder greets both a capacity-filled Old Trafford and surprised Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez. The shaky United defense, including the infamously flappy version of David De Gea, rears its ugly head once again, as Michael Carrick offers a backpass with all the conviction of a French General ordering his troops into battle, and the United 'keeper reacts to the mistake by appearing hoppier than a West Coast IPA. Rodriguez is quick to roll home the easy tap in to give his side a shock early lead, and although the game is only three minutes old, it's already time to ask the inevitable question: is the home side's leaky start an aberration, or a sign of things to come....?

Luckily, the evening's clash is against Southampton. Within six minutes, the Reds are level, after Wayne Rooney is put in by Shinji Kagawa and finds himself with only 'keeper Artur Boruc to beat, calmly dispatching the ball into the back of the net to even the scoreline. Less than two minutes later and the home side is nearly in front, as Rooney returns the favor by laying a delightful ball off for Kagawa, but the Japanese international is slightly off the mark and bangs the ball against the frame.

Close calls become the momentary theme of the evening, as Robin Van Persie adds his name to those who are only inches away when the Dutchman's swerving shot is deflected just over the Southampton net. Momentary is the operative word, however, as the two teams are soon separated once again: Patrice Evra offers a brilliant diving header to meet Van Persie's free kick, and it's Wazza with an easy tap in for his and the team's second goal of the evening. The Reds continue to have their way, as their fancy passing and quick ball movement repeatedly unlocks the visitors, while Southampton remain eager to go forward and look threatening on their intermittent opportunities against an uncertain United back line.

Liverpool 1 - Southampton 0: Observations

Scott watches most games while dressed in camouflage
photo by Jayel Aheram	via PhotoRee

Columnist Scott's thoughts on Liverpool's most recent victory and more:

o I was thrilled to see Lucas Leiva back in the lineup. Back-to-back injuries have kept the Brazilian out for over a year and his strong work in the midfield has been missed. Unfortunately, it seems it is going to take a few games for him to blow the rust off and contribute in a meaningful way. Sloppy with his passes and tentative in possession, he has a way to go to get back to his previous level. But we wish him well and hope he continues to get playing time.

o Luis Suarez doesn't seem to be diving as much. In fact, I think it has been a couple of games since I've groaned over his antics. Sure, he still complains about every call and doesn't shy away from going down when there is contact, invariably demonstrating with hyperbole the symptoms that he has suffered. But he doesn't dive as much, even when he gets pulled by the shorts in the penalty area. And for that we are thankful.

o Jose Enrique seems to be back. Marcelo may claim to be the best left back in the world, but Liverpool's defensive Spaniard has all the tools to refute such braggadocio. He is fast and strong, tactically solid defensively, uses his body well, makes incisive passes and, impressively, has the foot skills and moves of the best forwards in the league. Were he of any other nationality, he would be getting regular international play.

Robin Van Who?: Manchester United 3 - Southampton 2

Photo by Wonker on Flickr

Q. What surprises did yesterday's starting lineup hold?

A. Three of them, to be exact: First off, Rio Ferdinand was deemed fit to play at center back; leading up to the match it seemed more likely that Jonny Evans would get the nod. The second was that Danny Welbeck was handed a start alongside Robin Van Persie; we thought it more likely that RVP might be up front by himself to begin the contest. Third, Anders Lindegaard was preferred to David De Gea in goal, although time will tell if this is a one-off move by Sir Alex in front of the international break or the beginning of a trend.

Q. Any unusual starters for Southampton?

A. Only one, other than Referee Mike Dean and the groundskeeper who watered the pitch pre-game with vegetable oil.  Michael Carrick gave the ball away to the other side so often that he must have thought United were the team in red.

Q. Who was to blame for Southampton's opening goal?

A. Take your pick: either the extremely short and stationary Rafael, or the less-than-commanding-in-the-air Anders Lindegaard. Either way, United have shown a definite weakness for balls in the box so far this short season, from both open and set plays.

Q. Any quick descriptions of the early going?

A. United with all of the ball and none of the threat. It was appropriate that the game occurred during Labor Day weekend here in the States, because that's a fairly accurate description of United's early attack: labored.


Q. How long did it take Robin Van Persie to equalize?

A.  A little longer than last game -- probably on the order of seven or eight minutes. He's beginning to lose a step in his dotage.

Q. How'd the second half go?

A. Southampton was a slippery opponent, or maybe more accurately, the pitch was.  Once again the groundskeeper's pre-game preparation played a key part in the game's third tally: when Patrice Evra ended up on his stomach looking up at the action it was always going to be trouble.

I Have a Feeling I've Seen This Movie Before

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Another game, another lackadaisical opening 60 minutes of football.  The end result?  Another win for United in a season full of games strikingly similar to the the FA Cup tie vs. Southampton played earlier this afternoon.  Ryan Giggs and Nani's introduction near the hour mark changed the game in favor of the Reds, and Michael Owen and Chicharito did the damage in a 2-1 game that was even more uncomfortable than the scoreline suggests.


Sir Alex sent out a mix of veteran and youngish talent to take on the Saints at St. Mary's Stadium, in a side that included United new boy Anders Lindegaard between the sticks, and the initial results from the team were not pleasing.  For the better part of an hour, United looked dull, listless, plodding, and totally lacking anything approaching a cutting edge -- looking closer to a spoon than a knife -- and lacked quality and accuracy on their passing (I would add to that "shooting," but there was such a paucity of offense during the first hour that to use the word would stretch the definition beyond an appropriate level).