Southampton vs. Manchester United: Preview/Confirmed Lineup

One thing is to be agreed upon as Southampton welcomes Manchester United at the Saint Mary’s; any result other than a win for Erik ten Hag is calamitous for the Red Devils.

Manchester United need this game versus the Saints the very day they fell to a 3-0 defeat to their arch rivals, Liverpool shortly before the international break. A win not only takes the media spotlight off the Red Devils, but also gives them a sort of a fresh start to build upon as they go further into the league season.

For Erik ten Hag. this game would not remove the pressure on him to deliver but gets him a needed breather to strategize for the remainder of the season, assuming he remains till the end of the season.

Read More:

2008 UCL final: Manchester United vs. Chelsea — Where are they?

“My job no longer safe” — Erik ten Hag

Former Manchester United star faces jail term over £45k debt

Worthy of note is the fact that Manchester United have maintained a consistent run of victory and an unbeaten status against Southampton that dates back to the 2016 premier league season that had a formidable Saints side. However, the newly promoted side are rather a pale reflection of the team that led the frontline at the Saint Mary’s many seasons ago, and it will take a Christmas miracle for Southampton to get any result out of this game.

Fans will be heading into this game with so many narratives; will Casemiro be dropped from the team and replaced by Ugarte? Will Marcus Rashford get another start in the lineup? And how is Erik ten Hag going to handle the Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire situation?

Fair play to Manchester United, solace will come in the knowledge that Southampton have started the season on very poor terms, suffering back-to-back defeats that sees their season kickoff with an immediate fight for survival in their first season on return to the premier league.

This is a weakness that would come in handy for the Red Devils as they go marching in on the Saints.

But a talk about weakness, goes both ways if fairness is to be applied for the two clubs;

Manchester United are desperate for a win and to prove themselves, just as Southampton will be. Hence, just as the Red Devils may believe they have the upper hand based on their reputation as a top side alone, the Saints have nothing to lose than proving they deserve a spot in the premier league.

So while the pressure is on Manchester United to live up to their name, Southampton only need to focus on themselves and a result. But will they be successful?

It remains to be seen. And right now, a Southampton win or draw, is a narrative that will shake week 4 to the core.

Here goes the Confirmed Lineup for both sides;

SOUTHAMPTON CONFIRMED LINEUP:

Manchester United Confirmed Lineup