However, Southampton’s values did not change, and after a promising start, a 3-0 victory for United was marred by Cameron Archer’s missed penalty.
Southampton was well in the lead going into the penalty, and 18-year-old Tyler Dibling was the star of the show as he defeated Diogo Dalot to win the spot-kick before being taken down.
But in the end, Southampton dropped another game, moving them up to 19th in the standings and making them one of just two teams in the top division without a point.
Robbie Mustoe a big fan of what Russell Martin is doing at Southampton
Since being promoted to the Premier League, Martin has faced criticism from various quarters for his playing style, which some describe as foolish or arrogant.
But the 38-year-old won’t alter his beliefs, and pundit Robbie Mustoe, a former footballer, finds this admirable.
During an interview with Robbie Earle for The 2 Robbies podcast, Mustoe discussed Southampton’s performance versus United and said, “Listen, I love a man that’s proactive, and Russell Martin is being proactive.” Rob, they’re trying their best.
“How many times have we watched these shows and thought, ‘Oh my goodness, Burnley from back in the day, sitting behind the play?’ They really are trying.”
And while it’s true that they are quite open when they turn the ball over, in order for them to gain control and attempt to create something, they must force players forward, which has an impact.
“What steps will you take? Even if you sit back and try to force them to counterattack in a 4-5-1 or 5-4-1 defence, you may still lose 3-0 to Manchester United or anyone else and never look like you’re scoring.
Although Mustoe acknowledged the counterargument, he continued, saying, “Yeah, you’re right, can he play with a little bit more insurance? I adore their play style, which emphasises experimentation and creation. Their approach to the game was such that they controlled the majority of the ball for the first 20 minutes.
Martin must take positives from Man Utd defeat
When compared to many experts this season, Mustoe’s opinion is the exception rather than the rule, but the performance versus United offered far more cause for optimism than previous outcomes.
Southampton dominated play until Archer missed a penalty kick in the 33rd minute, which prevented United from playing through their press.
But once United had taken the lead two minutes later, the miss sapped the life out of the Saints, who managed only one more attempt in the remainder of the game.
Mateus Fernandes, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Dibling all had encouraging performances, so Martin has a lot to be happy about going into a critical stretch of games.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Leave a Reply