"There is room for improvement but there was also some really good football. The last half an hour was a survival and there I think we can do better."
This concise piece of analysis from Erik ten Hag summed up the events of his Manchester United side's single-goal victory over Southampton very well. There were certainly some phases of the match that were aligned with the methodology that Ten Hag is trying to instill at United, though there were others times where things remained quite awry and his side were left on the back foot.
It is fair judgement to say that United weren't as fast out of the blocks as they were against Liverpool, with the intensity lower and chances created less abundantly. But there was still a huge first half opportunity for United, with Gavin Bazunu forced into action as three further blocks were made in a pinball, FIFA-like exchange inside the Southampton penalty area.
The fact that United didn't convert any of the attempts in the aforementioned exchange was, even though their opposition admittedly defended well, rather an indictment of the absence of a potent, goalscoring forward - and crucially one that fits the system that Ten Hag is attempting to operate. A further statement had been made by Ten Hag as he once again left Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, even in the absence of Anthony Martial, who was sidelined with a fresh Achilles issue.
There were more areas than just in front of goal that quality appeared to lack too. The ball was often moved too slowly, with actual retention of possession not up to the highest standard; United's passing accuracy and overall amount of possession was unfavourable against Liverpool as well, which outlines an issue that Ten Hag does have to overcome. This led to questionable levels of control in midfield, with spells where Scott McTominay, who was favoured to both Fred and new signing Casemiro, felt almost non-existent in proceedings.
Credit: Manchester United
Most of the joy that United gained came from down the flanks, as was the case for their second half goal, which transpired to be the difference between the sides come full-time. The passage of play leading up to the goal evidenced the virtue or playing at a high tempo, which had been so crucial against Liverpool.
It was one of the first and only occasions that United shifted the ball with that sort of poise at St Mary's Stadium, with avail gained from such sharp, quick build-up. And, although the midfield was bypassed as Raphael Varane carried the ball out from defence to play a pass to Anthony Elanga, it was a goal very much typical of a 'Ten Hag side'.
Elanga, who started again but featured on the right with Jadon Sancho on the left in contrast to against Liverpool, was sprightly as ever as he drove with purpose into space. It was testament to the fluid nature of the forward line that Sancho had drifted into a pocket nearer the right flank to receive the ball from Elanga, quickly take a touch, and further offload the ball to Diogo Dalot.
Everything about Dalot's part in the goal exemplified his fast adaptation to his new manager's ways. The right-back had pushed forward to create an overload, initially picking up a space inside Southampton left-back Moussa Djenepo before drifting out wide to offer himself to receive the ball from Sancho. The subsequent cut-back marked a routine that Ten Hag has shown admiration for, with Dalot showing excellent vision to execute the ball across to pick out the arriving Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the box.
There has been plenty of talk about signing a new right-back, but Dalot has shown a strong, aware defensive side to his game in addition to his known offensive qualities, making him an increasingly complete defender. Against Southampton, he completed the match having made four tackles, three clearances and two interceptions, also winning seven duels and regaining possession six times. That all came in addition to a faultless take-on success rate and a pair of chances created, plus four attempted crosses that emphasise his attacking productivity.
The ultimate volley from Fernandes after Dalot's cut-back was made to look straightforward when it most certainly was not. It capped off a well-worked, structured piece of build-up, lauded by Ten Hag post-match as he said: "This is how I want us to play."
Credit: PA
United certainly have to produce phases of play up to the calibre of the Fernandes goal more often. There was a failure to really take the game to Southampton for the most-part, with not enough control or much of a rhythm established and sustained. Chance creation also proved a slight problem, with a lack of clear-cut opportunities engineered in order to kill the game.
Southampton were able to put United under duress for sizeable portions of the match, ultimately managing 17 shots - six more than United. This was all somewhat a knock-on effect of not getting the best out of their possession, with Ten Hag acknowledging the need for improvement in that department post-match.
Credit is owed to the United defence for their contribution in holding Southampton at bay. It never seemed as though the back-line really allowed themselves to be troubled by their opposition's pressure, with the defence appearing more organised and more commanding than it often has done in recent times.
Lisandro Martinez once again caught the eye alongside Varane, showing no frailties when Southampton put balls into the box. The Argentine actually won all five aerial duels that he contested, also gaining success in every ground duel, further emphasising his aggression and staunch commitment to the cause. He also made seven clearances throughout the match, completing four interceptions as well.
The late introduction of Casemiro offered crucial protection to the defence as they faced up to a late Southampton onslaught. In a short space of time, he made his mark by winning three aerial duels in addition to making a tackle, a block, and a clearance.
The timing of introducing Casemiro for his debut with around 15 minutes to play was impeccable judgement from Ten Hag, evidencing his ability to make possible game-defining alterations at important stages of matches.
Credit: Sportimage
When United were placed very much on the back foot in the closing stages, it was their new look, seemingly more dependable defence that won the game by standing firm. There was a spirited showing of collective grit to help to close the match out and protect the three points. However, it was made clear that the attacking side of things has to be further developed in order to ensure such dependency on the defensive players isn't necessary.
But, all in all, it was shown that the players are capable of stringing together impressive passages in possession. And it just so happens to come as a sizeable bonus that Ten Hag is starting to get more of a defensive tune out of his side, achieving their first clean sheet away from home since December.
For United fans, it comes as a major relief that their rut of seven straight away defeats has finally come to a close, with the side winning back-to-back matches for the first time since February. Now there is onus on Ten Hag and his players to prove that they really are regaining their poise.
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