Making the Grade: Match Day 2, Manchester United vs. Southampton

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 19: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Southampton and Paul Pogba of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford on August 19, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images) /

Midfield

Southampton’s midfield was dealt an early blow by the loss of Oriol Romeu to injury. Without their big man in the back, Saints ran into more than a spot of trouble in midfield as Pogba, Rooney, Martial and Mata ran through to the waiting Ibrahimovic without much of a physical challenge to break them up. Jordy Clasie, in on relief for the injured Romeu, performed adequately but he’s just not the same physical presence that the Spaniard brings to the table. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg ended up taking shifts in that role, and while he’s slightly better at it than Clasie, Southampton fans and staff alike would much prefer to see their new Danish wonderkid playing further up the pitch.

Further up the pitch, veteran midfielder Steven Davis put in a much better shift this week than last, taking a few cracks at David De Gea and moving the ball around nicely before coming off for Charlie Austin in the 67th minute. Austin’s number, 10, would indicate a player used to creating chances for himself and others and with the little bit of playing time he got he did that well, though he was unable to repeat the magic of last year.

Standout: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

For the second straight week, Højbjerg gets my standout for midfield; while we’d always heard him billed as an all-around midfielder, this was the first opportunity Saints had to see him play the defensive side a bit more. He didn’t disappoint, closing down well and commanding his zone efficiently. His composure on and off the pitch makes the young Dane an asset to the club, one many a fan will hope stays for quite some time.

Snoozer: Oriol Romeu/Jordy Clasie

Romeu’s injury, though obviously beyond his control, exposed a hole in Southampton’s defensive third that could present a major problem going forward. As I’ve said previously, this was one match in which the hulking services of Victor Wanyama were sorely missed; one hopes there won’t be any more.

Clasie gets a dual mention here for being the cause of the penalty that put United 2-0 up. Was it one that could’ve gone either way? Yes. Should he still have taken better care in the box, playing away to one of the top-4 teams? Also yes. I’m not saying the refs are biased, but some animals are more equal than others in the Premier League. Them’s the breaks.

Grade: 6/10

Next: Striking Out