17 touches, 8 duels lost – Manchester United star slammed for “pathetic” Southampton display

One Manchester United star has been branded “pathetic” for his performance against Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday evening.

Amad turned saviour for Manchester United on Thursday evening, delivering a stunning 12-minute hat-trick to inspire a dramatic comeback against Southampton in the Premier League.

The first half was a tale of frustration for Rúben Amorim’s side. Despite dominating possession, United struggled to create clear chances, while Southampton looked dangerous on the counter. André Onana was forced into several impressive saves to keep the visitors out.

Alejandro Garnacho came close to opening the scoring midway through the half, but Southampton struck first, capitalising on a poorly defended corner just before the break. It was the fourth consecutive home match in which United had fallen behind.

After the interval, Antony replaced Kobbie Mainoo, with Bruno Fernandes taking a deeper midfield role. Despite the tactical change, United’s struggles in attack continued, epitomised by Antony’s shocking miss from close range on the hour mark, leaving the hosts chasing the game.

With time running out, Amad took matters into his own hands. He rifled a powerful shot past Aaron Ramsdale with less than ten minutes remaining to bring United level. Moments later, he latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Christian Eriksen to fire United into the lead in dramatic fashion.

Amad wasn’t finished. In stoppage time, he muscled his way past Southampton’s defence to seal his hat-trick, becoming the first United player to achieve the feat since Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2022. His late heroics earned United a crucial three points and capped a night to remember at Old Trafford.

Højlund blasted for “pathetic” performance

One man who has not come out of Old Trafford with positive reviews is striker Rasmus Højlund, who was very ineffective on the night.

The Danish international played 53 minutes and was often tasked with holding the ball up when passed into him and bringing others into play, before turning and running at Southampton’s back line.

However, he lost eight of his 11 attempted duels, having just 17 touches during the tie and playing just seven accurate passes during his 53 minutes on the field, which is well below par.

Read More: Manchester United star “really frustrated” during Southampton clash, Ruben Amorim must take him out of firing line

He did have a few positive moments, creating a big chance for Garnacho, who squandered the effort, but he himself only had one shot all evening, which was blocked from just a few yards out.

Højlund’s performance was branded “pathetic“, with fans complaining that his awareness on the field and first touch was letting the side down.

Once Zirkzee joined the fray, the completely changed, and many have pinpointed the Dutchman’s arrival as a key part of why United were able to turn the tie on it’s head.

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