Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has criticised Southampton over their indecisive defending at the crucial moment of the game against Manchester United as Edinson Cavani found space to head the winning goal.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side had enjoyed an excellent opening half against the Red Devils, going in at the break two goals in front thanks to Jan Bednarek’s header and James Ward-Prowse’s trademark free-kick. However, the game changed in the second period after United has sent on Cavani for the second half and started to cause more issues for the Saints’ backline.
Southampton’s defence never got to grips with the experienced striker, who completely transformed the game with his technical quality and ability to find space a constant threat. The Uruguayan managed to provide the assist for Bruno Fernandes to get them back into the game, before equalising with a predator’s finish and then moving to the front post to head home the winner in stoppage time (Sky Sports).
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Neville suggested that Southampton should have been well aware of the forward’s ability to make runs towards the near post and that their defence should have been more alert to the danger to ensure they held on for a point. He said:
As this ball went wide yesterday, and I’m on the gantry, Cavani’s always going to go in there. You can’t believe Southampton, two or three players who could’ve dealt with that, they haven’t gone body to body, man to man, managed his run and as he runs in there, I think he’s one of the very best at that.
(Patrick) Bamford does it very well, I’m not putting them in the same level; Cavani’s been at the top for the last five or six years, but you can tell teams that have got strikers that do that. Sir Alex Ferguson used to say it all the time. The striker must get across the near post to take the first defender away, who likes to cement themselves at the near post, but also to affect the goalkeeper. He’s the best at it.
I’m not alerting clubs to something they don’t already know; I mentioned about his near-post runs.
Read Southampton verdict
Cavani clearly was a constant menace for the Saints’ backline in the second half against Manchester United, and it would have been frustrating for Hasenhuttl that neither Bednarek nor Jannick Vestergaard were able to prevent him from having as much influence on the game as he did.
However, the 33-year-old has been a potent striker for a number of years now and, after enjoying a decent opening 45 minutes, Southampton’s defence did not seem prepared for the striker’s movement off the ball. That is something from which they must learn and ensure does not cost them again.
The defeat ended the Saints’ seven-game unbeaten run and it could prove to be a positive in the end if it re-focuses their attention and reminds them that they must remain switched on at all times to pick up results consistently in the Premier League.
