Manchester United cannot afford to drop points at St. Mary’s against Southampton. The Red Devils are already at the bottom half of the table. It was the start of the season, which nobody expected after a successful transfer window.
After a positive start against Fulham on the opening day, United suffered back-to-back defeats in the hands of Brighton (away) and Liverpool (home). The performance against Liverpool was horrible and some of the starters of that game should be benched.
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It will be interesting to see whether Erik ten Hag changes the lineup on not as he likes to play the same XI. However, with the recent performances, he might be forced to change his starting XI in this game to get three points. So, here is the predicted Man United lineup vs Southampton.
Predicted Man United lineup vs Southampton - Premier League
Let’s start this predicted Man United lineup vs Southampton in the Premier League with the formation that Erik ten Hag might pick. His preferred formation is 4-2-3-1. So, we will create the lineup by keeping this formation in mind.
In goal, Erik ten Hag will keep Andre Onana as he has been his preferred choice. The right-back position will go to Noussair Mazraoui even though he is yet to settle in this team. The right centre back will be Matthijs de Ligt and the left centre-back will Lisandro Martinez. For the left-back position, Diogo Dalot has to fit in as Shaw is still out injured.
For the midfield, Erik ten Hag will be pressurized to drop Casemiro. So, Manuel Ugarte could make his debut in this game as the defensive midfielder. Kobbie Mainoo could start as the other defensive partner. But, there is also a scenario where Ten Hag could drop Mainoo and play Casemiro in this Southampton vs Man United game. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes will start as the attacking midfielder after his successful stint with the Portuguese national team.
As far as the attack goes for Manchester United, Erik ten Hag wants to build a team around Marcus Rashford and thus, he would start from the left. But, he should be on the bench on the basis of his current form. Joshua Zirkzee will lead the line as the centre forward. The Argentine sensation Garnacho is unlikely to start after liking the post where Cristiano Ronaldo criticised Ten Hag again. So, Amad Diallo will start this Southampton vs Man United game from the right.
Predicted Man United lineup vs Southampton: (4-2-3-1) Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo; Rashford, Fernandes, Amad; Zirkzee.