LUKAKU ON SONG FOR UNITED AS MOURINHO IS SENT OFF
Jose resorts to five at the back as Saints pile on the pressure
WHEN the final whistle sounded at St Mary’s, Romelu Lukaku fell to the floor in the centre circle and pounded the turf with his right fist. The match-winner once more, Lukaku was the last off the pitch, too. To him and the rest of Manchester United’s players this felt like the kind of victory that champions eke out.
It was not vintage United. Far from it. Careless in possession and lacking sharpness, they played with five at the back for the last 20 minutes, clinging on as Southampton bombarded their area. Afterwards, Jose Mourinho blamed the sunny weather. ‘Seriously,’ he said, when people laughed.
Mourinho grew so animated in the final minutes as the victory hung in the balance that he was sent off in the dying seconds by referee Craig Pawson. He claimed to have no idea why, although he did collide accidentally with the fourth official during one incursion on to the playing area.
He won’t mind too much. Lukaku’s predatory first-half strike was enough to give Mourinho’s side another three points and keep United level with Manchester City at the top of the table. The fans massed behind one goal sang Lukaku’s name lustily. They sang his controversial song, too, even though the player and the club have asked them not to. ‘We’ll sing what we want,’ they chanted defiantly.
Mourinho, conveniently, professed not to understand the song. ‘The only music I understand clearly is one from my opponents when they tell Mourinho to go to a place,’ he said. ‘The only thing I will say is the fans were amazing.
‘I think the players were really tired at the end. Nine of them didn’t play in midweek, so nine of them it’s not even an accumulation of fatigue. I think the weather was beautiful. Even if you train at 11am, 12pm, 3pm in Manchester, we don’t get this weather. The last time we had this was in Los Angeles and then in Macedonia, and I think they felt it. I saw some players not sharp. Great spirit and always trying, but not the same sharpness. So if your opponent is coming with everything against you, let’s play with five at the back for for 10 or 15 minutes and stay solid.’
United had been the brighter side in the opening stages and Marcus Rashford made life difficult for Cedric Soares on the Southampton right with surging runs that forced the full-back to bring him down or tug him back several times.
It was little surprise, then, that United’s goal emanated from that flank after 20 minutes. This time, it was Ashley Young who tormented Soares, turning him one way and then the other until he made space to whip the ball into the box with his right foot. Lukaku towered above Southampton’s centre-backs and powered his header in on goal from the edge of the six-yard box.
Fraser Forster made an excellent one-handed reaction save to push the ball away but he could only divert it right back into the path of the Belgium striker who reacted quicker than the Saints defenders and knocked it into the net.
It begged the question why exactly Virgil van Dijk was still sitting on the Southampton bench. Whatever the reasons, he did not move elsewhere in the summer. No wonder the home fans gave him a rousing reception when he ran down the touchline to warm up midway through the half.
Lukaku’s goal was his sixth in his first six league games for United since his summer move from Everton, equalling the mark set by Louis Saha in his first six appearances for the club and exceeding the number scored by anyone else, including Eric Cantona, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie. So much for the concerns that his finishing might not be up to scratch.
United defended well, too. Southampton showed improved confidence after their victory at Crystal Palace and twice Phil Jones made superb interceptions to thwart danger as the home side threatened early in the second half.
From the second interception, Southampton gained a corner and when it squirted through a crowd of players, Oriol Romeu shot wide when it seemed he would score. Southampton continued to press. Mario Lemina began to control central midfield and David de Gea had to dive smartly to his right to stop a low shot from Nathan Redmond
arrowing in at his near post.
Shane Long complained soon afterwards that Jones had pulled him down just outside the area as both men contested a bouncing through ball and, a minute later, Long just failed to get on the end of a driven cross after some terrific approach play.
But Southampton left themselves exposed at the back and Lukaku could have doubled United’s advantage when Henrikh Mkhitaryan played him in and his shot was blocked by a defender. At the other end, Romeu’s header from a Dusan Tadic corner was headed off the line by Marouane Fellaini.
United were on the rack now and, with the clock ticking down, Mourinho brought on Chris Smalling in place of Mkhitaryan. ‘We did for 20 minutes what the majority of the Premier League teams are doing,’ said the manager, ‘which is to play defensively.’ Southampton promptly went close again, Romeu dragging a left foot shot wide after he had ghosted into the United area but then Ander Herrera, a second-half substitute for Juan Mata, should have put the game beyond doubt 10 minutes from time when Lukaku pulled the ball back to him from the byline as he waited 15 yards out. Herrera had time to control the ball and pick his spot but he lifted his shot well over the bar.
United worked hard to try to preserve their lead. When an attack broke down, Mourinho exhorted Lukaku to chase back to pressure the ball and the striker obeyed, earning himself a booking and the praise of his boss in the process.
Not long after that, Mourinho was sent to the stands by Mr Pawson. Before he went, he made a point of shaking hands with every member of the Southampton bench. Once again, the United manager made sure he had the last laugh.