It’s one of those games you just love to see popping up on the fixture list, though in recent years Manchester United v Southampton seems to have been won by the odd goal in the Premier League. Last season’s League Cup final is as good as it’s been in recent years.
This weekend, both clubs come into this game feeling fairly unfestive thanks to dismal Christmas periods. Manchester United are dealing with the loss of a title challenge, whilst Southampton are wondering whether or not they should be strapping in for a relegation battle this year.
Either way, harking back to the 1990’s is a sure-fire way to get up for this fixture, which has produced so much down the years – let’s hope Saturday evening’s clash has a retro feel to it as we end 2017 reflecting on the past.
Head-to-Head
Perhaps the least surprising stat of them all is that United have had the better of this fixture in the Premier League era, winning 78% of their games against Saints at Old Trafford. They’ve also managed to net 76 times against this weekend’s opponents in the Premier League overall, making this fixture a pretty one-sided affair over the years.
Southampton, though, haven’t been put to the sword every time: some memorable Premier League moments have been created by the Saints when they’ve taken on the might of United over the years – but more on that later.
Top Scorer
It is, again, unsurprising, that this list should include so many Manchester United players given their dominance overall. Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ryan Giggs can both boast seven goals against Southampton in the Premier League, though the Dutchman did it in far less time.
Andy Cole and Robin van Persie were also scourges of the South Coast club, whilst Matt Le Tissier makes the list, having scored some memorable goals against United down the years.
The Unforgettable match
These two teams have provided untold Premier League thrills and spills in the Premier League era.
An honourable mention must to go an unforgettable moment in 1999 – just after United’s treble success – when a tame shot from Le Tissier crept through Massimo Taibi’s legs and ended up in the net. It’s an unforgettable moment, but the fact that the game was drawn 3-3 has been somewhat lost to history.
Others haven’t been so overshadowed, though.
When United lost 3-1 at the Dell in April 1996, Alex Ferguson blamed his sides’ grey shirts for the debacle. He rectified the problem at half time by having United change their kit at the break, but the Red Devils still lost the game. The next time they played Saints, they were looking to avenge that defeat as well as a 5-0 thumping they had just taken from league leaders Newcastle United in their previous game.
This time, though, United were to lose 6-3, conceding a shedload of goals for the second time in two games leading to widespread laughter from the rest of the league: “What’s the difference between Peter Schmeichel and a taxi?” went the joke. “A taxi only lets in five at a time.”
Shared hero
The fact that Luke Shaw wins this one is not a testament to his genuine hero status at either club, but rather it is a monument to the fact that there haven’t been very many people to have played for both clubs.
Honorable mentions must go to Danny Higginbotham, who came through at Manchester United before playing for Southampton amongst many others, and Mark Hughes, who is a bona fide Old Trafford legend, but whose time at the Saints was short-lived and never hit the heights he reached previously – though he did set a record for 14 yellow cards in a season, which has been matched since, but never surpassed.
Shaw, however, left Southampton as a genuinely hot prospect and was tipped to be one of the best full-backs in world football in the coming years. A horrific injury has hampered his career since then, as has an overly critical manager in Jose Mourinho. If he can win over his coach and get a run of good form going in the first team, there’s still hope for Shaw, who is still only 22 years of age, but it’s telling that even at such a young age, that hope is beginning to dwindle now.
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