Latest updates from Old TraffordEmail daniel.harris.casual@theguardian.com; tweet @DanielHarrisCheck out the latest scores around the UK and Europe 4.10pm GMT 9 min “’A player like Carrick needs pictures, pictures ahead of him...’” emails Charles Antaki. “I had to look it up, but this is a decent example of anadiplosis by Glenn Hoddle; let’s see if Carrick can bear the weight of more classical Greek rhetoric as the game wears on. Or just misplace a few passes.”Wonder what he did in a past life to deserve such terrible fate. 4.09pm GMT 7 min The corner is no use, but United win the ball back and find Di Maria on the right, just outside the box. He shimmies and diddles, escaping Bertrand and Ward-Prowse and making the angle for a shot, spanking a low one that flies wide of the far post. 4.07pm GMT 6 min Schneiderlin wraps arms around Di Maria, who falls over; free-kick to United, 25 yards out, just by the left corner of the box. Rooney whips it in, but Smalling it beaten to the header, and then Carrick arcs over a cross from just outside the box on its right. This time, Smalling wins the header, nodding across for Van Persie, and Alderweireld does extremely well to concede a corner. 4.06pm GMT 5 min Bit of possession for United - Di Maria is playing inside, it seems, with Rooney in midfield despite not being a midfielder. 4.05pm GMT 4 min This is an excellent start from the visitors - United have mustered barely a touch, and are being pressed all over. In particular, this might not work for Juan Mata, who struggles in fast, physical games. Why, it’s almost as if Jose Mourinho knows something. 4.03pm GMT 3 min Southampton win a free-kick on the left and pile men into the box. It’s curved in high, and Rooney heads clear, but Southampton maintain pressure, winning a throw. That’s cleared, but they keep United boxed, forcing Mata to juggle and hook away over his head. 4.02pm GMT 1 min More Southampton pressure. Clyne bangs a low one into Pelle, who lays off adroitly and back into his stride as Blind chugs in pursuit. He bursts into the box, and drills a low shot just wide of the far post - on target, and De Gea was naewhere near. 4.01pm GMT 1 min Southampton go long, and De Gea fails to charge out to clear. For this, he suffers the ignominy of a telling from Chris Smalling. 4.00pm GMT 1 min Southamton kick-off. Yo DJ pump this party. 4.00pm GMT It is United against Southampton, and it’s live. We’ve gone for an accumulator, and who knows which way the games are going to go. Etcetera. 3.58pm GMT Housekeeping: Luke Shaw used to play for Southampton. 3.57pm GMT “A player like Carrick needs pictures, pictures ahead of him ... if he sees pictures, he’ll play passes.” Hoddle on Hoddle Carrick 3.55pm GMT The Southampton players are tunnelled. The short, back and sides are short back and sided. 3.51pm GMT Three at the back; I don’t get it. No overlaps, simple balls into the corners causing undue mayhem, Glenn Hoddle’s a fan. 3.49pm GMT “Francesco Totti (aged 38) has scored twice for Roma against Lazio this afternoon. He’s a touch raw, but the potential of the lad is phenomenal,” says Kevin Porter. Yes, he’s got some ability. Wonder if anyone’s riffed on his surname yet. 3.48pm GMT Email! “Looking at the team sheets I’m wondering if the two most tactically innovative managers in the league this year might both be playing four four two,” ponders Ben Wilkinson. I’m not sure - it seems like United are going three at the back, with Blind next to Jones and Smalling. Have that, Daley. Southampton will start 4-2-3-1, I reckon, but I reckon the players will run around and stuff. 3.45pm GMT The managers say very little, though are asked very little. Van Gaal reckons it’s harder to pick a team with a lot of players available, but no one bothers to wonder what Falcao’s up to. We also don’t know who’s playing where. Koeman wants pace upfront, and for Elia to get into the swing of things. 3.41pm GMT Classic this fixture: a young Ryan Giggs makes a young Barry Davies purr. 3.40pm GMT End of an era: today sees the sale of the last ever Red Issue, one of United’s three fanzines. Ferociously intelligent, erudite, puerile, uncompromising, impassioned, supremely written and impeccably sourced - or, put another way, everything a fanzine should be - it has fought for the rights of supporters for a generation. If your team has such an organ, support it, love it, cherish it. 3.35pm GMT Classic this fixture: Ryan Giggs juggles the ball to the penalty spot, misses, and Southampton eliminate United from the Cup at Old Trafford. 3.29pm GMT So, what does it mean? Well, to begin with, Robin van Persie is a very lucky man. Having played well just once this season, and hardly at all since January 2013, Radamel Falcao’s absence leaves him undropped. And Van Gaal was thinking about it too, saying on Friday “wait and see if he is in my line up”, “he is always in my line up, till now....now you have to wait and see”. He is. Ander Herrera, on the other hand is not - despite paying £28-oddm for him just a few months ago, Van Gaal does not appear remotely convinced by his qualities. United’s best player last weekend, he is dropped this, for a bloke who’s not played since November, and is not at all dissimilar to another already all the side. Elsewhere, Jonny Evans is dropped for continuing uniform awfulness, Di Maria returns from the start, Valencia returns, and Fellaini is on the bench. Quite how the team will line up is impossible to predict. 3.17pm GMT Manchester United (5-3-2, 3-5-2, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1): De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Shaw, Carrick, Di Maria, Blind, Mata, Rooney, Van Gaal Persie. Subs: Evans, Herrera, Fellaini, Valdes, McNair, Blackett, Wilson. 3.00pm GMT There is nothing we will not say to avoid aggravation and blame. This is because we are human beings, genetically hardwired to pursue the path of least resistance, and to cheat at everything possible; there is not a single field of endeavour at which which people will not, have not, and do not cheat. Similarly, what with humans being humans and all, convention dictates that we term these aforementioned sayings as “excuses”, rather than “lies” - consider, for example: the wrong type of snow; I didn’t inhale; just researching a role; my washing machine flooded my flat; ooooh my hayfever; we’re country! 3.00pm GMT Daniel will be here shortly before the 4pm kick-off …But this is what the Manchester United manager has been saying in the buildup to the game.If Louis van Gaal has steadied the Manchester United ship in his first six months at Old Trafford, then consistency at home has been key to climbing back into the top four of the Premier League. This time last year United had lost four times at Old Trafford. This season they have suffered one defeat, by Swansea on the opening day, and 25 points from a possible 30 at home compares favourably with 12 collected on the road from the same number of games.Factor in the consideration that Van Gaal has rarely been able to field a settled side, let alone work out his best one, because of all the injuries United have had to deal with since his arrival, and the coach ought to be satisfied with entering the new year in third place. Continue reading...
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