Ruben Amorim must address peculiar problem ahead of Southampton clash - opinion

Manchester United face Southampton in the Premier League at Old Trafford this evening.

United have not won in the league since beating Manchester City in the derby.

However, optimism is back in the squad after holding Liverpool to a draw at Anfield in their last league game and knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup via penalties.

United are now in a good position to return to winning ways in the league as they face a poor Southampton side.

This is not the first time United will head into a game against lowly-rated opposition after securing a positive result against a superior side.

However, they have mostly disappointed. After beating Man City, they lost their next two league games against Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

They also lost to Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, but those defeats are excusable given the calibre of the opposition. The losses to Wolves and Bournemouth are not.

United got results against Liverpool, City and Arsenal because they had the right mentality. Against all odds, they showed determination and resilience to impress against these sides.

Manager Ruben Amorim must ensure the mindset remains the same for tonight’s game.

It is easy for him to prepare his side against the top three teams in the league. The challenge against Southampton and other inferior opposition is different.

United concede possession against the top teams, play with a low block and rely on counter-attacks to create goalscoring opportunities.

It will be different against the Saints, as the onus will be on United to attack. This will not be achievable if Amorim does not infuse the right mentality into his side.

United are 15th in the league standings ahead of today’s clash. They cannot afford to drop more points against inferior positions if they intend to finish the season strongly.

Article written by Henry Thornton .