- Manchester United needed a late Amad Diallo hat-trick to salvage the victory
- Paul Scholes tore into Manchester United’s general performance for 80 minutes
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Paul Scholes claimed Manchester United performed as awfully as possible for 80 minutes against Southampton – despite winning 3-1.
The Red Devils needed a 12-minute Amad Diallo hat-trick to spare their blushes at Old Trafford on Thursday, with the youngster’s first goal coming after 82 minutes.
Southampton were dangerous for large swathes of the game as the hosts struggled to contain Kamaldeen Sulemana, Tyler Dibling, and Mateus Fernandes.
Scholes felt that his former side had been outclassed and that manager Ruben Amorim must be internally seething at the performance.
‘For 80 minutes that’s as bad as a performance as you’ll see, especially against a team who were bottom of the league,’ Scholes told TNT Sports.
‘For 80 minutes they (Southampton) were so much better than Manchester United, passing the ball, technically, tactically. Amad Diallo was the one bright spark.
Paul Scholes has slammed Manchester United for ‘as bad as a performance you’ll see against Southampton
The Red Devils needed a hat-trick from Amad Diallo to bail them out against the league’s worst team
Leny Yoro came in for particular criticism as he was exposed and struggled against Kamaldeen Sulemana
Despite a difficult start United found the spirit within them to come back and secure the win
‘I still think the manager will be disappointed with this performance, against a team who struggle to score goals and concede so many. Amad is the only one who can take credit out of this game tonight.
‘I thought they were a lot better tactically and technically than Manchester United. Man United were really poor.
‘The control when it came in to Rasmus Hojlund so poor at times, he kept giving it back to them.
‘Southampton were on a different level. It’s solely because of Amad Diallo that United won the game, rest of the players, [take a] long hard look at yourself.’
Saints hadn’t scored from a corner all season but went into the break 1-0 up after their set-piece was accidentally bumped home by Manuel Ugarte.
The visitors could have doubled their lead when Sulemana struck from close range early in the second half but Matthijs de Ligt blocked the shot.
Diallo managed to inspire the turnaround and take home the player of the match award.
United jumped three places to the lofty heights of 12th in the Premier League after 21 games while Southampton remain bottom with just six points, the worst record of any team at this stage of the season.
‘Much better than Manchester United (for most of the game), last 15 minutes we were like innocent kids,’ a furious Saints boss Ivan Juric said.
‘Not good mentality. To win this game you can’t play 75 minutes. For the last 15 minutes you have to be more malicious, more evil to win the game.’
