Jamie Carragher: Manchester United position 'about right' ahead of Southampton trip

Jamie Carragher: Manchester United position 'about right' ahead of Southampton trip

Jamie Carragher has him say the subplots surrounding live Monday Night Football from Sky - in this column, the Liverpool legend speaks of his admiration for Southampton and evaluates resurgent Manchester United's Louis van Gaal before the shock in St Mary.

Departure for the campaign of Southampton was simply breathtaking. Defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal seems to have knocked the Saints on Earth and, for the first time this season, however, have really questioned top-four credentials.

But with Manchester United coming to town Monday evening, Carragher sees no reason for pessimism on the South coast...

How important is set Monday for Southampton, especially after two defeats in a row?

CARRA SAYS: I think that Southampton will look at game on Monday — as well as the last two against Manchester City and Arsenal - like games bonus really. No one expected in Southampton to get anything of these three games, but on the other hand, you don't want to lose three on the bounce. I watched their last two games, and in the city game, end to end, city were much better.

But I watched the match of Arsenal and they were very unhappy, not just because of late Alexis Sanchez but they had an excellent chance to take the advantage by Graziano Pelle from the beginning and throughout they have play, they never really looked into too much trouble. They went up to 10 men due to the injury to Toby Alderweireld and they suffered with that but they certainly deserved a draw and if they put in a performance similar to the House, I think they will give the United States a really tough match.

St Mary's has been a very difficult to go to since a few years - initially, while under Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton had some big scalps. Ronald Koeman to come now and done an excellent job, but they are yet to beat really this that you would call a better team, the kind of side would you class as a superior quality. Tottenham and Liverpool died at the beginning of the season, they still have to be taken in default even though they have play, they have never really taken a big scalp and I think that this Monday a perfect opportunity for them win this elusive victory against a big team.

Injuries to Morgan Schneiderlin and Toby Alderweireld, coupled with defeats to City and Arsenal both, see the this Southampton do not have the strength in depth to mount a continuous challenge for a busy place throughout a festive period Champions League?

CARRA said: we have always said from the beginning that the first XI of Southampton no matter which League will give a game. I'm a big fan of theirs, they got good pace, strength and ability in the team, they are organized. They have a lot of things for them, but where they can't match the big teams is in the size of the team and the quality of the payer in reserve, and when they have injuries he said. They will miss Schneiderlin, which I think is a fantastic player, Alderweireld detaches the other night and he is a good player as well when they are injuries that is the problem for clubs called "lesser".

It is difficult for everyone who plays games that close to Christmas, but it's whether they can keep the players adapt. And it's even for many teams really besides that high level teams, as most of them do not have the number or quality in the reserve. Southampton are very good team. This is not a flash in the Pan, they have done this season.

They have a good team and if beat you Southampton, whoever you are, you have done well. It was only the city really game where someone looked a class above them, but we are not talking about champions who have world class players and that can happen to anyone. Southampton were one of the stories of the season so far, and if beat you it is a scalp big because they have a very good team.

Monday Night Football sees Manchester United travel to Southampton on the back of four straight wins in the League. How impressed were you with the form of the United?

CARRA SAYS: United is in great shape in terms of results and of course, they have problems with injuries so therefore must be given massive credit. When you look at Arsenal play, people say have not played to start with, but to go to the Emirates and get a win with the team they had on was fantastic. If you look at his record in the big games, it is quite well done. Obviously they drew with Chelsea, where they played well and got a good result, they beat Arsenal and against the city, they were good in this game until they went up to 10 men therefore, as I said, they had lots of good results of late, but it's going to be a tough match now go to Southampton.

Are you surprised by where United are found in the table after a tumultuous start to the campaign? How do you evaluate the departure that Louis van Gaal has made to life in Manchester?

CARRA SAYS: Lots of money has been spent at Manchester United, even under David Moyes with the arrival of Juan Mata in January, and then of Van Gaal in the summer. There many of the best players there, because they had no European commitment, that they are in the top four around Christmas would be the minimum you expect. They have the advantage of Liverpool had last season with no European football, but on the other hand, they have had a lot of injury problems, so on the whole I think that Louis van Gaal was a good start. If the United States were below where they are now, I think that there are some questions most asked.

United have been weak at the back sometimes this season, then how important the performance of David de Gea has been propelling it into the top four?

 

CARRA SAYS: He was brilliant. It was probably the best goalkeeper in the League so far - I would probably just edge towards Thiabut Courtois due to its size on De Gea, - but in terms of performance, nobody has done better than him. He obviously had more to do than courteous, which has a better defense in front of him and gets more protection, but De Gea is not only one of the best goalkeepers but maybe one of the players of the season. If you think back to how it was when he came up - it is filled, got more experience and it looks like a large acquisition by Sir Alex Ferguson.

If United can do the unthinkable and challenge for the Premier League title?

CARRA SAYS: When this season? No chance! United will not challenge the title this season, but with the money which has rumored to be passed in January or in the summer, you expect they are towards the top there challenge sooner rather than later. A couple a years under Sir Alex Ferguson, they were champions and the drop was large enough - from champions to miss out on Champions League football. The main objective of the club is just to qualify for the League Champions again and I do not know if they achieve this season, the goal will be to challenge the following title season. With the money they have, and they'll look to bring, you can expect certainly that.

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