United picked up a victory against the run of play at St. Mary’s.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has spoken with real honesty in his post-match interview following the Red Devils’ 2-1 Premier League victory over Southampton, with the Dutchman admitting that his side were “lucky” to see off a Saints side who were the superior team on the night, according to the Daily Star.
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United came through a tough examination on the South Coast against a Southampton side who dominated both possession and chances, with two goals from Robin van Persie, coming from just three United shots in the entire game, saw them home to what could prove to be a valuable 2-1 victory.
Van Gaal pulled no punches in his post-match assessment of his side’s display, however, admitting that his side were fortunate to overcome his old foe Ronald Koeman:
“We lost the ball too easily in the first half. The only chances Southampton created were when we lost the ball. That was not good in spite of our good result because we got a present also from Southampton.”
“In the second half we were better. But I think Southampton played better than Manchester United yet we were the lucky guys.”
The three shots that United mustered during the game is the lowest total that any Red Devils side has managed since Opta began compiling the stats eleven years ago, whilst it is also the lowest of any Premier League side this season, indicating the struggles that United had to find any fluency or rhythm in their game before being bailed out by van Persie.