Just when Bruno Fernandes was struggling to justify his presence in Erik ten Hag's team, he reminded Manchester United supporters why they fell so hard and fast for him.
Sporting the captain's armband again, Fernandes' first-time volley was the type of spontaneous brilliance he has executed umpteen times during his United career. The precise measurement of Fernandes' side-footer is a skill beyond many of his teammates.
Perhaps it was the sight of his Portuguese speakers warming up. Casemiro, Cristiano Ronaldo and Fred were obvious picks to introduce in what had been a hitherto individualistic and regressive performance from United and Fernandes should know the armband does not make the skipper bulletproof.
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The player who can create something out of nothing then did just that from United's outstanding piece of collective play. Anthony Elanga, lightweight in the first-half, was lithe in the second and pierced a compact Southampton defence, inviting Diogo Dalot to deliberately and deftly tee up his compatriot.
Less than 10 minutes later, Fernandes was blocking a cross to the soundtrack of "Bruno, Bruno" from the away-dayers deprived of a goal at the Northam Stand. On this occasion, the ends justified the means from Fernandes.
He is not truly aligned with Ten Hag's style and Fernandes' impetuousness impeded United's attacks in the first-half. United were at their most authoritative whenever the more measured Christian Eriksen was on the ball; not often enough in the final third.
That posed the question as to whether Ten Hag - who has already demonstrated he is not averse to proactive changes - would hook Fernandes in favour of Casemiro or Fred and push Eriksen higher up. No need, for Fernandes was placed in the playmaker's zone to settle the match.
This was always going to be a more reliable gauge of where United are at under Ten Hag and work in progress would be diplomatic. They channeled their underdog streak in the uproarious defeat of Liverpool in a tribal atmosphere. Generic pre-match music and a rendition of Oh When The Saints Go Marching In barely gone midday did not set the pulses racing.
United got the result but not the performance. The absence of a focal point up front, beneficial when they gave a wobbling Liverpool the runaround, was a hindrance against a team sanguine without the ball and Marcus Rashford is clearly an interim centre forward.
Ten Hag has selected two back fours so far and one sieved six goals and the other one. Raphael Varane was described by his manager as "immense" on Friday and performed imperiously. Ten Hag sees Varane as one of United's leaders and he showed why, high-fiving defensive teammates in the warm-up and then transmitting that energy to the game.
Lisandro Martinez earned the rebellious cry of "Argentina" from the away-dayers. The chanting echoed again at the final whistle as the Argentine clenched his fists.
United resorted to attempted time-wasting (Elanga was stopped from taking the long route off) and feigning agony as part of their game-management. They riskily opted to cling on for more than 40 minutes after scoring.
In attack, United barely functioned. David de Gea's limitations amid Ten Hag's efforts to introduce an identity have become more visible to the United supporters, audibly exasperated by his delay in distributing the ball to Jadon Sancho.
Too often, De Gea was either slowing or killing attacks stone dead when he gathered the ball. Gavin Bazunu, on loan at Rochdale two seasons ago and a product of Manchester City's academy, was the more proactive 'keeper.
Scott McTominay, another whose retention became increasingly dubious, irked United supporters early in the second-half with a backward pass as they pined for Casemiro to debut. He did in the 80th minute and five minutes later instructed Martinez to forget about playing from the back. Casemiro has already earned a chant to the cheesy sound of Status Quo.
The anti-Glazer bedsheets that were unfurled at Brentford - 'United 4 sale' and 'Time 2 go' - resurfaced in the Southampton away end, which broke into a rendition of the sinister song about Joel Glazer. United fans reiterated their opposition to the ownership of their club at kick-off and full-time, green smoke thickening their section.
Whenever United win at Southampton, it is almost always by one goal. The Southampton goal led a charmed life in the 20th minute, a scramble that captured United's attacking issues in a microcosm.
There was no conviction from Fernandes in the aerial duel from Dalot's centre, or Elanga - whom it is all too apparent has not scored since February - and Eriksen on the follow-ups.
Antony, scorer of 20 goals in two seasons in the Eredivisie, would hardly be the panacea, particularly at Ajax's exorbitant valuation of €100million. He would at least balance out a lopsided attack.
Ten Hag tweaked United's front three from the uplifting Liverpool triumph by switching Elanga and Sancho on the flanks and United were worse. Sancho at times dragged the ball as if still faced by the statuesque Virgil van Dijk when Southampton were more intense and he was the first to be sacrificed.
The 20-year-old centre half Armel Bella-Kotchap stretched every sinew to intercept an early Eriksen defence-splitter and the German only grew in confidence. Mohamed Salisu athletically foiled Elanga.
Ten Hag, attired like Ben Kingsley's character in Sexy Beast , was almost as unhappy, almost literally collaring Dalot and taking umbrage with Fernandes' positioning. By the final whistle of the first-half, all of United's outfield substitutes had limbered up and three headed out early in the second..
Fernandes soon sat back down.
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