It has been a difficult start to life as a Premier League manager for Russell Martin as his Southampton side have lost all three of their league games so far.
A 1-0 opening day defeat to Newcastle United was disappointing for Southampton given they played the bulk of the game against ten men, but the subsequent league defeats to Nottingham Forest and Brentford have been more troubling.
Against Forest Russell Martin watched on as his side mustered just one shot on target in another 1-0 defeat, whilst defensive mistakes were Southampton’s downfall in the 3-1 loss to Brentford in the last game before the international break.
Southampton’s only win so far came in the 5-3 triumph over Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup as Martin rotated his side.
With the Saints returning to action against Manchester United on Saturday, Martin may be minded to bring in one of the goal scorers that night to exploit a weakness in Erik ten Hag’s side.
- READ MORE: Major factor Russell Martin will have to take into consideration for Southampton line-up vs Man Utd
Southampton could use Mateus Fernandes to capitalise on Casemiro weakness vs Man Utd
Anyone that has watched Manchester United over the past year or so will know that they are a side that struggles with their build-up.
This is particularly evident when the ageing Casemiro is put under pressure, as the 32-year-old’s lack of pace and ability in tight spaces can be exposed.
This was particularly evident in United’s 3-0 defeat to against Liverpool last time out and Martin could now turn to energetic attacking midfielder Mateus Fernandes in an attempt to benefit from Casemiro’s shortcomings.
- READ MORE: Who is Mateus Fernandes? The ‘complete’ £16m gem set to become Southampton’s 11th summer signing
Martin has so far preferred to set his Southampton side up in a 3-5-2 formation this season but the Saints boss is widely expected to switch to last season’s 4-3-3 as he looks to turn his side’s form around.
This could mean Fernandes comes in as the most advanced midfielder for his first league start since a summer move from Sporting.
The 20-year-old showed his eye for goal as he opened his Southampton account just ten minutes into his first start against Cardiff and Martin could utilise the youngster to buzz around Casemiro and be a nuisance.
Martin must trust Fernandes to create Southampton spark
Southampton have struggled to create in the more defensive 3-5-2 shape so a return to a 4-3-3 could see Martin’s side become slightly more fluid.
The midfield trio of Flynn Downes, Will Smallbone and Joe Aribo that has been used so far in the league this season is not the most creative, but Fernandes’ introduction could help with that.
The Portuguese midfielder knows how to unlock a defence, with scout Ben Mattinson explaining: “One of my absolute favourite attributes in Mateus Fernandes is his exceptional ability to play perfectly weighted through balls.
“Final passes of so many different styles, reverse passes, clipped over the top, through the lines.”
With United far from defensively stable under Ten Hag, Southampton should fancy their chances of adding to their meagre one league goal so far this season.
Targeting Casemiro could be key to that, with Southampton hoping the Red Devils’ Deadline Day arrival Manuel Ugarte is not thrown in to action straight away to replace the Brazilian.