Robin van Persie rightly attracts all of the attention after his two late goals and a hat-trick saved United’s blushes. However, the afternoon so nearly belonged to Southampton and their valiant display was cruelly unrewarded by another Fergie comeback special.

The south coast team were in desperate need of a point going into this fixture and played as if they meant business. For all of the purposeful lock-picking United did in the final third, solid defending is solid defending.

For the first time this season United were able to play four defenders in defensive positions and we responded by conceding a simple goal after fifteen minutes. David De Gea was dropped for being at fault for a goal against Fulham. On the strength of this showing from his replacement Anders Lindergaard, he can expect to make it straight back into the team.

By all accounts, United’s defence still leaves a little to be desired but what was most worrying was the extent to which Southampton were able to run through midfield. The Saints enjoyed huge amounts of possession in the first half and United really struggled to impose themselves on the game.

Their opener was not entirely unexpected and was straight out of the footballing textbooks. Lindergaard will think he should have done better but really the cross should never have been headed in by Rickie Lambert.

After three fixtures this season, we have seen three matches in which our club have struggled in the centre. It is the theme of our season so far and Southampton cut through us at will.

Fortunately, the signing of the summer was also on the field. Robin van Persie’s equaliser was pure class. The man is every inch a world-class striker going about his business. No nerves whatsoever and the other players obviously enjoy playing with him.

You would have hoped we would have started the second half slightly better but instead we did exactly the same thing. Patrice Evra's slip left Morgan Schneiderlin with a free header to put the home side ahead again. Lindergaard has not done much to convince me this week.

On came the old guard in Nani and Paul Scholes as Fergie set about shaking things up. You could feel his hackles rising from the stands and I genuinely think the players start to get scared of him at times like this.

The substitutions invigorated us and the ensuing penalty was incontestable. A two-footed tackle from behind, absolutely no debate about it and their man was lucky not to get a red card.

RVP’s attempted panenka was a little too cocky and after it was saved the dreaded words ‘it could be one of those days’ reverberated around the away fans.

In the end United kept pushing. Van Persie looked visibly relieved when poaching his equaliser and he knew how fortunate he was to see Rio Ferdinand’s header come back of the post. Five minutes later, RvP was heading the winner from Nani’s first decent corner since 2009.

It was not an entirely deserved victory but Robin van Persie is starting to look like a bargain. We are a very clinical side with this guy. Thank goodness, because otherwise that was quite an insipid performance and Southampton will feel hard done by.

Follow Mark www.twitter.com/markjpayne

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