Manchester United fans’ patience was tested against Southampton, amid a tepid first half performance.
Head coach Ruben Amorim‘s first move was to change up his midfield, taking Kobbie Mainoo off, and moving Bruno Fernandes deeper.
Nine minutes into the second half, Manuel Ugarte was substituted, and Toby Collyer sent on in his place.
It was a bold call, but with Ugarte looking tired after his efforts against Arsenal, Collyer impressed then a substitute at The Emirates, and he did so against Southampton too.
Toby Collyer numbers vs Southampton
Toby Collyer’s performance against Southampton was one of the reasons Manchester United were able to mount a comeback and win 3-1.
Amad’s heroics were of course a big part, with the winger scoring a hat-trick, and is now Manchester United’s top scorer with nine this season.
Here is a look at Toby Collyer’s numbers against Southampton…
- Minutes played: 36
- Passes Complete: 20/21
- Pass Accuracy: 95%
- Tackles Won: 2/2
- Ground Duels Won: 3/4
Toby Collyer looks very useful
Toby Collyer can be a very useful player for Manchester United if he can continue like this, and another decision looked stark.
Rather than send on Champions League winner Casemiro, Ruben Amorim decided to lean on Collyer for a second game in a row.
It now looks like Manchester United have just found a player that was needed, Manuel Ugarte’s deputy.
Ugarte, a £42 million signing in the summer from PSG, cannot play every single minute of every game, and United have looked weaker when he was not in the line-up. Until now.
Collyer was a signing from Brighton’s academy in 2022, and has been hailed for his tireless off-ball work.
Against Southampton he helped United to get control of the game, and made a real difference. It was an impact to be proud of.
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