"Getting absolutely smashed to smithereens" - Pundit claims Manchester United star struggled against Southampton

Former Scottish footballer and TV pundit Ally McCoist claimed that Manchester United's Leny Yoro struggled in their 3-1 comeback win over Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday, January 16. Ruben Amorim's men conceded an own goal via Manuel Ugarte in the 43rd minute, but Amad Diallo's hat-trick handed them a stellar victory.

Yoro, who arrived at United from Lille in the 2024 summer transfer window, however, had a challenging time keeping up with Southampton's Kamaldeen Sulemana, who was a constant threat on the left wing. McCoist, during his commentary stint with TNT Sports, mentioned on air that Yoro was struggling as he did not have a right-back helping him out.

"Because there’s no right-back look at the space, he’s [Sulemana] exploiting it brilliantly. I’m telling you right now he [Yoro] is getting absolutely smashed to smithereens tonight, the poor lad. The unfortunate thing is he [Yoro] doesn’t have a right-back to help him, and to be brutally frank, De Ligt is not helping him either, and he’s got no one sitting in front of him," said McCoist.

Manchester United played in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Southampton, as they have done ever since Amorim took charge of the team in mid-November 2024. This meant that Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez played as the three central defenders, while Noussair Mazraoui and Diallo were the two wingbacks.

Yoro, who endured a tough start to life at Old Trafford due to a recurring injury, has only made ten appearances across all competitions, eight of which have come in the Premier League. Yoro has also made an appearance in the EFL and FA Cup. The 19-year-old made waves after United paid a reported €62 million for him in the summer window.

"I felt the team were a little bit tired" - Manchester United head coach Amorim

Manchester United boss Amorim, meanwhile, felt that his team looked tired in the match. This win, nonetheless, took United to the 12th spot in the Premier League table with 26 points to their name.

"I think after Liverpool and Arsenal I felt the team were a little bit tired. Always late, especially in the first half, and with a lot of problems in between the lines. The speed of Sulemana was really hard to catch and they created some chances," Amorim said (via Metro).

The 39-year-old has had to bear a challenging start to life as Manchester United head coach, with his team winning just five times across all competitions. However, their recent draw against Liverpool (2-2) and win over Arsenal (via penalties) in the FA Cup will have given him some confidence.

The Red Devils will be next seen in action in the Premier League on Sunday, January 19, when they host Brighton and Hove Albion. They will aim to beat the Seagulls and maintain some momentum going into the Europa League, where they meet Scottish side Rangers on January 23.