Claude Puel’s men had a number of chances to secure victory, including Manolo Gabbiadini being denied by Sergio Romero from the penalty spot.
And Redmond says despite the point being valuable as they look to finish the season strongly, there is an element of disappointment in the dressing room.
“We should have got all three points and we’re a bit disappointed. We’ll take the point but we’ve got to finish off our chances,” Redmond reflected.
“If Gabbi scores the penalty on another then it changes the way the game goes but we should have made more of our chances. I don’t focus on what Manchester United do or any other team.
“We focus on what we can do and when we’re go back in the dressing room we’re disappointed we didn’t put away the chances we had.”
“We’ve played a lot of games this season and we still want to finish as high as possible.”
Saints struggled to relieve the pressure building on manager Claude Puel after an under-strength Manchester United held them to a 0-0 home draw.
Saints chairman Ralph Krueger has refused to offer assurances surrounding the Frenchman’s future despite him leading them to the brink of an eighth-placed finish and this partly demonstrated why.
Puel’s future is to be discussed at the end of the Premier League season but with Jose Mourinho again selecting a weakened XI - without Marcus Rashford, Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera and David De Gea - the home team had the chance to impress.
United goalkeeper Sergio Romero, making only his second league start of the season, instead frustrated them, aiding the Red Devils’ preparations for next weekend’s Europa League final and demonstrating his ability to perhaps replace De Gea permanently.
The hosts were gifted a chance to take the lead in only the fifth minute, when Eric Bailly produced the clumsiest of handballs - albeit outside of the area - to prompt referee Mike Dean to award them a penalty.
Manolo Gabbiadini, who posed such a threat to United in the EFL Cup final, took responsibility but was far from convincing as he shot towards the bottom left corner but within Romero’s reach, and the goalkeeper tipped wide.
Bailly almost instantly responded with a goal of his own, when just three minutes later after beating Nathan Redmond to a loose ball he produced an uncharacteristic run into Southampton’s area before forcing a reaction save from Fraser Forster.
Wayne Rooney had been selected to start his fifth consecutive league game, this time doing so up front, and despite his decreasing importance to United continues to show hints of the fine player he once was. In the 15th minute he masterfully controlled a high ball before sending Anthony Martial one-on-one with Forster, from where the young forward’s shot could do no more than prompt a routine save.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan also tested Forster with a low drive from midfield, but thereafter Southampton improved - similarly to at Wembley in February, and perhaps relevantly amid Jose Mourinho’s complaints that his United team are tired.
It was on the stroke of half-time when, after a poor clearance from Romero, Redmond played a one-two with Steven Davis before shooting low at the goalkeeper.
Shortly after the break James Ward-Prowse laid off a free-kick on the edge of the area to Dusan Tadic, from where the midfielder struck well but saw Romero parry clear.
They steadily applied more pressure, with Redmond playing in Oriol Romeu whose shot from just inside the area was also saved.
Ward-Prowse drew Romero’s finest save with a curling effort towards the top right corner as the diving Argentinian impressed in tipping wide.
Mourinho introduced Rashford, Carrick and Herrera, pursuing a first league win in five, but the closest they came was in the 71st minute when Martial curled against the right post.
Either way they would have remained sixth; perhaps more significant was that sections of Southampton’s supporters booed their team off.
Claude Puel has vowed to get his side working on penalties before the final game of the season after yet another costly miss.
Manolo Gabbiadini’s early spot kick was saved by Sergio Romero as Saints drew 0-0 with Manchester United at St Mary’s.
It was the third penalty miss in the last five games for Saints.
Though Shane Long’s effort that went over the bar at Middlesbrough didn’t prove too costly, the misses at home to Hull – via Dusan Tadic - and United have, with both matches ending goalless.
It is exactly what under pressure Puel doesn’t need right now as he fights for his job and to secure an eighth placed finish for his side.
With Saints struggling for goals at home, having now failed to score in their last four matches at St Mary’s, a run that stretches over six hours of football, he could do with a break.
He said: “We perhaps need to work a little more on the training sessions because the penalties have been very important.
“But it’s a shame and I think to have had this situation with this opportunity and good play with many possibilities and opportunities is good work for the next game and of course to find the clinical edge.”
To add insult to injury, Puel was struck in the face by the ball while directing operations from his technical area at St Mary’s and was sporting the beginning of a bruise under his left eye.
“I hope not,” he smiled when asked of the possible bruising. “I said I want to participate also on the game and this was a strong shot.”
Claude Puel insists he will only discuss his Southampton future at the end of the season after his side drew 0-0 with Manchester United.
Although the stalemate against United left Saints on course for a top-eight finish, in a season that also saw Puel steer his side to the EFL Cup final, the 55-year-old’s position remains subject to speculation.
However, Puel is adamant nothing will be discussed with the club’s hierarchy until after the final-day clash with Stoke on Sunday.
“It is important to stay focused on our last game, now,” Puel said. "We can win to take us higher up the table, which is important.
“After that, we can discuss and speak about this [his future]. That is when we can talk about this. For now, we keep our focus for the last match.”
Saints were chasing the victory that would have put them in an even stronger position to secure that eighth-placed finish, but Manolo Gabbiadini passed up a golden opportunity to put Saints in the driving seat on Wednesday night, missing from the penalty spot.
That was Saints’ third miss of the season from 12 yards, and Puel insists they cannot continue to be so wasteful from the spot.
“It is the third penalty we have missed recently,” Puel added. "We have to work on this in training. It is very difficult. The penalty is very important, at this time in the game. It would have given confidence to the team, and we need confidence at the beginning of the game.
"We did not do enough in the first half. There was not enough intensity enough quality, but the second half was much better.
“We had some opportunities. We had 17 shots at goal, we should have been able to score. Perhaps another time we will be more clinical. I am happy for the second half. We played good football.”
Watch highlights as Southampton struggled to relieve the pressure building on manager Claude Puel after an under-strength Manchester United held them to a 0-0 home draw.
Saints chairman Ralph Krueger has refused to offer assurances surrounding the Frenchman’s future despite him leading them to the brink of an eighth-placed finish and this partly demonstrated why.
Puel’s future is to be discussed at the end of the Premier League season but with Jose Mourinho again selecting a weakened XI - without Marcus Rashford, Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera and David De Gea - the home team had the chance to impress.
United goalkeeper Sergio Romero, making only his second league start of the season, instead frustrated them, aiding the Red Devils’ preparations for next weekend’s Europa League final and demonstrating his ability to perhaps replace De Gea permanently.
Hit play on the video at the top of the page to watch highlights from the match.
SOUTHAMPTON, England – If Manchester United prevail against Ajax in Stockholm next week to win the Europa League, nights like Wednesday may fade into the distant memory. In truth, that will not be difficult regardless of United’s fate in the Europa final next Wednesday, such was the shapelessness of what they served up at St Mary’s. For United, this was simply the latest box to be ticked in an extended warm-up to the match on which their next 12 months now hinges, and while that may reasonably be considered a joyless way to treat the latter stages of a Premier League campaign, there will be no apologies from manager Jose Mourinho if his strategy pays off.
United did little more than flicker against a Southampton team that was generally sharper. Anthony Martial curled a deft 20-yard effort against the post in United’s best moment of the game. With a sixth-place Premier League finish cast in stone, an extra few inches to the left would have affected the headlines and little more. This was primarily an exercise of conditioning and balance, ensuring the team’s continuity was not disrupted unduly while giving rest and minutes to the right players, and in that respect it was a job achieved with mixed results.
While Mourinho explained in his postmatch news conference that Juan Mata, who was replaced by Marcus Rashford with 21 minutes remaining, was sent straight down the tunnel to have a shower rather than for any medical treatment, the news about Marouane Fellaini – withdrawn six minutes later himself – was less positive. Fellaini appeared to have strained a hamstring, although Mourinho explained the player assured him the damage was not serious.
“He says it’s not a tear from his experience … believing and trusting his feelings, he should be OK,” said the manager. It was not entirely convincing, and there may be a nervous wait before Mourinho knows the extent of his midfield options for the final.
Far more persuasive was the case stated by goalkeeper Sergio Romero. Barring a U-turn from Mourinho, Romero will face Ajax, and was a slightly surprising choice at Southampton. With 20-year-old goalkeeper Joel Pereira set for his Premier League debut on Sunday, there remains a chance that David De Gea, persistently linked with Real Madrid, has played his last game for United, but Romero saved them a point here and looked sharp throughout. His early penalty save from Manolo Gabbiadini, getting down to his right and tipping a reasonably placed shot wide, was excellent, and he made three more impressive stops during a period of intense Southampton pressure after the break; the pick of the bunch was a flying parry from James Ward-Prowse’s 22-yard effort shortly before the hour.
Romero’s future at United is uncertain, but with Ajax in mind, it was exactly the right call to give him only his second Premier League appearance of the season. He appeared confident and was occupied often, and this was ideal preparation for a far more important assignment in seven days’ time.
“I never saw two goalkeepers be so close and such [good] friends,” Mourinho said of Romero and De Gea. “They are amazing with each other, so everything went very smoothly during the season. Everybody accepted my decisions and I’m very happy with both of them.”
Mourinho’s satisfaction did not extend to the Premier League’s schedulers. It is a familiar battle and one he said he has given up fighting, but United host Crystal Palace on Sunday, and he had a point in saying it affords him little time to respect that fixture and keep his first-choice players fresh for Stockholm.
“In any country in the world the match would be on Saturday,” he said. “From the moment Palace beat Hull, I think the match had to be on Saturday. It’s frustrating for me, and I hope you don’t kill me when you see my team.”
He reeled off a list of youngsters and fringe players who will be involved – along with Paul Pogba, who is likely to be a substitute after missing the Southampton game after the death of his father. Any decisions Mourinho has to make regarding his senior players will be reached using evidence he has already seen, but there was little more to inform him at St Mary’s.
Wayne Rooney, starting a match in the centre-forward position for the first time since United’s Europa League fixture at Fenerbahce in November, showed some deft touches early on but will not be a serious contender to face Ajax instead of Rashford, whose introduction gave United some late spark.
Of more interest is who starts either side of the youngster: Martial came close to winning the game and also dragged a first-half opening wide but was not a persistent threat from the left; Mata lifted a presentable chance over after good work from Rooney, and Mata’s ability to find pockets of space around the box may yet prove appealing. Henrikh Mkhitaryan offered little threat in the centre, and the sense, as so often this season, is that the right attacking blend remains elusive.
The other obvious place up for contention is the centre-back spot alongside Daley Blind. This was a welcome clean sheet for Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, but United still gave up a number of chances and it remains a headache for Mourinho that Eric Bailly, a lively presence when filling in again at right-back here despite his concession of the penalty, will be suspended next Wednesday.
“I’m happy we played like that because they know this match didn’t matter, counted for nothing, so I give them credit,” Mourinho said of his team. That is fine as far as it goes, but watching United effectively mark out time here, their approach to the final month of the season does not sit easily.
Victory over Palace would bring their league tally to 18 wins; it will still be the club’s smallest number of wins since they managed 16 in the 1990-91 campaign. Two more during a five-game period in which they have wound down their domestic campaign would have averted that record and given them genuine hope of a top-four place going into the final weekend. It should not have been too much to ask, but instead Mourinho has chosen a shootout for the highest of stakes. After United contested a draw of no consequence whatsoever at St Mary’s, you sense his gamble has to succeed if he is not to have done his club a disservice.
Nick Ames is a football journalist who writes for ESPN FC on a range of topics. Twitter: @NickAmes82.
Goalkeeper Sergio Romero made a brilliant early penalty save as Man Utd drew 0-0 with Southampton on Wednesday.
With just six minutes on the clock, Eric Bailly was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box as a pass forward hit him on the forearm.
Referee Mike Dean took no time in pointing towards the spot much to the dismay of the Manchester United defender and striker Manolo Gabbiadini stepped up to take the penalty.
But Romero was in the mood to be a hero as he got down low to make a fantastic one-handed save to deny Southampton the lead.
He was immediately surrounded by his team-mates to congratulate him on his efforts and went on to keep a clean sheet as United took a point from St Mary’s.
Romero had replaced regular number one David de Gea for the trip to the south coast and is set to feature for Man Utd in next week’s Europa League final against Ajax.
Hit play on the video above to see Romero’s penalty save.
Claude Puel suffered another frustrating night at St Mary’s as Southampton failed to score and he was hit in the face by the ball.
Saints were held to a goalless draw by Manchester United on Wednesday, with Manolo Gabbiadini seeing an early penalty saved.
Puel was struck in the face in the second half when Eric Bailly headed the ball at him from close range.
The Southampton manager appeared startled but smiled at the fourth official when he came over to check he was alright.
Saints finish the season with a home game against Stoke on Sunday. They have scored just 17 goals in front of their own fans this season.
“It is important to keep the good focus about the pitch and we have the possibility to finish (eighth in) the table,” said Puel after the draw with Manchester United.
Watch the video at the top of the page to see Puel getting struck by the ball.
Saints registered their third clean sheet in the last five outings, with a back line that saw the welcome return of Matt Targett.
Puel said: “All the team defended well and at the end of the game it was difficult to keep a strong defensive unit because we had many offensive players to try and win.
“I’m happy for the reaction of the players in the second-half because it was better.”
On the return of Targett, Puel added: “It’s the same thing like Jérémy Pied against Middlesbrough. It was great to see him again in a difficult game.
“It was difficult to finish for him at the end which is normal for a first game but it was a good game.
“We will see if we can also give game time to Charlie Austin which will be a good feeling for the whole team.”
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