A BULLISH Steven Davis has fired a warning to high-flying Manchester United by saying Saints are out to take big scalps this season.
Unbeaten United arrive at St Mary’s in the Premier League on Saturday after an impressive start to the season.
They’ve thrashed three of their opponents 4-0 and scored 14 goals in their five opening games, conceding just two along the way.
Captain Davis is aware that it will be no easy task to stop the United juggernaut.
But he wants the St Mary’s crowd to create a hostile atmosphere and give Jose Mourinho’s side something to think about.
“We’re always going in to these games trying to win. It doesn’t always work out like that, but we’re trying to win,” he said.
“That goes without saying and we want some big scalps this season, we’ve managed to do that in previous seasons and there’s no reason why we can’t do it again.
“Every game in the Premier League, whether it’s against one of the top six or any position in the league, it always has its difficulties. You need to be at your best.
“There’s such fine lines in the Premier League to get results and you just need to go out and get everything right on the day.”
The United game is a sell out at St Mary’s and Davis wants the home faithful to help Mauricio Pellegrino’s men to cut down the Red Devils.
Saints previously had a reputation of beating the big sides on home turf, although haven’t defeated United in front of their own fans since 2003/04.
“It’s great if you can create that hostile atmosphere,” he said. “It gives the home team such a backing as well, and really pushes them on.
“Not only when you’re winning or when you’re hanging on to the result but whenever you’re trying to get that energy from the crowd. You need that.
“It’s important, though, on both sides of the coin, that the players give the fans energy and on the other side the fans give the players energy and use that.”
The 32-year-old midfielder, who made his 200th appearance for the club in the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, insists Saints have the belief to make United’s life difficult.
The Old Trafford outfit are a fearsome prospect, having spent around £150m on new players in the summer transfer window.
New £75m striker Romelu Lukaku is in scintillating form, after netting five goals in five Premier League games so far.
“They’ve got such an attacking threat in the final third,” Davis said. “There’s not one player you can simply focus on. They’ve got threats throughout their squad.
“It’s going to be a hugely difficult game for us but we believe we’ve got the quality to beat any team in the league.
“We need to show it now. Obviously they’re playing with a lot of confidence and they’re playing as if they all know their roles within the side - they look very structured.
“It’s going to be a hugely tough game. We’re not underestimating them but we also believe we can cause them problems.
STEVEN Davis insists Virgil van Dijk has returned to the fold “determined to give his all and fight for his place” after the end of his transfer stand-off.
The wantaway centre-back agitated for a move away in the summer months, but Saints held firm and did not sell.
At the end of the transfer window, Van Dijk, who was excluded from first-team duties while his future was decided, returned to training and captain Davis says he’s now fully focused on Saints.
“It’s been a smooth transition,” he said. “A lot more has been of it in the media than there has been here.
“But ultimately we’re delighted that he’s back in. He’s determined to give his all and fight for his place.
“It’s a great boost for us to be able to keep hold of him.”
(Reuters) - Southampton are hoping to cause a few Premier League upsets this season and fans must create a hostile atmosphere when Manchester United visit St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, skipper Steven Davis has said.
The midfielder said the south coast club, who beat Crystal Palace last weekend, had the quality to beat any side in the league and had to prove his point against high-flying United.
“That goes without saying and we want some big scalps this season, we’ve managed to do that in previous seasons and there’s no reason why we can’t do it again,” Davis told the Southern Daily Echo.
“It’s going to be a hugely difficult game for us but we believe we’ve got the quality to beat any team in the league. We need to show it now,” he added.
“Every game in the Premier League, whether it’s against one of the top six or any position in the league, it always has its difficulties. You need to be at your best.”
United are currently level with leaders Manchester City on 13 points from five games, having scored 16 goals and conceded only two so far.
The 2-2 draw at a raucous Stoke City was the only time Jose Mourinho’s side have dropped points this season and Davis said the home crowd could play a role in denting United’s unbeaten start.
“It’s great if you can create that hostile atmosphere. It gives the home team such a backing as well, and really pushes them on,” he said.
“Not only when you’re winning or when you’re hanging on to the result but whenever you’re trying to get that energy from the crowd. You need that.”
Southampton, ninth in the table on eight points from five games, last beat United at home in the Premier League in 2003.
Southampton are hoping to cause a few Premier League upsets this season and fans must create a hostile atmosphere when Manchester United visit St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, skipper Steven Davis has said.
The midfielder said the south coast club, who beat Crystal Palace last weekend, had the quality to beat any side in the league and had to prove his point against high-flying United.
‘That goes without saying and we want some big scalps this season, we’ve managed to do that in previous seasons and there’s no reason why we can’t do it again,’ Davis told the Southern Daily Echo.
‘It’s going to be a hugely difficult game for us but we believe we’ve got the quality to beat any team in the league. We need to show it now,’ he added.
‘Every game in the Premier League, whether it’s against one of the top six or any position in the league, it always has its difficulties. You need to be at your best.’
United are currently level with leaders Manchester City on 13 points from five games, having scored 16 goals and conceded only two so far.
The 2-2 draw at a raucous Stoke City was the only time Jose Mourinho’s side have dropped points this season and Davis said the home crowd could play a role in denting United’s unbeaten start.
‘It’s great if you can create that hostile atmosphere. It gives the home team such a backing as well, and really pushes them on,’ he said.
‘Not only when you’re winning or when you’re hanging on to the result but whenever you’re trying to get that energy from the crowd. You need that.’
Southampton, ninth in the table on eight points from five games, last beat United at home in the Premier League in 2003.
An own goal in the opening 15 minutes gifted Saints an early lead at Staplewood Campus, before a superb Will Smallbone free-kick and Kornelius Hansen strike confirmed the win.
Craig Fleming’s men started the brighter of the two sides and fashioned their opening chance after just a few minutes.
Jonathan Afolabi broke free down the left and drilled a low ball across the penalty area to Michael Obafemi, but the Irish forward was unable to keep his strike down.
The breakthrough then came on 14 minutes, albeit through somewhat fortuitous circumstances, as a mix-up across the City backline saw Yeboah Amankwah’s back pass elude ‘keeper Pawal Sokol and roll straight into an empty net.
Despite falling behind, the visitors were quick to respond and Alex Cull did superbly well at the other end to get down low and deny Keyendrah Simmoinds in a one-on-one encounter from close range.
Smallbone then doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark. After winning a free-kick from 30 yards out the midfielder bent the set piece past everybody in the area, including City ‘keeper Sokol, and into the far corner of the net.
Ten minutes from the interval Kornelius Hansen almost further extended the lead. The Norway midfielder shifted the ball into space and rifled a fine 25-yard effort at goal, only for Sokol to tip the ball onto the crossbar.
Rowan McDonald so nearly pulled one back for the visitors in the closing minutes of the first half, as he crashed a volley past Cull’s far post. But Saints were able to maintain their two-goal advantage heading into the break.
Hansen did then net the third of the afternoon on 58 minutes. Having picked up a short free-kick on the left corner the area he skipped inside and unleashed a strike across goal and into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
The Norwegian then almost turned provider shortly after as his corner from the right found Harlem Hale in plenty of space at the far post, but the winger’s header bounced into the ground and over the crossbar.
The Saints youngsters should have been awarded a spot kick on 75 minutes. Afolabi was first to latch onto a loose ball inside the penalty area and was hauled down by Sokol, but the referee waved play on.
Despite being denied the opportunity to further extend their lead from the spot, Fleming’s men stood firm to maintain their clean sheet and complete an impressive start to their Premier League Cup campaign.
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