Football Focus

Football Focus is off and running on BBC One with Dion Dublin and former England striker Ellen White joining Alex Scott to preview the weekend's action.

You can also watch it at the top of this page.

BBC Radio 5 Live have also started their football coverage on this busy Saturday - again, you can listen by clicking on the watch and listen tab.

Fara Williams
Former England midfielder

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton's style of play is frustrating.

We saw what happened to Burnley last season when they were too stubborn to adapt and change from playing out from the back and there is a naivety in that. Southampton have come up with the same issue.

Russell Martin doesn't ever want to change his style of play and you could see that in the Championship last season. He does not adapt, even when they were conceding goals from the back early on in the previous campaign.

I don't think he will change and I think that will be a problem for the Saints.

At the other end of the pitch they don't have the cutting edge to be affording the mistakes in conceding. They were heavily reliant on Adam Armstrong last season, but he isn't a proven goal scorer in the Premier League despite having played for them for one season in the top-flight.

Fans like to watch attractive football, whether that comes with results or not, but the game is about getting results. Once you start to lose games it is very difficult to get that momentum back and trust within what you are doing.

Dominating possession does not win you games and that is something Martin has to look at. It will be a difficult season for them if they don't take on other styles or ways of playing. But that work should have been done in pre-season and not when the games come so quickly.

The fans will be buzzing that they are back in the Premier League but now it is about staying up. And for them to do that, they have to find alternative ways of playing to get results.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has dismissed Cristiano Ronaldo's latest criticism and says the outside noise around the club does not bother him.

Speaking to former United team-mate Rio Ferdinand on a podcast, Ronaldo said Ten Hag had been wrong to say in a pre-season interview in the manager's home country of the Netherlands that the club were "a long way away" from winning the Premier League for the first time since 2013.

Although Ronaldo went on to say he also thought his old club could not win the championship, he felt, as manager, Ten Hag was sending out the wrong message.

Asked about the veteran forward's comments ahead of Saturday’s trip to Southampton, Ten Hag said Ronaldo had said the same thing.

"No, he said this, if you read the article very well," said Ten Hag.

"He is entitled to his opinion. It's OK. He is far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester."

Southampton

Southampton's Aaron Ramsdale, speaking to TNT Sports: "I knew quite a lot of the boys already, the management and staff bring a sense of freedom - it makes you want to go and play.

"To be back playing is why I started out as a kid - playing for the love of the game. Being back down on the south coast is a breath of fresh air.

"For myself, I am a happy human going home and seeing my little boy - the area around here is a phenomenal place to live."

On aiming to get back into the England squad: "My focus is not getting back in [to the England squad].

"My focus is winning games here at Southampton if we do that the football takes care of itself. It is never nice missing out and it is where I want to be, but the main aim is getting wins here at St Mary's."

Nedum Onuoha
BBC Sport columnist

Image source, Getty Images

Manuel Ugarte suits Manchester United's defensive setup nicely. He can cover lots of ground and hunt for the ball which is key. I don't think he will help to strengthen other players in midfield like Kobbie Mainoo or Mason Mount, but for the area a number six plays in, he is very good.

Erik ten Hag will also want United to build through the different stages of the field and probably not be as direct as they have been in times gone by. Although Ugarte does not make them better at that, he does add more fight into the the team and that should help them this season.

The summer arrivals are not new to the game itself either. They are all very good individually and are all international players, so that should mean they are also good learners.

The relationship between the players on the pitch might take some time to gel but they will not be on the field wondering what they are supposed to be doing.

Finer details come with time but there should be a foundation there to build on because of the level they have all been playing at individually.

BBC Sounds

Fancy some pre-match listening?

BBC Radio Solent's latest Saints and Sinners episode previews the game with comedian and United fan Mick Ferry.

And BBC Radio Manchester's podcast on Manchester United, The Devils' Advocate, assesses how much they'll miss Scott McTominay after his departure.

Tom: What has Rashford done in the first three games to warrant a starting place against Southampton?

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag says he is still relying on Casemiro despite the midfielder's "bad day at the office" against Liverpool.

"[I] definitely need him, for sure," said Ten Hag about former Real Madrid star Casemiro.

"Of course I speak with him about the situation, but everyone can have a bad at the office, or do you never have a bad day at the office?

"He is experienced and it’s not the first time, I guess, he has dealt with a bad game and now he has to overcome this one as well.

"But that is normal in life. You have highs and you have lows."

I wonder if the Brazilian still feels like he's being relied on, after being left on the bench today?

Manchester United

Man Utd's Amad Diallo, speaking to TNT Sports: "We were disappointed with the result last week [against Liverpool]. But, we have to be together, have compactness and try win the game today.

"I have worked hard all my life to have this opportunity with Man Utd. The manager believes in me and I want to take this opportunity to make an impact in the team.

"It's important for the team to win the game and we know we've already lost two games.

"I am happy to be part of this team, we are not in a good moment, but we're trying to win every game."

Image source, Getty Images

What do you make of Casemiro being left out for Manchester United by Erik ten Hag?

Would you have thrown new signing Manuel Ugarte straight in?

And four changes for Southampton and a probable change in shape - will Russell Martin's Saints try to adopt a different style today?

Southampton forward Ben Brereton Diaz starts despite being withdrawn after just 34 minutes of Chile's defeat by Bolivia on Tuesday.

Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu makes his first start in the Premier League for the Saints since joining on loan.

Southampton XI: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Bednarek, Stephens, Dibling, Fernandes, Downes, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters, Brereton, Archer.

Subs: McCarthy, Harwood-Bellis, Aribo, Armstrong, Lallana, Stewart, Taylor, Cornet, Fraser.

Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo start for Manchester United.

Manuel Ugarte is on the bench along with Casemiro.

Man Utd XI: Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Eriksen, Mainoo, Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Zirkzee.

Subs: Bayindir, Maguire, Garnacho, Casemiro, Antony, Ugarte, Evans, Wheatley, Collyer.

Image source, Getty Images

Casemiro is dropped for Manchester United after his errors against Liverpool before the international break.

New signing Manuel Ugarte is also on the bench.

Team news from St Mary's Stadium is imminent.

We can assume Kobbie Mainoo will start in midfield for Manchester United, but who will partner him?

Southampton boss Russell Martin has also promised changes after a pointless opening three games.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has confidence that his side are "in a good direction" despite recent poor performances in the league.

United won their opening match against Fulham but suffered back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Liverpool.

Ten Hag was asked about right-back Diogo Dalot voicing his exasperation that the club have improved in recent times regardless of their setbacks and he agreed.

"Of course when you see the scores, no-one is happy," he said.

"But also players have a very good sense of the process, of the quality of the process. Yeah, and I agree with him.

"Also, when you analyse the games - all the games - so far, we are in a good direction.

"But also - as is normal in a transition period and in a period where you have to build a team - we have to improve. We have to step up."

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton have lost all three Premier League games so far since returning to the Premier League.

However, boss Russell Martin says he is not feeling the pressure to get that first win soon.

"It doesn't overwhelm me one bit, it's just part of the job," he said.

"It's the same last season, we had a period at the start where we had a really tough time and then people can say what they want with very little recourse and will judge us based on a highlights reel of eight minutes so I treat it all the same.

"There were people that called me a terrible appointment for the club and said they need to make a change after losing four games [last season]. There will be the same people doing that now after three games, three defeats, so I treat it all the same."

Image source, Reuters

Two weeks can be a long time in any walk of life, so what were the key storylines from the third round of Premier League games?

• There was another hat-trick for Erling Haaland as Manchester City won at West Ham to top the table
• Liverpool are keeping pace with the reigning champions - they embarrassed a hapless Manchester United at Old Trafford
• There was that controversial Declan Rice red card as Arsenal dropped their first points of the season at home to Brighton, who are above the Gunners on goal difference
• And what about that comeback - Bournemouth coming from two goals down after 86 minutes to win 3-2 at Everton

We're not just back, we're BACK.

Eight games spanning 10 hours - here's how our Saturday looks (15:00 BST kick-offs unless stated)...

• Southampton v Manchester United (12:30)
• Brighton & Hove Albion v Ipswich Town
• Crystal Palace v Leicester City
• Fulham v West Ham United
• Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
• Manchester City v Brentford
• Aston Villa v Everton (17:30)
• AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea (20:00)

Then there's the small matter of the north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal on Sunday - and Wolves v Newcastle, of course.

Image source, Getty Images

You can forget your Carsball, your Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo milestones and even the famous San Marino victory.

After 13, perhaps long, days the Premier League is back and is going nowhere - until the next international pause in three weeks, at least.

What better way to return than on the sunny south coast, with winless Southampton hosting a Manchester United side which once again reached a low ebb prior to the break.