Man United U-21 Matches 2015/16

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Manchester United U21 4-0 Southampton U21: Adnan Januzaj bags a brace as Belgian looks to impress Louis van Gaal

* Adnan Januzaj opened scoring for Manchester United Under 21s
* Will Keane scored United's second and third goals after half-time
* Januzaj finished a Keane cutback to hand United a 4-0 victory
* Louis van Gaal wants the Belgian youngster to prove his fitness

Back in a Manchester United shirt and back lifting bums off seats, Adnan Januzaj walked away from his homecoming a happy man.

He drifted and dazzled on Monday night, identifying difficult pockets and scoring twice to boot during 81 minutes which will have impressed Louis van Gaal’s watching assistant, Albert Stuivenberg, at Leigh Sports Village.

Hopefully for Januzaj's sake the loan at Borussia Dortmund can be consigned to the wrong option bin and on this evidence Van Gaal was right to give the player an extra few days’ training before an Under 21 runout.


Adnan Januzaj celebrates giving his side a 1-0 lead in the Under 21 Premier League clash on Monday night


Januzaj, who will be hoping to earn a first-team call-up, scored twice for the Manchester United Under 21s

He looked sharp and ready, an outside bet for a spot in the weekend squad when Southampton’s senior side make the trip north. Another 4-0 win would do United nicely.

He began with a point to prove, sauntering inside from his right-hand station to whip a cross for Will Keane, whose header flew over. Keane then went close again moments later, bamboozling Jack Stephens before smashing the resulting volley wide.

Januzaj then brilliantly started a move he almost finished midway through the first half, taking three Southampton midfielders out of the game to find captain James Weir; catching up with play the Belgian got on the end of the eventual pull-back to force a smart stop out of Paulo Gazzaniga.

Any lingering Dortmund doubts were not evident and Januzaj was clearly in the mood to show Van Gaal - who has been crying out for attacking ingenuity - that he could do it backwards and forwards in equal measure. The former may have been the most pleasing aspect for those here.

MATCH FACTS

Manchester United (4-1-4-1): Romero; Varela, Williams, McNair, Love; Fosu-Mensah (Riley 72); Januzaj (El Fitouri 81), Willock, Pereira, Weir; Keane

Subs not used: Pereira, Rashford, Redmond

Goals: Januzaj (45, 79), Keane (53, 69 pen)

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Mugabi, Jones, Stephens, Debayo; Reed, Gape; Gallagher, Hesketh, Sims; Seager

Subs not used: Lewis, Cook, Little, Wilkin, Olomola

Att: 1,064

There were bruises along the way, Josh Sims cynically hacking him down when forcefully embarking on the final third after picking up possession in his own half.

More encouragingly for Van Gaal would be the sight of Januzaj’s movement off the ball, quite willing to run across Keane and drop in search of possession.

And, just as Southampton began to get to grips with him, Januzaj struck from 25 yards, his low effort appearing to take a deflection and zipping past Gazzaniga. Even though that came during a quieter spell the result was little more than he deserved.


Red Devils youngster Will Keane sweeps United into a commanding 3-0 lead from the penalty spot

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3405345/Adnan-Januzaj-starts-Manchester-United-21s-against-Southampton-Louis-van-Gaal-looks-build-Belgian-s-fitness.html