SAINTS manager Ruben Selles watched Manchester United’s midweek Europa League game around the dinner table with his technical team, ahead of their visit to Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils took the upper hand in their round of 16 tie versus Spanish outfit Real Betis with a 4-1 home win on Thursday night.

The St Mary’s side will visit the famous United stadium on Sunday with just 13 Premier League matches remaining to determine one way or the other their 11 year old status in the top division.

Rather than gather around the big screens in his Staplewood office, Selles watched the match with his technical staff over an evening meal – with building strong relationships a primary motivation.

Speaking ahead of the match, he said: “We watched the game and we are using those events - the midweek games - to have dinner with the technical staff and watch it together.

“We did it when Chelsea played against Borussia Dortmund and then we did it yesterday also to have some good moments together to analyse the games but also with a little bit of a relaxing moment for all of us that we need.

Selles added: “We watched the game and they started really solid. They scored the goal and then Betis tried to apply high pressure, putting them in trouble, they got a couple of moments, scored the goal, and potentially could have scored the 2-1 and then Man United just started the second half as they have been doing the whole season.

“You will know that, in this second part of the game, they are very strong. They came back from the dressing room with clear ideas and made a couple of substitutions and they are even better than at the start. And I think the game was a clear example of what they are.”

Saints picked up a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last season in a match that saw the likes of United legend Paul Scholes touting former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl for the vacant Red Devils job.

Selles was not even the Austrian’s number two for another four months but he now sits in the hot seat with two wins and two clean sheets from his first three league matches.

There was an element of luck in their 1-0 victory against Leicester City last time out, admittedly, as Harry Souttar struck the crossbar with a header from the last touch of the game amongst other chances.

“Of course, we need to be better than the last game and we need to be better from day to day,” Selles said, reflecting on the result.

“I think we have some moments, especially using the wide triangles where we can be better and I'm pretty sure that we’ll try to get something from it.

“We just need to improve on how we make our pressure, how we make our shadows, which are the triggers and get everybody a little bit better understanding of what we are doing and expect a better version of us.”