Manchester United tight-lipped after disappointing Southampton draw but their display spoke for itself

Normally rescuing a point after going 2-0 down is one of those draws that is said to feel like a victory, but this was the highest-paid group of players in the Premier League playing a team in the bottom three

Nobody reading this would want a dictaphone stuck under their noses after a bad day at the office, so it was hardly unexpected that Manchester United’s players trooped past reporters without speaking after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Southampton – especially as they are seldom any more forthcoming after victories.

Normally, rescuing a point after going 2-0 down is one of those draws that is said to feel like a victory, but this was the highest-paid group of players in the Premier League, as we have learned, playing a team in the bottom three, who have yet to win at home this season. They knew this result for what it was.

Jose Mourinho refused to add to his comments to the Sunday papers that Marcus Rashford had been his sole “mad dog” – in a good way – and that being down to one fit centre-back had forced him to play a back three and from “the mental point of view it is not easy for the team to go for a Premier League match with only one central defender”. Marcos Rojo, who warmed the bench throughout, must have been interested to hear that.

So the only extra insight into United’s failure to carry the game to Southampton in the second half came from Ander Herrera, speaking to MUTV, the club’s own mouthpiece. And he was at a loss to explain how United had come back from 2-0 down after 20 minutes to draw level before the interval yet failed to build on that momentum, leaving them eight points behind fourth place and 16 adrift of Manchester City.

“I think half-time came at the wrong time but it is not an excuse,” he said. “We were in a good moment and should have kept that energy. But the only thing we can do is give everything on Wednesday against Arsenal and then Saturday against Fulham.

Ander Herrera scored Manchester United's second (AFP/Getty Images)

“I know we are far from the top four but we should forget right now about the table, we should try to win every game. That’s how we will reach the top four. We should approach the Arsenal game like a final.”

Mourinho had claimed that Southampton had spoiled their second-half rhythm by playing for a draw, which amused Mark Hughes, the Saints manager. “Oh, for Christ’s sake,” he said. “There was one team trying to press, had the majority of play in their half. Their play was flat. Our goalkeeper hasn’t made any saves in my recollection. Not the game we all saw.”

The consensus from the home dressing room was that this was still a step in the right direction, despite the loss of a 2-0 lead given them by Stuart Armstrong’s third goal in two games and Cedric Soares’ superb free kick, his first goal for the club.

“We have a lot of positives to take from this game that we need to remember for the next one,” Portugal defender Cedric said. “We were all alive today, we were all together. We worked hard as a unit. We need a bit of luck. It’s just a very fine line that is not letting us reach the three points.”

And his comments on United were as revealing as anything Mourinho or his players might have said. “It was maybe a game with a lot of individual duels because we were playing the same systems and we were good at it. If you have this attitude we are much closer to winning the game. In the second half it was also the case. We were closer to winning the game because we won most of the duels.”