Manchester United vs Southampton -  5 Key Talking Points

Score: Manchester United 0-0 Southampton

Another poor draw, United's third in three games, has seen their "noisy" neighbours climb a staggering 14 points clear (with a game in hand) and more worryingly has seen Chelsea leapfrog them into 2nd place above them.

With Southampton bouncing back from the massacre at Tottenham, here are the five main talking points from the match that could well have put the cherry on top of United's un-baked, un-finished, uber-disappointing title challenge

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#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jesse Lingard, and Juan Mata can't play together

Mkhitaryan was disappointing once again

When three players who like playing in the traditional "no. 10" position just behind the striker end up playing together, what follows is inevitable - congestion and bottlenecks in the middle, too little use of the wings.

While United's full-backs tried gamely to make sure the flanks were occupied - Ashley Young and Luke Shaw both had good, solid games - the lack of penetration from the flanks was obvious. Mata is a touch more disciplined in both his positioning and his crossing, Lingard is United's most consistent attacking threat and with the Armenian woefully out of form the choice for "who to start" and "who not to" should be obvious.

#4 Southampton deserve all the plaudits for their spirit and discipline

Hoedt puts in a brilliant tackle to prevent Rashford racing into the box

While Southampton shipped 5 goals against Tottenham, most tend to forget that they did score 2 themselves and could easily have had 3 more if they'd been as clinical as Harry Kane at the other end.

They are also the same team that required a 96th-minute winner from Raheem Sterling to beat when the juggernaut that is City rolled into town, so it's not as much doom and gloom as everyone is making it out to be for United.

The Saints are a solid outfit, and while under Mauricio Pellegrino they've alternated between helter-pelter entertainers (Spurs) and a disciplined, organized, defensive unit (the Manchester clubs) and while they've admittedly been poor in patches, yesterday was not one of those days.

On another day, they might even have walked out winners at Old Trafford - a day where David De Gea was not in United goal - but they'd be mighty pleased with the point... even if it did come at the end of a run of 8 games without a win.

With the £75 million in the bank now, and a major sour-influence out of the dressing room, the former Alaves manager should have the resources to strengthen his squad over the course of the next month.

#3 Injury update on Romelu Lukaku; More headaches for Mourinho

Lukaku is stretchered off after a mid-air collision with Hoedt

Romelu Lukaku appears to be quite alright after that unfortunate coming together with Wesley Hoedt- although he will miss two games - as he's being treated at the club itself rather than a hospital;

Romelu Lukaku carried off the pitch on a stretcher pic.twitter.com/fPBwyjS2wd

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Mourinho was pragmatic about the incident - "That's football. He was just unlucky. I think the Dutch central defender goes with him for the ball and it's unlucky for Romelu and unlucky for Hoedt. It was nothing aggressive and, hopefully, nothing important. But the first consequence of is he didn't play for the rest of the game."

He also added - "I don’t know," Mourinho added about a timescale on the summer signing's return. "I know that normally bad, bad news arrives immediately. Bad news didn't arrive. I think that there’s a problem for the next two matches. For sure."

No Lukaku for two games, No Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a month. No Antonio Valencia. Potentially no Ashley Young (after he elbowed Dusan Tadic off the ball and could well be charged for violent conduct)

#2 Sofiane Boufal may not be the most consistent, but he is one of the most fun players around

Boufal gives Lingard the run-around

When Sofiane Boufal arrived at the South Coast for £19 million, much was expected of the Moroccan, but the only thing he's consistently delivered is false hope. Now into his second year at the Saints he has appeared to have gotten into his element - that goal against West Bromwich Albion a sneak peek into his glorious potential - and against United yesterday he was a consistent attacking threat - pegging Young back and keeping the United defence on their toes with his electric dribbling.

His defensive discipline would have please Pellegrino too, an aspect of his game that he's improved by miles.

If, nay, when he develops a cross on him, he will be a force to reckon with - and that £19 million will begin to look like a bargain.

#1 Jose Mourinho needs to introduce an alternate gameplan in attack

Paul Pogba can't do everything by himself!

As poor as United were going forward, they did create six clear-cut chances; headers missed by Messrs. Lukaku, Lingard, and Rashford (two)... the Matic shot which seemed to be going in but was prodded in by Pogba from an offside position... and the penalty that they should have got for handball by Maya Yoshida in the Saints box.

All really isn't doom and gloom, but United do need to work on alternate gameplans in attack. Mourinho generally trusts his on-field representatives to make the right choices int he offensive third of the pitch, but its apparent that no one apart from Paul Pogba has the nous to take a game by the scruff of its neck.

As the astute Soumalya Moitra noted with a tinge of frustration, Mourinho must soon realise that his current formation and method of attack have been worked out by the opponents... (yes, Jose can still point out that if United had taken all their chances in the previous three games, it'd be 9 points instead of a paltry 3... but such is life)... and a bit more possession, a bit more of an organised build-up might just be the way to go.

As it stands, United's position in the top-4 is under the most severe test.