It turned out to be a night when everything went the way of Manchester United, but it was a game that Saints acquitted themselves well in to suggest that they are not far away from getting it right.

I said in the preview that this was a night were the atmosphere could swing the match either way and sadly for Saints it did, but they did not wither despite setbacks and did enough to suggest that Claude Puel is slowly getting his team into shape.

Saints matched United for possession having the lions share of 57%, they matched them for shots having 13 against the home side's 12, but they could not match them for shots on target and that is perhaps where the early season issues lie, but more of that later.

Given that Saints were missing Ryan Bertrand and lost Oriol Romeu early on to injury, they did well to adapt and match United with hard work and when they got the ball holding it and passing it, the problem is though there is no cutting edge, too often Saints had no final ball options when they got into the final third.

That is not to suggest that Long and Redmond are not up to the task, both had good games, however when the tactics seem to be about getting the ball down the line and crosses into the box, neither are the tallest, Lond is good in the air, but he has to win his headers by guile rather than towering height as Ibrahimovic did for United's opener and turned out winning goal.

Up to that moment 9 mins before the break Saints had looked if not exactly comfortable, but competent, however the issue was that as good as they looked in the first two thirds of the field, their game was breaking down in the final third and this was the issue leading up to the goal.

In the second half the pattern followed pretty much the same as the first with Saints passing the ball well but struggling to find an opening, conversely United broke quickly but again were well contained by Saints and barring a little period late in the second half they did not look like extending their lead.

The game swung United's way for good shortly after the break when the ref disallowed a Saints goal and then moments later saw Luke Shaw tripped in the box, TV replays showed that no one was near Shaw and the ex Saints player had not dived but clipped his own heel by mistake.

Referee Anthony Taylor was born in Manchester and lives in the Manchester suburb of Altrincham, only about 3 miles from Old Trafford, previously Everton have had him removed from officiating in a fixture when they have had him listed as ref in a game against United, I am not suggesting bias, but it is a situation that is open to that accusation but more seriously could put Taylor's safety in danger should he give a decision against United.

With the penalty scored it was an uphill task for Saints but they stuck to their guns and made sure that if it didn't get any better for them it didn't get any worse.

The issue os for Saints one of having a cutting edge, as I said if the main tactic is going to be getting crosses into the box, then you have to have someone big enough to get on the end of them and either take chances of hold the ball up, perhaps Charlie Austin of Jay Rodriguez could do that, but although Austin got 22 minutes on the pitch J Rod had 6 and that was not enough.

If I have one criticism of Claude Puel and I do only have one, I am can see where he is going and looking to do, it is the fact that he seems a little cautious, against Watford Austin did not appear till the final 8 minutes and that was not enough time and on Friday night Rodriguez did not come on till the final 6, I felt that we did not try to get back into the game but seem to be content to be beaten by a respectable score.

Saints fans had a mixed reaction to the game, some have already made their minds up that Puel is not a good manager and we are now a porr team, however the majority still seemed to be behind him.

I would remind all Saints fans that we suffered just as badly in Ronald Koeman's opening games two years ago and last season the same bedwetters were predicting more doom and gloom after a draw at Newcastle and a 3-0 home defeat to Everton in the openers.

At the moment the time is all about staying calm and seeing that things are not right at the moment, but there is more than enough there to suggest that we will get it right fairly quickly.

I am not sure that United are good enough to win the League, but I do not think that many sides will go to Old Trafford and fare much better than we did on Friday.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 10:03 - Aug 21 I know the phrase "game-changer" in terms of a player is a bit of a cliche but Manure brought two in and we sold our two (no choice on Pelle of course). Last time we were 1-0 down at a Morinho team Pelle and Mane turned it round and the ref didn't give the penalty. This time we were competent and look promising but I believe we will be taking an enormous risk if we don't bring more goals in by the end of the month. It is a good point that we were worse in the first two games last season but we then brought in VVD. I am not depressed after that performance but I genuinely don't believe we are going to score enough goals.

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Ali_Diarea added 10:22 - Aug 21 I'm reserving judgement until the transfer window has closed however with virtually a fully fit squad, bar Bertrand, and qualification to the Group stage of the Europa league, our squad is looking rather thin on the ground in terms of quality and potency. Looking at our substitutes bench on Friday - two strikers off the pace, a dodgy centre back, an untested right back and two uninspiring midfielders. I can see us losing lots of games by one goal - but as I say, saving judgement until 1 September!

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DPeps added 10:25 - Aug 21 I thought we gave a good account of ourselves, although Utd always looked like they could step up a gear or two if they wanted. The two games so far have confirmed to me that we still need strengthening up front and perhaps in midfield. Romeu was a big loss because without him we lacked physicality in midfield. I thought Classie played well (I imagine others will disagree), but Jordy against Fellaini and Pogba is a mismatch. I don't get why the penalty was given, but no-one seemed to question it (players, commentators, pundits) so maybe I'm missing something! Striker and a midfielder please!

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halftimeorange added 10:50 - Aug 21 Nobody questions the penalty because Sky and the rest of the media couldn't care two hoots what happens to clubs outside the "big six". Much would have been made of it had it been the other way round. Historical records clearly show that Man U benefit from more allegedly poor decisions than any other EPL club. Nobody questions the low standard of refereeing in the EPL or comes up with measures which might improve things. The whole thing is a circus with Sky as the ringmaster.

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helpineedsomebody added 11:10 - Aug 21 1- thebuild up play&the technical play was very good i enjoyed this style of play it was not dull at all i have hope at long last. 2- all jm teams play with 2 banks of four becouse he plays counter attacking play 3- the second goal was cruicial it decided the game end of 4- if we had kept pella- mane we would have scored 2 goals 5 thr final third jordy classie must pass the ball forward not sideways/backwards but in his defence he had no forwards in the box. 6- shane badly missed mane but he had 2 very good chances to score instead of looking fed up when substituted man up 7 to our manager well done becouse its not your team yet you have to play with what you have been given by mr dof who has he manage yet he signs the players & gives them the contracts.

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Archersclose added 12:01 - Aug 21 I don't want to sound like a stuck record but we need to sign a striker or maybe two. FWIW i think the Puel and the club themselves have doubts over Rodriguez and Austin. We need to address the situation urgently. We also need to ask ourselves if our squad has the depth to handle the rigours of the Europa League? We fought hard enough to get into it, the least we could do is be prepared to have a right go at it! I think we have quality in our squad but do we have enough of it for the demanding season ahead? If we fail to sign the players required then this season will become a major worry for me, because we will not score enough goals with what we currently have.I am no bedwetter i just say it as i see it, if other people want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that we are gonna be ok, then that is up to them.

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IanRC added 14:09 - Aug 21 Very unlucky second goal, Tadic was offside so no problems with the disallowed goal. Game highlighted how much we will miss Mane. Don't think Man Utd looked anything like good enough for contenders, clearly Mouinhio is only any good buying a title rather than developing players. Think we have plenty of work to do if we are going to turn this into a good season. Something at Sunderland is a must.

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GeordieSaint added 14:12 - Aug 21 Certainly looked a penalty to me, shame as it was a crucial point in the game and effectively finished the contest. Thought claisse played well other than that but we definitely need another destroyer in the middle. The key moment of the whole game was redmonds poor cross. That should have been a goal and would have changed the whole match. Overall there were lots of positive signs but a little action in the transfer market would not go amiss.

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SaintPaulVW added 15:19 - Aug 21 Could easily have been 1-1 and then no real issue. We always start slow so I'm not too bothered yet. Like it or not, I think Austin was bought as our 20 goal a season man, Redmond is the Mane replacement and Hjoberg is the Wanyama replacement. Not too sure too much more will be coming this window.
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ExiledSupporter added 17:03 - Aug 21 Mixed feelings for me, we played some neat and slick football, particularly in the first half, when we pinged the ball round with confidence; yes, I too thought Hojbjerg was our best player and he looks a seriously good player for this season, but I don't agree that he is a Wanyama replacement, that was Romeu's role that Hojbjerg had to take on for the last 80 mins. I think the better comparison is as a belated replacement for Schneiderlein. I think he is a very strong box to box midfielder, because he carries the ball forward very impressively. By, the way I too thought that VVD, as always, Clasie and Cedric all played pretty well, the sooner Bertrand is back the better ! And here's the problem that we have which affects our prospects of scoring, Puel's diamond system with one holding midfielder (Romeu) and one No 10 (Tadic) means that the other two first choice players in midfield (Davis & Hojbjorg at the start of play, then Davis and Clasie for the greater part of the game) were overwhelmed by the physical power and presence of Pogba and Fellaini. With Mata (always a subtle influence in most matches) playing in front of them they had much more possession in the middle of the pitch than we could summon. We certainly didn't have the physical power that we have customarily deployed via Wanyama. This lack of power and numbers in central midfield meant that Pogba in particular was able to drive forward almost at will and was even more obvious once Mata was subbed for Mhkytarian. While part of the problem is that we lack that sort of resilience in the squad (after all it's not provided by Ward-Prowse on the bench...like many others I'm not clear what he brings to the squad beside quite impressive free kicks around the box, sometimes), the other part of the problem arises from the diamond formation. Now I have nothing against Puel, and In hope he proves to be a great success, but I am suspicious of a manager who asserts right from the start that he wants to play a diamond formation, by implication irrespective of the player resources that he has inherited. I can't see how that premise makes sense, especially given the overall weaker squad that we currently have vs last season. Aside from challenging large defenders in their own penalty area Pelle was a fantastic protector of balls played long to him with his back to goal, waiting to lay the ball off for Mane and Tadic. I don't think that Long, Austin or Rodriguez are particularly convincing in that role, they are all better turning on balls played into the channels and Redmond seems well equipped for that too or cutting in from the right. So, in short, we don't have enough physical presence (and numbers) in midfield - where I think only Tadic and Hojbjerg and Romeu are strong selections for their respective positions. I'd pull Redmond back from the out and out striker role and more into the Mane style position and keep Davis in as the experienced campaigner there. Austin and Long to compete for the striker position with fingers crossed that JR makes it back, perhaps he needs some time loaned out to a championship side to get back into the rhythm of play...and that would definitely mean another striker signed.

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darthvader added 17:13 - Aug 21 Shaw tripped over his own legs and dived after minimal Contact .we miss Mane and Pelle,as we won't come anywhere near in replacements for these we won't be as good . I personally can't get my head around why the diamond Is being used ,why change? Ah well still get behind the team and manager but so frustrating
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geecee added 17:59 - Aug 21 Despite a two nil defeat at Old Trafford, I came away with the reflection that on this performance the rest of the season augurs well. After all, Saints won't be up against Man. Utd every week and against most teams, with a similar performance, they will be able to more than hold their own. Saints took the game to United from the kick off and maintained that approach for the whole game. Other than a defensive error and a very unfortunate penalty decision, Saints could have very easily come away with a point, or even a smash and grab three. Fonte made a rare mistake when he failed to challenge Ibrahamovich effectively to deny him a free head on goal. If Forster had read the developing situation, maybe he could have got a hand to it, though maybe I'm being too harsh on him. Initially it looked like a clumsy error and unnecessary error by Clasie that resulted with trip on Ex-Saint, Luke Shaw. With the benefit of a slow motion replay, it emerged that Shaw has managed to trip himself up without any contact from Clasie. On the plus side Van Dyke, Targett, Davis and Hojbjerg had excellent games. Contrary to Nick's view, I thought less impressive displays were given by Redmond, Tadic and Long. Though in their defence they were rarely given the opportunity to profit from quality service. Puel can return to the south coast to analyse the game and learn a lot about his players and hopefully address some of the glaring issues afflicting the team. Now the forthcoming game at home to Sunderland takes on extra importance as Saints go in search of their first win of the season. Four points from their first three games will look a lot healthier than one point from three games. No need to hit the panic buttons, take the positives from the United defeat and let's go and beat Sunderland comprehensively

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saintmark1976 added 18:29 - Aug 21 An excellent post SanMarco. With Pelle we had a target man who could hold a ball up and that allowed players around him to link up and score goals.Mane gave us pace and was a player who could beat a defender and go by him.Now we have neither option. I thought that on Friday we looked like a poor mans Arsenal.Lots of fancy sideways passing but no cutting edge what so ever. Put simply,where are the goals going to come from? Jay Rod shows no evidence of a return to his pre injury form and Austin gives every indication of not being able to play ninty minutes.Redmond may be one for the long term future but lets face it,he could not command a starting place in a very poor Norwich side last season.Long is Long,a goal scorer on his day but he has too few of those days. Our season will defined in the next few days before the window closes and I am increasingly less confident that the owner wants to spend her money.I just hope I am wrong.

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AmericanSaint added 18:38 - Aug 21 Some good points by people on the board, but I think people keep forgetting that Pelle and Mane wanted to leave. Pelle for the paycheck and Mane for the bigger club. The true turning point of the game was Romeu going down. The first goal was caused by no height and power to ward-off Pogba dashing in and Ibra climbing over Fonte. I agree with geecee that Redmond and Long didnt have the best games. I think that Austin and JRod should have come in immediately after the second goal. Overall, not a bad display, but the final third needs to be tightened up and we need to take the few chances we have been given. Final note - IMO Phil Neville as a commentator is horrible. All he could do was say how great Pogba was and that the Saints were in trouble and could be in the relegation battle. I thought he was going to go down to the field and want to kiss Pogba and Ibra at different points of the game. He made himself look like a complete buffoon. There were two tackles by MU players and the ref didnt pool the yellow card when it was obviously deserving and all he could say was "maybe a little late, but nothing really there." It is obvious that the TV segment will push only the BIG 3 and push out the hype for them to win it all and not give unbiased commentating.

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SaintCarlos added 18:57 - Aug 21 Don't rate Charlie Austin at all. Looks the same as when he was playing at Poole. Agree with S Marco as we will struggle to score goals. Jay Rod leaving on loan will be a joke if we don't sign a goalscorer or two.
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SonicBoom added 19:26 - Aug 21 Austin looks like can't play ninety? How's that? He is only getting a few moments. Not much he can do about that. I don't blame fonte for the goal. Davis ambled out to Rooney with no urgency to close down the cross. Rooney under no pressure could knock in an inviting cross.
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SaintCarlos added 19:37 - Aug 21 Agree a few players haven't had a good run of late. Austin being one. What we've sold in 3 seasons and what we've bought to replace them don't add up. Sooner or later the staff retention stroke transfer policy is gonna bit them on their arse
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SaintCarlos added 19:38 - Aug 21 #Bite
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richsaints added 20:32 - Aug 21 Won the last two times at Trafford so no surprise this one didn't go our way especially with the Friday night kick off and media hype surrounding man u first home game with all the new personnel.Saints are tidy but looking of at least a couple of players short hojberg looks a good addition and Redmond will be good in time but he needs help
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saintmark1976 added 21:04 - Aug 21 SonicBoom.With respect,Austin has not played ninety since we bought him. He has had the whole of the close season to get fit but he still can not get in the team from the off. That alone speaks volumes to me but you must draw your own conclusions.
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lemmsy added 22:24 - Aug 21 Thought we played well enough but were sloppy in certain areas, passing the ball out of defence on a few occasions we gave it straight to mu in dangerous areas . Defended well overall but I believe it was targett who ambled out to Rooney and just hung a leg out,once he had so much time for the cross zlatan was always favourite to win the header with a running jump. Also thought targett got into good positions only to constantly deliver poor crosses. We're taking a gamble on the goal scoring with Austin & jrod so could do with signing a quality 20 goal target man , obviously need the goals & would boost the supporters.

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darthvader added 08:27 - Aug 22 Lemmsey it was Davis who didn't close down Rooney
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SaintJez added 09:55 - Aug 24 Generally a good first half hour and then some shoddy play from Davis gave it all away. It's just not acceptable to switch off in this league and there's no way he should have sauntered after Rooney and allowed him to turn and cross under no pressure. Matches in this league swing on tiny moments like that. As for the penalty, I'm bemused by the article and reaction on here. It was a clear pen. Claisie inexplicably (and apparently deliberately) stepped across his back leg and caused Shaw's legs to tangle. A classic rugby ankle tap, if you like. it looked a pen, it was a pen, and was shocking from Claisie. His expression told you all you needed to know.

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