Missing mad dogs, rues Jose Mourinho
Team lacks spirited players who can bite the ball, snatch it away: Coach
Manchester United lacked "mad dogs" on the pitch, rued manager Jose Mourinho but said at the same time that the players showed grit in staging another fight-back to salvage a 2-2 draw against Southampton.
"We lost so many balls in midfield," Mourinho told BT Sport. "In the second half we went back to losing too many balls in midfield. The players they don't understand that simplicity is genius, especially in some parts of the pitch.
"What we needed to improve in this game was simplicity in midfield. Make it simple, make the ball arrive fast to the attacking players.
"But good spirit, good fight to come back from 2-0 to 2-2."
United came back from 0-2 down to earn a draw thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and Ander Herrera.
Mourinho also refused to blame his makeshift back three which included midfielders Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay after injury ruled out Victor Lindelof, Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly for not being able to pocket three points.
"We don't have many mad dogs, the ones who bite all the ball all the team and press all the time, we don't have many with that spirit," he said. "It was nothing to do with the system and Matic and McTominay did a very positive job for two midfield players.
"There were examples of players fighting to the limits -- Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones and many others -showing that respect for the shirt and for the club.
"It was not the result but the performance had positive things."
Meanwhile, Manchester City moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League as Raheem Sterling inspired a 3-1 win over Bournemouth, while Manchester United's problems mounted as they escaped with a 2-2 draw at lowly Southampton.
Pep Guardiola's side racked up their sixth successive league win Saturday thanks to a second half surge after Bournemouth shocked the Etihad Stadium.
City hold a significant lead over second placed Liverpool, but they can close the gap back to two points if they beat Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Sunday.
"A good win, after the Champions League it is always tough. People think it's easy for us but that is not the truth, so I like to win in this way," Guardiola said.
"In the second half one action from Raheem Sterling changed the game."
It was a landmark moment for former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola, who said: "My 400th win as a manager? I didn't know that!"
City had scored 40 goals in their previous 13 league games and it took them just 16 minutes to shatter Bournemouth's resistence as Bernardo Silva bagged his second goal of the season. Leroy Sane's shot was saved by Asmir Begovic, but Silva was on hand to tap into the empty net.
City were stunned in the 44th minute when Callum Wilson headed Bournemouth's equaliser from a Simon Francis cross.
But the leaders restored order in the 57th minute as Sterling continued his mastery of Eddie Howe's team.
Sterling netted from closerange after Begovic spilled Danilo's shot, making it eight goals in six league appearances against Bournemouth for the City winger. Ilkay Gundogan put the result beyond doubt when the German finished a fine move involving Bernardo Silva and Sane in the 79th minute.
While City remain the team to beat, their rivals United remain in turmoil after their winless league run extended to three games.