Sluggish United draw third straight game, Lukaku carried off

MANCHESTER, England (AP): ANCHESTER UNITED manager José Mourinho was under scrutiny for the first time this season after the team dropped further out of Premier League title contention with a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton yesterday.

With their third straight draw over the busy Christmas period, United slipped to third place and were 14 points behind leaders Manchester City, having played a game more.

Boos rang around Old Trafford at the final whistle, and former players questioned United’s players’ attitude and Mourinho’s ability to get the best out of his team.

Troublingly for the Portuguese coach, United also have a striker shortage in the immediate future after Romelu Lukaku was carried off on a stretcher after a clash of heads in the first half against Southampton. Mourinho later said back-up striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be out for a month with a knee injury

Mourinho’s replies were terse in his postmatch interviews, with United’s coach focusing his unhappiness on referee Craig Pawson’s failure to award a penalty for a handball against Southampton defender Maya Yoshida.

The pressure is ramping up on United and Mourinho ahead of a match against Everton tomorrow. United’s other results over Christmas are 2-2 draws against Leicester and Burnley, and its main task might now be holding on to a place in the top four with Liverpool three points back in fourth.

MFOCUS IS KEY

“The pressure is coming from behind,” United midfielder Paul Pogba said, “but we have to forget about everyone else and focus on ourselves.”