It was a night where Saints felt like a complete afterthought, but they did enough to suggest they should get a bit more respect, even if their own game is still a work in progress.

Off the pitch, the spectacle of a Friday night trip, even to Old Trafford, was a nightmare for many supporters with work commitments and the roads to contend with.

As it turned out many had eight hour plus journeys and missed the start, but the great cash cow of Sky pays the money and get what they want.

The reason they wanted this game? Nothing to do with Saints of course.

Jose Mourinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and, conveniently, Paul Pogba thrown into the mix as well.

In the build-up all the focus was on those characters. In his own pre-match press conference Claude Puel was clearly exasperated at getting asked more about United’s staff than his own.

The United fans who turned up in an expectant party mode could at least be forgiven. This was a night for them to enjoy.

If Saints were being treated a bit like second class citizens all round, at least they showed enough on the pitch to prove they deserve a bit more recognition in the future, albeit they now really need a win to get going.

Claude Puel drafted in Jose Fonte and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and persisted with the diamond formation that is clearly here to stay.

There were encouraging signs, though, oddly, it was hard not to reflect that on the balance of the first two games Saints look better placed to defeat the likes of Manchester United than, for example, the previous week’s visitors to St Mary’s, Watford.

Saints can sit deep as they did against United and soak up pressure, have good possession and the pace and sharpness of mind and passing to break, which leaves them well equipped against teams that like to come onto them, as the big sides invariably will do.

It clearly needs to be adapted for the likes of Watford and Sunderland at home however, who will not allow you any space to counter attack or get in behind if they are well drilled and organised.

But the big question above all others remains whether Saints, be it through formation or personnel, have enough goals in them this season.

Saints held their own for the majority of the first half at Old Trafford, and indeed had a few half chances but couldn’t take any of them.

They suffered an early blow as the injured Oriol Romeu hobbled off to be replaced by Jordy Clasie but with Hojbjerg shining at the base of the diamond it did little to dent them.

Dusan Tadic slashed a volley off target while Shane Long hit the side netting with a shot on the turn after Nathan Redmond had won a deep header.

The pick of the Saints first half chances came on 32 minutes when Saints broke up the play in midfield and Hojbjerg found Tadic, whose perfect through ball picked out Long. He took a shot early in the area but couldn’t connect cleanly and it was easy for David De Gea.

United looked flashy but didn’t seriously test Fraser Forster until they took the lead on 36 minutes.

Wayne Rooney retrieved the ball untracked in the right corner and stood up a cross into the area.

With Fonte caught just slightly under the ball, Ibrahimovic rose highest to win a header he arrowed back across goal giving Forster no chance.

Saints began the second period with a good tempo. Tadic got the ball in the net four minutes after the restart but it was chalked out for offside.

United then took control.

Forster had to save from Martial but was helpless to stop Ibrahimovic doubling their lead on 52 minutes with a perfectly struck penalty into the bottom corner after Clasie’s clumsy trip clearly felled Luke Shaw in the area.

United got the smell of blood in their nostrils and put Saints under the pump, Pogba heading over from just outside the six yard box and Virgil van Dijk coming to the rescue with a fantastic last ditch tackle to deny Martial.

Puel threw on Charlie Austin to try and change it up, but Tadic dropped deeper and Redmond played the number ten role rather than providing width to get the ball in the box for the new man, a clear limitation for a deadly penalty box striker in this set-up.

Saints did try and get back into it, but again the question of goals and finishing wasn’t far away.

Long nipped in superbly with a darting near post run but headed across goal and off target from Cedric’s right wing cross.

Tadic also came close late on with an audacious effort from just outside the area but it wasn’t to be, as United made sure the night was all about them.

For Saints and Puel it is a big game against Sunderland with that first win, and proof the formation will work, certainly needed before the early international break.

Daily Echo: