Right wing issue continues
Bordeaux's left-footed right winger Malcom was United's early January target before Alexis Sanchez became attainable. How to accommodate him in a Premier League fixture was the obvious quandary and Jose Mourinho did so by shifting Anthony Martial to the right flank, which was an obvious error.
It was to Martial's credit he fashioned a couple of openings during the first-half horror show and he still spent the majority of it on the fringes, as the enterprising Sanchez troubled Tottenham with his darts across the attacking line. Jesse Lingard did not vindicate the decision to keep him behind Romelu Lukaku.
Martial was the inevitable fall guy, given the Sanchez signing and Lingard's fabulous form. Lingard is perhaps the least talented of the trio and it was telling that at the start of the second half he was moved to the right and Martial occupied his favoured left wing berth. The irony is Martial was poorer there.
Lingard was substituted and Mourinho berated Martial for not committing to a challenge. Sanchez is not the solution to United's problem position and the right needs addressing ahead of next season.
Matic undroppable for the wrong reasons
Nemanja Matic's last passable performance for United was almost two months ago at Arsenal and he entered that game on the back of a woeful Watford showing. At Wembley, his cumbersome carelessness may ensure he doesn't partner Paul Pogba in the next 'big six' fixture. Matic is believed to have been carrying an injury recently and it showed again as Spurs preyed on his lethargy. On more than one occasion, Spurs fans sarcastically cheered a Matic pass to the advertising hoarding.
Eric Dier, Mourinho's preferred midfield target last summer, gave an aggressive and urgent display with Mousa Dembele to swamp Matic and leave the piqued Paul Pogba irate. Mourinho signed Matic as a specialist defensive midfielder and, while he has alternatives in Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, they are not experts.
Pogba goes missing
A midfielder is the priority for United in the summer and, just like with Matic, they will be bought with Pogba's role in mind. The Frenchman needs the ball to be won for him and Matic failed to do that for much of the evening in north London, causing his midfield partner to express his exasperation regularly.
Pogba, for such an indomitable physical specimen, showed little fight against the pugnacious pairing of Dier and Mousa Dembele and Mourinho was actually on his case, rather than Matic's. Mourinho rebuked Pogba following Phil Jones's own goal and that made his second-half withdrawal less of a surprise.
Defenders regress
You would not have thought United last conceded a goal before kick-off on Boxing Day. Phil Jones is a worthy contender for the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award and Chris Smalling is having a decent campaign, yet they regressed wretchedly amid the incessant energy of the Tottenham attackers.
Smalling showed why Mourinho once told him United don't play out of the back with him in defence and the dismal defending was clearly contagious as Jones committed an amateurish error to put through his own net. United let Axel Tuanzebe join Aston Villa on loan due to Eric Bailly's progress from an ankle injury and Mourinho must hope it gets even better.
Jones is an established first-teamer and Smalling has started every league fixture since September 30 but Bailly has to regain his place once he has recovered.
Mistake not to sign a midfielder
United entered the January market on the lookout for a central midfielder. Maroaune Fellaini and Michael Carrick's return to fitness may have eased the need for one but it is an area where there is a dearth of dynamism and Mourinho may yet regret ending the winter window without reinforcing the midfield.
Fellaini lasted seven minutes and appeared to suffer a setback with his long-standing knee injury. Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred's representatives encouraged United to bid and scouts monitored Borussia Dortmund duo Christian Pulisic and Julian Weigl, while Napoli's Jorginho has been shortlisted as a potential Carrick replacement.
Admiring from afar now seems remiss after Matic and Pogba plodded against Spurs.
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