Passing on transfer target, set-pieces and more - everything that can go wrong is going wrong at Manchester United

The defining image of Manchester United's season came in the 71st minute against Southampton. The team with a set-piece coach and without a set-piece goal all season scored from a set-piece. It was just that six players were offside.

Some supporters sat in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand parallel with United's attacking line joked before kick-off Harry Maguire must have been pushing one of the lawnmowers, as the grass-cutting was wonky. They were literally laughing again at the wayward line of the United attackers seconds before Bruno Fernandes whipped the ball into the Southampton area.

Like an obsequious Tory, some United players tried to defend the indefensible, adding to the tragicomedy. Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo protested to the referee Stuart Attwell and were more expert at time-wasting than any of the Southampton players. The atrocious Atwell took one minute and 13 seconds to confirm it was offside and, even after that, nattered with Fraser Forster.

Ralf Rangnick eventually ran onto the pitch to retrieve the ball and, in retrospect, should have charged onto the pitch to make an intervention with Fernandes and Ronaldo, if only so the game could restart.

The Southampton coaches ought to have seized on the pause to show their players a screenshot - which went viral so quickly Richard Arnold may mention it on the next investors' call: "Look how desperate they are."

"Breaking every rule in the book here United on how to chase a goal!" Gary Neville tweeted. "Don’t give fouls away, don’t give the ball away, don’t force it, don’t lose your discipline and chase the ref etc etc! Probably score now." They didn't.

Little wonder Chris Armas appeared so stunned United registered from a set-piece at Burnley, where Raphael