United Chief Canvasses Stars

Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward has spoken to a number of players following their defeat to Southampton.

Manager Louis van Gaal is currently in the Netherlands and not due to return to the UK until Tuesday, when he is expected to take training at Carrington as normal.

In his absence, Woodward held face-to-face talks with senior members of the first-team squad at the weekend, discussing recent performances in an attempt to identify which problems require attention.

United lost for the ninth time this season as Charlie Austin's late goal condemned them to a 1-0 defeat which leaves them 10 points behind Premier League leaders Leicester.

Already out of the Champions League, they are five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham and lagging behind in their attempts to reach next term's competition. They were knocked out of the Capital One Cup on penalties by Middlesbrough.

The weekend meeting with Southampton saw United fail to win for the 18th time in 34 competitive matches this season.

In total, 10 of their last 11 games at Old Trafford have been 0-0 at half-time and they have scored only two first-half goals in the Premier League since last summer.

Fans have become disillusioned with the team's playing style, calling for more emphasis on attack while Van Gaal has adopted a more defensive approach.

The club has also yet to win a trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, despite Van Gaal spending almost £250m in the last 18 months.

Credit: Skysports.com