Anthony Martial magnificent, so why are you so prickly Louis?

Southampton 2 Manchester United 3: Manchester United’s transformation is gaining momentum thanks to two goals from Anthony Martial in a 3-2 victory at Southampton which takes them to second in the table; but it wasn’t quite enough to end a long-running debate over the quality of their defence.

Certainly Martial, signed for €50m from Monaco on transfer deadline day, was outstanding at St Mary’s and will garner most of the headlines; but the way United handled Southampton’s Graziano Pelle and Sadio Mane at the other end of the field suggest Louis van Gaal still has work to do before his team have the real look of champions — even if he took umbrage at the suggestion.

In fact, Van Gaal was prickly in his post-match interview here despite a hugely encouraging victory which not only featured an excellent performance from Martial but also a goal from Juan Mata that featured 45 passes in the build-up — plus two world-class saves from David De Gea, the goalkeeper who recently agreed a new contract after a move to Real Madrid fell through.