Phil Jones insists Manchester United have not given up hope of catching Premier League leaders Chelsea.
United’s 11-match unbeaten run came to a shock end on Sunday when they lost 1-0 to Southampton at Old Trafford.
The defeat meant United dropped to fourth in the table and Louis van Gaal's men are now some 12 points behind Chelsea, who are two points in front of second-placed Manchester City.
United were so poor on Sunday that they failed to muster a single shot on target.
United’s £150 million (Dh831.5m) four-man attack looked blunt, but Jones believes it would be wrong to make a snap judgement on the team’s title aspirations based on Sunday’s defeat.
When asked whether the loss meant it would be hard to catch Chelsea or City, the United defender said: “No. You have seen teams dropping points.
“I think Chelsea were clear of City and then two games within the space of a week and they are back in it. That’s how football changes.
“It’s up and down. You just never know who is going to drop points.
“That gives us hope. There’s always hope, but we have to worry about ourselves really rather than anyone else.”
Senior sources at Old Trafford insisted towards the end of last year that United had been on an “upward trajectory” since Van Gaal took over in July.
But however much he does not like to be told about it, the Premier League table suggests otherwise.
After 21 matches Van Gaal has amassed 37 points – the same number as his predecessor David Moyes, who was sacked after 10 months having spent less than half the money his successor has on transfers.
There is no doubt Van Gaal has restored a sense of grandeur and expectation about the club, though.
And when asked whether United were in a better position to bounce back now compared to last year, Jones added: “Yes. There’s a lot of confidence still in the dressing room.
“We have lost the game, the lads are disappointed but you have to move on quickly.
“You can’t dwell on these results. We have done okay over Christmas.
“We would have liked to have picked up two more points against Stoke and Tottenham but now we need to get a bit of a run.
“Losing is always a little setback but it’s nothing more than that.
“We have to look forward to the next game and make sure we get three points. We have been on a decent run and we need to go on a new one.”
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
Results
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mezmar, Adam McLean (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: AF Ajwad, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Gold Silver, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
4pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m; Winner: Atrash, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez.
4.30pm: Gulf Cup Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Momtaz, Saif Al Balushi, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Al Mushtashar, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
FIXTURES
Saturday, November 3
Japan v New Zealand
Wales v Scotland
England v South Africa
Ireland v Italy
Saturday, November 10
Italy v Georgia
Scotland v Fiji
England v New Zealand
Wales v Australia
Ireland v Argentina
France v South Africa
Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
Scotland v South Africa
Ireland v New Zealand
Saturday, November 24
|Italy v New Zealand
Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends