Michael Carrick's team saw victory snatched away from them on their return to action as Dominic Solanke's late goal secured a 1-1 draw for struggling Tottenham at Old Trafford.
That caused yet more frustration for the Red Devils fans with the club's summer signings still yet to ignite.
Youri Tielemans started against Spurs, with Carlos Baleba introduced from the bench latte on, and reports from several UK outlets claim internal United sources have admitted they missed out on targets they wanted to sign in August.
Andrey Santos and Tielemans were not viewed as top priorities in the summer planning, and there's disappointment over a new left-back not being secured.
Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Aurelien Tchouameni and Ederson were reportedly higher on United's wish list than both players, with Anderson and Fernandes joining Manchester City and Tottenham respectively, as the latter pair remained in place.
Lewis Hall also stayed and signed a new contract at Newcastle United with Carrick now unclear on how much money he will have available in January.