Six defenders on the pitch. Time wasting and last-ditch challenges. Jose Mourinho chuntering away to Rui Faria and eventually sent to the stands, that old rueful look on his face.
But at the end of it all three more points, another hurdle cleared. This wasn’t Manchester United at their fluent best, but it was ruthless. Brave, too: wave after wave of Southampton pressure crashed against the away defence in the second half, but the Red Devils stood firm.
It was also vintage Mourinho. Four-goal thrashings are all well and good, but you can’t beat a gritty, backs-against-the-wall away win every now and then to blow the cobwebs away.
United, who remain second on goal difference, will surely be better for this victory in the long run.
“It’s better to win 5-0 than 1-0, but it’s not always possible,” admitted Mourinho.
“Today it wasn’t. We had opportunities in the first half to score the second goal and then the game is different.
“We did for 20 minutes what the majority of the Premier League teams are doing, which is to play defensively with five at the back. We did that for 20 mintues. We had chances to kill the game and score the second goal, but didn’t.
“Then, honestly, I felt Southampton were strong. Their manager was enthusiastic, excited, risking bringing two strikers to play direct, and also in a style that isn’t normally their style.
“So I made the decision to bring on Smalling and the team were solid. Good solidarity, organisation and spirit – and amazing points.”
Mourinho named the same XI that dispatched Everton with ease last weekend, only Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford remaining from the League Cup stroll against Burton.
The latter was heavily involved early on, darting infield to give Henrikh Mkhitaryan a sight of goal and just failing to intercept an uncharacteristically ropey Fraser Forster clearance.
At the other end, Saints struggled to exert much pressure, Shane Long cutting an isolated figure up front against the assembled heft of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly.
It was an invitation for United to push on and they seized it with two hands 19 minutes in, Romelu Lukaku netting his sixth goal in six league games.
Ashley Young was the creator, standing up his man and standing up a sugar-coated cross. Forster reacted quickly enough to keep out Lukaku’s header but could do nothing about the follow-up.
The lead established, United settled into familiar show-us-what-you’ve-got mode.
Rashford thumped a free-kick just wide and the only other notable action before the break came on the halfway line, where Marouane Fellaini went down clutching his heel after a challenge from Long. The United players were incensed but referee Craig Pawson was content to leave it at a booking.
Mauricio Pellegrino must have brought his hairdryer with him from Spain because Southampton were a different side after the break.
They tore into United with abandon, Oriol Romeu and Nathan Redmond both going close and crosses raining in from out wide. There were loud appeals for a penalty just before the hour mark when Jones tangled with Long, but Pawson waved play on.
“Our team was getting better,” said a deflated Mauricio Pellegrino.
“We put them under pressure and they realised we were playing well. We played a good game against a team who are hard to control, but you have to be really close to excellence to win these games.”
United created a couple more chances, Lukaku firing at Forster’s legs and substitute Ander Herrera blazing over from 15 yards.
But as Mourinho threw on more bodies to populate the area, it became clear that 1-0 would have to be enough. In the end, despite a couple of minor scares and a bit of touchline confusion involving the Portuguese and the fourth official, it was.