This surely was the day when priorities changed at Manchester United, the day that any thoughts of retaining the Barclays Premier League title were replaced by a rather more pragmatic need to finish the season in the top four.

Losing their grip on the title has never been viewed as a disaster by this great club. It has happened before and will inevitably happen again this season.

Failure to qualify for the Champions League, however, would represent a very real blow and, with more than half of the season gone, this now represents a very real threat.

No matter that United have put together two mini-runs of good results this season, one of 12 games without defeat in the autumn and the six-game winning streak that was ended here by Tottenham on Wednesday.

The more pertinent facts — the ones that tell us just how real United’s current problems are — are that United have won only once against clubs currently in the top nine of the Premier League (they have lost five of those games) and that they have taken only 14 points from 30 at a home stadium that is now looking less like a fortress and more like a sandcastle.

After this latest stumble at home, United manager David Moyes presented his own assessment. ‘We played well,’ he said.

Moyes’ stubbornness in the face of media questioning was understandable. So, too, was his view that his team had created enough opportunities to win. They had.

It was a similar story after December defeats here to Newcastle and Everton. That being the case, though, he must ask himself how and why United ended up losing these games. As he will know, it has to be about more than hard luck. There was some reason to be aggrieved on Wednesday night.

Why referee Howard Webb didn’t award Ashley Young a late penalty after the England winger was clobbered by Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris only he will know. That incident should have at least given United the opportunity to secure a draw.

Nevertheless, United conceded poor goals once again here. Once again they looked vulnerable when they didn’t have the ball and the fact that Wayne Rooney — playing in the centre of midfield — was their best player in both halves of the pitch is something that should concern Moyes as he looks at the possibilities presented by this transfer window and the one that will follow the season’s end.

Tottenham, remember, were missing seven or eight players at Old Trafford. They then lost their most potent forward, Emmanuel Adebayor, with 23 minutes left. United, though, did not have the wit to break them down. There was plenty of energy and plenty of late balls in to the box but it was helter-skelter football and too often it simply lacked method.

Tottenham, for their part, were admirable. Resolute when they didn’t have the ball, they possessed something approaching a rapier thrust on the counter and that enabled them to take the lead in the 35th minute. Up until then, United had been the better team and had threatened early through a Chris Smalling shot saved by Lloris’s legs and a header from a corner from Nemanja Vidic.

Had United scored, they may have settled. Top teams shouldn’t need such assurances, though, and Tottenham served notice of their ambition and confidence soon enough, Aaron Lennon running inside Patrice Evra on to Roberto Soldado’s pass to shoot against David de Gea’s legs when he should have scored.

Eventually the goal was simple enough. A super cross from the right from Christian Eriksen found Smalling caught under the ball and Adebayor’s leap was as prodigious as his cushioned header to De Gea’s left was imperious.

United, to be blunt, panicked. Soldado almost scored at the far post from a Lennon cross and Rooney was booked as frustrations grew. Half-time, for United at least, seemed to come at the right time but the interval brought scant improvement and only a Danny Welbeck dive over Vlad Chiriches’ foot was worthy of note before Tottenham broke to score again.

Once again the attack was fleet but the defending suspect. Lennon’s scamper down the right resulted in a low cross but Antonio Valencia was caught criminally on his heels, allowing Eriksen to steal in at the far post and head bravely down in to the net from six yards.

With less then half an hour left, United looked finished. But Javier Hernandez played Welbeck in almost from the restart and an assured finish from a striker growing in confidence set up a wham-bam finale.

Tottenham couldn’t have argued had United levelled. Adnan Januzaj shot wide from 20 yards, Lloris repelled a Hernandez back heel at the near post before Vidic headed one chance over from a corner and saw another saved.

United won many games from these positions under Moyes’ predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson. The current incumbent hasn’t found the key to the magic box yet. There is much to play for this season for Moyes and his team. It is not time to panic. The league title, though, looks to have gone.

—Daily Mail