Home woes could be costly for Reds

JOSE Mourinho is concerned that Manchester United's Old Trafford struggles could cost them Champions League qualification.

Stoke, Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham, Liverpool, Hull and Bournemouth have all left the north-west with a point this season.

No team has drawn as many home games this term and the inability to turn dominance into victories leaves United three points off a Champions League berth.

The Europa League offers another route back to the continent's top table, but Mourinho knows they can ill afford any more Old Trafford setbacks like Saturday's 1-1 draw with 10-man Bournemouth.

Asked if he is worried home form will cost United a top-four place, he retorted: "Of course, of course.

"If you look at the points we lost at home - I don't speak about the Man City match - all the other matches we drew.

"If you accumulate these points, you are talking about 10 or 12 and with these points we are not just speaking about the top four, we would be speaking about the top two or top one.

"We lost too many points at home and obviously cost us our position.

"Are we dead in relation to the top four? No, we are not dead. We are not dead.

"There are matches to play, points to win, points to lose, points to fight for. We are not dead.

"But the reality is that we are losing too many points at home."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, apologised for a "bad day" that will prove even more costly should the United striker face retrospective Football Association action.

A week on from his match-winning performance in the EFL Cup final, the 35-year-old was making headlines for the wrong reasons after ugly clashes and wasting the chance to seal a much-needed win.

Ibrahimovic's penalty was saved by the impressive Artur Boruc and the striker could have been sent off after catching Tyrone Mings with an elbow shortly after the Cherries defender landed on the back of his head.

The striker denied wrongdoing but accepted complicity in United's undercooked display.

"It was very disappointing overall," Ibrahimovic said.

"I take full responsibility for missing the penalty.

"I have no problem with taking the blame."

Marcos Rojo opened the scoring for the Reds, but Josh King levelled for the Cherries from the spot before Ibrahimovic's own penalty howler.