DAVID MOYES believes Sunderland’s defeat to Manchester United has done nothing to alter his view about the difficulty of keeping Premier League football at the Stadium of Light – even if he still thinks he can pull the task off.

The Black Cats lost 3-1 at Old Trafford after gifting Moyes’ former club two goals in the final eight minutes; up to that point Sunderland were right in it and had every chance of claiming something.

Sunderland had fallen behind when Daley Blind had picked out the bottom corner six minutes before time after a positive first half when the visitors could have gone ahead.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic grabbed the second eight minutes before the end after Didier Ndong had gifted possession to Paul Pogba, while Jason Denayer then lost the ball for Ibrahimovic to tee up a third for Henrikh Mkhitaryan four minutes later.

Even though Fabio Borini volleyed one back in the final stages, Sunderland had lost and are a point behind Sam Allardyce’s Crystal Palace who sit just above them outside of the bottom three.

Moyes, whose side head to fellow strugglers Burnley on New Year’s Eve, knows he will not have much cash to spend next month but does not think a result at Manchester United should change anyone’s view.

He said: “We're going to have to try to galvanise it from within. It's not a situation I'm necessarily used to but some of the players are so I hope that together we can find a way to be good enough and strong enough in the games that really matter.

“This mattered but there'll be games when it matters more so, which will be important for us. We are more optimistic because we've got a couple of results and we're back on the tails of the other teams.

“But I said right at the start how difficult it was going to be, and that's not going to change. It'll be the same level of difficulty right to the last minute for us, I've got no doubt about that.”

There were a few derogatory chants aimed at Moyes during the game, although on the whole his return to the club where he failed to deliver after succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t cause too much of a stir.

Moyes, who left in April 2014 after ten months in charge, said: “I had to answer the questions, and I would do. I would try to answer the questions I get asked. But when you're in football, it goes around, comes around. I'll meet all you people again somewhere, and the same with the players.

“I knew some day I would either come up against a Manchester United player or work with some of them. I think that's what happens when you're in football.

“That's how it's been for me, and I've got to say I enjoyed coming back. I've always enjoyed coming here. It's a hard place to come and get a result. It proved to be that again today.

“I thought it (the reception) was fine. Manchester United supporters are knowledgeable. They've seen some good teams and they've seen some bad teams. I think they're knowledgeable, and I think most of them were very good. I'm a football supporter myself, so sometimes you go with it and sometimes you won't.”

Moyes’ return with Sunderland could have gone even better had they managed to convert one of their first half chances, which would have stunned Old Trafford. Instead, though, Manchester United took command and continue to surge towards the top four.

He said: “I thought up until 1-0 that we had a good chance of getting something out of the game but we gave away a dreadful second goal, and the third one was offside.

“But we gave away a terrible second goal and the third one was just bad, the pass (by Denayer). Two passes we had. But, we hung in, because they're playing well at the moment. We stifled them a wee bit and stuck at it. I always said, and I said at half-time that if we can keep it at 1-0 going into the last 10 minutes teams can get nervous.

“We just couldn't quite get into that ten minutes, from giving away the second goal, and it looked as if we would. It looked as if we were in with a chance of getting something.”

Ibrahimovic scored his 50th goal in 2016 for club and country, as well as setting two up, and Mourinho said: “I'm not really surprised, he's a very intelligent and proud man.

“To come here with this level of expectation and in the Premier League, which is the most difficult for a striker, it's because he knows he can do it.

“When we made contact I was sure he was coming to succeed. He's ready for more. We have not activated the clause in his contract for next year but the clause is activated in his brain and in my decisions, the owners' and board.”