Alarm call for Ole
DOZY UNITED SLUMBER AFTER ARRIVING LATE
FIRST of all, Manchester United need to hope Father Christmas leaves an alarm clock in their stocking on Wednesday.
Watford handed them the wake-up call they needed here after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his men rocked up to Vicarage Road half an hour late. Their attitude was all wrong right from the start.
How on earth does an outfit the size of United keep turning up for football matches late? It might be the first time under Solskjaer but it is the latest in a string of occasions on which one of the biggest clubs in the world has been sloppy with their timekeeping.
It spilled over on to the pitch. United lived up to their newly-established reputation as the team you simply cannot trust these days.
Gone were the heroes of wins at Manchester City and at home to Spurs.
Back came the white flag wavers held at home by struggling Everton and Aston Villa; the defensively shambolic outfit beaten at Bournemouth, Newcastle and West Ham.
United turned up here expecting to win. Five minutes after half-time, David De Gea took his eye off the ball to allow Ismaila Sarr’s tame shot to go through his hands.
It hit the Spaniard in the face and went in off the post. De Gea slumped to the floor with his head in the turf after surely the worst mistake of his career.
Four minutes later Aaron Wan-Bissaka, so often so dependable, scythed Sarr down to gift Watford a penalty.
Troy Deeney rammed it down the middle. Watford, without a win at home in nine months, grew visibly in confidence. United retreated into their shell.
Solskjaer’s side now have the fewest number of points at this stage of the Premier League of any United side. The club still have
faith in him, of course, but there must surely be a few dissenters in the boardroom convinced they should be giving Mauricio Pochettino a call.
This United could do with watching a few videos of the sides under Sir Alex Ferguson who turned up for work – early – whether they were facing Liverpool or the team last in the table.
They will bristle, of course, at the criticism – as if they are above it – but they have no business pushing for a Champions League place when there are so many other clubs able to do it against the bottom six as well as the top six.
This defeat means they head into Christmas eighth in the table – their lowest position at this stage of a season since 1989.
For Watford it is the start of what must surely now be the revival under Nigel Pearson.
The former Leicester boss knows all about miracles, having laid the foundations for the Foxes’ incredible title success.
The manner of this win, and the performance in defeat at Liverpool last week, suggests the only way is up now for the Hornets.
They move within six points of safety and level on points with Norwich in 19th. United, though, need to take a long, hard look in the mirror.