ONE GIANT STEP FOR JOSE
One giant leap for United as Lukaku and Smalling play to Mourinho’s plan
HAVING set his team on a war footing with an eve-of-the-game attack on the ‘liars’ on the punditry couches, Jose Mourinho sent out his heavy artillery.
Manchester United were big and they got bigger with every change Mourinho made as they dug in, determined to avoid the fate of Tottenham at Vicarage Road.
Spurs had been beaten at set-pieces having been softened up by Watford’s direct style but not United. They were up for this one, fired up by the manager and his perceived injustices. They were two ahead at half-time, both goals from set-pieces and heavily influenced by the aerial prowess of Marouane Fellaini. Mourinho may be accused of many things but rarely the failure to make a plan.
Romelu Lukaku scored the first and Chris Smalling the second with a fabulous flash of skill, twist and volley in a tight area. Andre Gray pulled one back and Watford went in search of an equaliser with United reduced to 10 men in the final seconds when Nemanja Matic tripped Will Hughes and was shown his second yellow card.
David de Gea sprang to his left to make a splendid late save from Christian Kabasele and Mourinho celebrated the victory. Three points to the haul and, in his own mind at least, another point proved. His team is fighting for him and he said: ‘Very important. With this win we keep the same points as Spurs and Arsenal. We have that distance of four and six points to the other top teams.’
After such an impressive start to the campaign there was no surprise to find that Watford manager Javi Gracia had named an unchanged team for the fifth Premier League game. Their win against Tottenham on their previous outing hinged on aerial strength at set-pieces and Mourinho required little encouragement to send out his giants.
United were without Marcus Rashford, suspended after a red card at Burnley, and Luke Shaw, not fit enough even for the bench after his concussion on England duty. Fellaini prowled around on the toes of Smalling and Victor Lindelof, often deep enough to be mistaken for a third central defender. Just ahead, either side of Fellaini, Matic and Paul Pogba clocked up the miles. These six footers worked hard to ensure they were in the air-drop zone when Watford sought to deliver cross from the full-backs.
United were sharp and a positive from the start with Shaw’s replacement Ashley Young — regularly jeered at the club where his career began — effective in attack on the left as the visitors gathered momentum, kicking down the Vicarage slope.
Young’s pass to Lukaku forced Ben Foster into action. The goalkeeper smothered at Lukaku’s feet and saved again from Pogba’s crisp drive from the fringes of the penalty area.
De Gea’s first contribution was to deny Will Hughes from a similar distance. His second was a smart reflex save to push over an effort from Troy Deeney, which was teed-up by Roberto Pereyra, before the visitors seized control. Alexis Sanchez found the net but the goal was ruled out for offside. Foster saved again from Sanchez but the pressure became too great. Lukaku made the breakthrough 10 minutes before the interval.
Watford failed to clear a free-kick properly after it was headed across the goalmouth by Fellaini. The ball found its way back to Young, whose cross was deflected and skidded off the turf and evaded everyone except Lukaku, who was able to make contact with his hip and divert it past Foster and in off the far post.
It was scruffy and Watford disputed it but replays showed there was no offside, the goal would stand and United refused to ease off.
Foster made two fine saves from Pogba, either side of the second goal, again the result of chaos caused by Fellaini at a set-piece.
This time it was Young’s corner swung deep to the Belgian who nodded the ball towards Smalling, the centre-half who received it on his chest with Daryl Janmaat for company, swivelled and hooked a volley past the goalkeeper from close range.
‘You always hope they fall to you like that,’ said Smalling. ‘On my left foot, it was a nice one.’
Mourinho scrambled from his seat to celebrate, pumping his fist. Until this point he had preferred to stay mostly out of sight as the travelling fans sang his name. A second goal for his team seemed significant, although Watford summoned a spirited response in the second half and found a way back into the contest when Gray pounced for his second goal of the season. Abdoulaye Doucoure, far more influential in midfield after the interval, forged through an inside left channel and cut a low cross towards the penalty spot. Gray was first to arrive in the vacant space and applied a firm side-footed finish which faded away from De Gea’s reach. The home crowd were revived by the prospect of another thrilling comeback. Gracia’s team poured forward, taking risks at the back. United wasted good opportunities on the break and centre-halves Kabasele and Craig Cathcart made key challenges. But this time there was no sting in the tail.