Topsy-turvy
> We should have been smoking cigars, laments Mourinho after Devils down Hornets <
MANCHESTER UNITED manager Jose Mourinho said his side ought to have been “smoking cigars” after they made hard work of an eventual 4-2 win away to Watford yesterday.
But the Portuguese boss said his side had “lost stability” when midfielder Nemanja Matic went off early in the second half with a “muscular” injury.
United were 3-0 up before halftime at a freezing Vicarage Road thanks to Ashley Young’s double and a goal from Anthony Martial.
But after the break the Hornets struck twice through substitute Troy Deeney’s penalty and Abdoulaye Doucoure before United’s Jesse Lingard finally put the result beyond doubt four minutes from time.
United’s victory came after two successive away defeats and left Mourinho’s second-placed side five points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, who were scheduled to host Southampton today morning.
But there was no hiding Mourinho’s frustration when he said: “The second half should have been five or 6-0, it was easier to score than the first. “It was an easy match to win comfortably. At 3-2 the game is in the balance then Jesse Lingard had the initiative to kill the game. “Both him and Ashley Young scored great goals. We missed 4-0 with some actions and Romelu Lukaku had an open goal, Paul Pogba had a free header too...We should be smoking cigars but then were in trouble.” Mourinho joked that Lukaku’s problems in front of goal will come to an end – just as soon as he secures a new boot deal. The Belgium striker is playing in plain black boots because he is currently between boot contracts and Mourinho joked the goals would start flowing again once he had found himself a new deal. “I think he needs a big contract with boots because in this moment he doesn’t have a contract with any brand,” Mourinho said. “That’s why he’s playing with the black boots. He needs a brand to go there and give him the right boots and pay him the right money, so he goes back to (scoring) goals. “But jokes apart, he works amazingly well for the team. I would never, never blame a player like him for an easy chance that he missed. Never.
“With me he knows he that doesn’t have that pressure. Amazing player, amazing professional, great ambition, great colleague. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
On a more serious note, Mourinho said Matic’s exit had helped turned what look like a comfortable win into a tougher battle.
“We lost stability when Nemanja Matic had to come out but the important thing is the three points. I saw happiness from the team and played with a free mind.
“Last season I learned what Ashley Young can be, he gives stability in his performances and this season he is playing more regularly.
“He has the spirit and experience we need, today he also had the talent to score two beautiful goals.”
Mourinho added: “For Matic to tell me he wants to be replaced, he does not do that if it is nothing important. It is muscular.”
Watford boss Marco Silva said United defender Marcos Rojo should have received a second yellow card that would have led to his dismissal during yesterday’s match.
The Argentina international was booked in the first half but avoided sanction when his crunching tackle in the box handed Watford a 77th minute penalty, from which Deeney scored to make the score 3-1.
Watford scored again in the 84th minute and Silva believes a late comeback could have been completed had United been reduced to 10 men.
“We scored the first goal from a penalty and for me in that moment it was a second yellow card for Marcos Rojo, with 11 against 10 it would be really difficult for them,” Silva said after the match.
“We made it difficult for them because we scored the second goal. Imagine if it was 11 v 10 at that moment.
“We started to create more problems for them, but then one counter attack from them and we should do different in that moment.” – AFP/Reuters