Young rolls back years for Jose
SO the Master put the Apprentice in his place at Vicarage Road. With the help of an old boy.
Watford manager Marco Silva’s impressive achievements since arriving in English football have seen him marked out as a possible new Special One. A mini Special One, maybe.
But the real Special One, Jose Mourinho, has been around a bit and seen off more than a few young pretenders. Last night his United team showed Silva who was boss despite a late Watford rally.
The key to the night was Ashley Young. Given a new lease of life this season by the Portuguese, the 32 year old tore the heart of his old team with two brilliant first half goals.
Anthony Martial added a third in a blistering half an hour and Jesse Lingard ended Watford’s hopes after they had threatened a comeback.
Young was greeted politely by Hornets fans when his name was read out at the start. But by the time his second goal hit the back of the net the boos were ringing out. He cupped his ear as he celebrated – he can hear the sound of a new contract on its way.
United closed the gap on City to five points, and as they prepare to face Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday, that wobbly away form is suddenly beginning to look a little more steady.
Yet Silva’s side certainly gave Mourinho cause for concern as a Troy Deeney’s penalty sparked a late rally.
Abdoulaye Doucoure grabbed a second for the Hornets and suddently United were rocking.
But Lingard calmed their nerves with a fourth United goalafter 86 minutes after being set up by Ander Herrera and the points were safely in the bag.
It was something of a reality check for Watford as their tally of 21 points from 13 games before kick-off equalled their best ever start to a top-flight season.
Mourinho’s team had, by contrast, been worryingly fragile on their travels, losing their last two away trips at Huddersfield and Chelsea. They went into the game eight points behind rivals Manchester City. Many more slips ups they knew could be fatal to their chances of catching Pep Guardiola’s rampant side.
It was actually Silva’s side who started the brighter, as Richarlison twice got behind the United defence but neither time could quite get hold of crosses.
But suddenly, out of nowhere, Mourinho’s team were ahead. Lingard could not control the ball but Kiko Femenia failed to clear and Young was in like lightning against his old team to smash a low shot inside Heurelho Gomes’ near post. It was the wing-back’s first goal since May 2016, though it was his shot that forced a winner against Brighton on Saturday, via defender Lewis Dunk.
The 32 year old – who in this recent purple patch has also earned an England recall – has said he wants to stay at Old Trafford for the rest of his career and right now he is making a very good case indeed.
Six minutes later, Doucoure fouled Paul Pogba 25 yards out. Up stepped Young to curl a glorious free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
Young, who played 98 games in just over four years for Watford
up until 2007 before moving to Aston Villa, was out of contract in the summer but the club have triggered their option on a new £130,000-a-week one-year deal.
And he had gutted his old side before they had got going.
Young was not alone in doing the damage. Lingard gathered the ball and sweetly played Martial clean through the middle and the Frenchman buried his low shot past the advancing Gomes.
Gomes then parried Romelu Lukaku’s drive and then brilliantly stopped Lingard’s effort from the rebound. Richarlison was Watford’s best hope of clawing something back and the Brazilian clipped the bar with a header.
As a contest, the game was effectively over. Mourinho teams rarely if ever let a lead like that ebb away. This United may be more machine-like and efficient than free wheeling City, but they have their moments, and when Pogba goes on one of his surges they can quickly expose teams.
Silva’s team kept going, and once again it was the Brazilian Richarlison causing problems and he again went close with a header at the far post. With 20 minutes left, Rojo clumsily brought down Roberto Pereyra and substitute Deeney rammed home the penalty.
Doucoure added a second but Lingard ended the fightback.