HISTORY BOYS HURT UNITED
Watford’s 30 years of pain end to shake up Mourinho
Camilo Zuniga had not blown out his first birthday candle when Watford last beat manchester united. and as he blew out his 30th last December, that gives some idea of the milestone nature of this result.
Watford don’t beat manchester united. They don’t even draw, not for 11 straight meetings going back to September 16, 1986, two months before Sir alex Ferguson arrived at old Trafford.
Yet 30 years and two days of frustration were swept aside in ten wonderful minutes at Vicarage Road, when Zuniga helped Watford close out the game in quite magnificent style, scoring one then winning a penalty to earn a deserved three points.
So at what point does a drama become a crisis for Jose mourinho (below)? He has not lost three games straight in 14 years in management, yet the last eight days have got steadily worse for the man whose mission it is to return manchester united from the wilderness.
losing to manchester City will have hurt, but they are a good team, the early season pace-setters. Defeat away to Feyenoord was unexpected but, again, the opposition were the current league leaders in Holland.
But this was Watford. no offence, but united always beat Watford, and arsenal and Chelsea — two teams that united will measure themselves against this season — already did.
meaning this was a result of troubling significance. it wasn’t just that united lost, but that they can have little argument with the result. it was a close game, the margins tighter than the scoreline suggests, but Watford did not steal this win.
gone are the days when united were feared. Watford played them as equals, refusing to settle for a point and pushing for a winner. They were not flattered by the events of the final ten minutes.
Credit, too, Watford manager Walter mazzarri. He has used 27 players with 21 nationalities already this season but yesterday his determination to work with this muddled squad and embrace its variety paid off. of the three players involved in the build-up to the allimportant second goal, two were mazzarri’s substitutes.
it was nordin amrabat — on for Daryl Janmaat after 52 minutes – who helped set it up, playing in Roberto Pereyra on the right side. and it was Zuniga, replacing Etienne Capoue just a minute earlier, who hit the perfect finish, leaving David de gea no chance.
a Colombian international, on a one-year loan from napoli, Zuniga then inspired the third, adding mild embarrassment to an already uncomfortable scoreline for united. marouane Fellaine tripped him, Troy Deeney converted the penalty. The game barely had time to restart before referee michael oliver blew the final whistle.
it had looked as if united were at least going to emerge with a point. marcus Rashford had equalised, with 28 minutes remaining, after a Zlatan ibrahimovic cross ricocheted off Valon Behrami. in days gone by that might have signalled a united revival. not any more.
under pressure, united still have the feel of damaged goods despite the vast investment of the summer, and the fact is that by the time Watford took a first-half lead, they could already have scored three.
The visitors could not get going. Wayne Rooney was far from his best, so too Paul Pogba — although he did hit the bar with a thunderous shot from 25 yards. and, for the first league game this season, Zlatan ibrahimovic failed to score.
There were only 10 minutes gone when Watford forced their first chance, from a short free-kick. Capoue whipped it in for Prodl to meet at the far post, heading across the face of goal with Deeney just inches from putting it in.
Just two minutes later, an amazing miss. Prodl played the hopeful ball forward, Chris Smalling had it covered but that wasn’t going to stop de gea coming to collect: you can guess the rest. The pair collided and the ball fell to ighalo, with time and an empty net waiting to welcome the ball. He tried, and missed — and by a yard or so, too. united could hardly believe their luck — but it could not hold. Janmaat was looking dangerous down the right and Fellaini may have been fortunate catching him with an arm after tussling for a loose ball, side by side. The Dutchman did better in the 17th minute, however, putting in a fine cross for Deeney which forced an excellent save from de gea. But in the 34th minute, united’s resistance was broken. anthony martial had earlier received extensive treatment for a head injury following an aerial clash with Prodl, but the united medical staff ruled him able to continue. From Watford’s next attack, however, he dithered on the ball in the deep left position and was caught in possession by miguel Britos. He fed it quickly to Janmaat, whose intelligent cutback found Capoue in space, firing a low shot that left united’s covering players on the line with no chance. martial stayed down throughout, first appearing to clutch his leg, claiming a foul, and eventually being taking gently from the field, now holding his head. Debate raged, perhaps harshly, whether he was concussed or merely embarrassed by his error. Had united taken a chance with a head injury? or was the player hoping to avoid the harsh judgment of his manager? others felt it was a foul, although replays were hardly conclusive.
after berating the linesman for a foul not given, it was unwise for Pogba to then spit in his direction, even if he was just innocently clearing his throat.
Rooney also spent time at the end of the match in discussion with referee oliver. united’s stellar ranks need to complain less and get on with the job of catching City. They were supposed to be the pacesetters, remember? They certainly weren’t meant to lose to Watford.