DOWN TO THE REAL BUSINESS
Ole knows more will be needed after late fright
THEY have had the Chosen One, the Special One and whatever dubious moniker you wish to apply to Louis van Gaal.
Manchester United fans dutifully unveiled their huge Ole Gunnar Solskjaer banner across the Stretford End, proclaiming him a legend, which he will, of course always be, in these parts.
Yet, as almost everyone has observed since his appointment was confirmed last week, the real job starts now. That caretaker business was a joy. Now comes the hard part of actual governing.
The good news for Solskjaer is that in the wake of those defeats by Arsenal and Wolves he has seemingly recovered his golden touch. The bad news is that his team were poor. They were second best for long periods, conceded 20 shots and managed only eight in return. Yet somehow they emerged as winners.
It’s hard to do justice to just how much on the back foot United were in the second half. When Watford finally scored in the 90th minute, Abdoulaye Doucoure exchanging a delightful one-two with Isaac Success before steering the ball past David de Gea, it was extraordinary only in the fact that it had taken 45 minutes to come.
In the long term United will, of course, need much, much more. This wasn’t quite the brave, new dawn the occasion required.
‘We, as a team, felt it was a new start after the disappointment of losing at Wolverhampton, everyone has been away,’ said the manager.
‘It was almost the first game of the league. We set ourselves targets for eight games in the league. We came away with a win, that is great, but I think everyone knows we can perform better.’
Solskjaer (below) acknowledged later that a 50-50 split of possession at home is not the kind of start the new era demanded.
Watford boss Javi Gracia said: ‘It is difficult to explain. We had more shots, more shots on target, more corner kicks — we dominated a lot of the time in the opposite half.
‘We took risks, we tried to dominate, to play offensively, and we created chances. I know we have to make a step forward if we want to get points against these types of teams. I am sure we will.’
The tone was set when Doucoure shot just wide on six minutes, then De Gea had to stretch to tip away Troy Deeney’s chance on 11 minutes. Solskjaer was right in that, first half at least, when they did attack, United did so with incision and pace. Usually the instigator would be Paul Pogba, as he was in the 10th minute, to release Marcus Rashford. Thereafter Pogba faded, with Solskjaer wondering whether the fact he plays deeper for France had inhibited him.
On 28 minutes it was Luke Shaw who did the damage, robbing Deeney, striding forward and delivering a fine lofted pass. Initially the delivery looked slightly too heavy but that didn’t account for the speed of Rashford to catch it up and finish calmly past Ben Foster.
Yet Watford started the second half much as they had the first: pinning United back. Doucoure dominated Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera in midfield. Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira were sent on to relieve the siege and, after 72 minutes, United struck decisively.
Again it started with Shaw down the left, releasing Anthony Martial, who linked with both substitutes. Lingard drove on and crossed for Martial, who became entangled with Foster as both went for the ball, but somehow, while half-seated, recovered enough to turn and scoop the ball home.
It was a bit of mess amid a jumbled tangle. Rather like the game, in fact.