“I’m always concerned when we don’t get the result we want so that’s an obvious situation”. But Mazzarri was only appointed by Watford this summer too. We have to be there and we have to work, but they have to show themselves a certain attitude towards the negative moments. On this evidence, that is an understatement: Just as they were in last weekend’s Manchester derby, United looked like a slung-together bunch of individuals here at times.
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“In the first half for about 25, 30 minutes we didn’t play well and that’s something that we can control”, he said.
“I thought we were the better team in the first half”. But this did not look like a United team which is just about to click.
Watford were not done yet as Roberto Pereyra found Colombian global Juan Zuniga in the box who beautifully curled in a shot with his right boot as United trailed by 2-1. When Sebastian Prodl got a free header on Jose Holebas’ free-kick, United should have woken up, even though Prodl missed.
Watford passed up a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring as miscommunication between David de Gea and Chris Smalling saw the ball fall to the feet of Odion Ighalo but, with the goal gaping, he slid his effort wide.
Mourinho provided a detailed breakdown of Watford’s second – effectively decisive – goal, describing it as “a mistake that goes against our plan and our training”, later explaining specifically his left-back, Luke Shaw, should have pressed higher up on Nordin Amrabat in the buildup.
Although United’s world-record signing Paul Pogba unleashed one fizzing shot against the bar, the midfielder failed to stamp his authority on the game and was outshone by Capoue.
Watford threatened the Man United goal 20 minutes from time when a unsafe free kick was met by Prodl at the near post, but Shaw was on hand to clear the danger as the hosts continued to look threatening from set pieces. On-form Etienne Capoue broke the deadlock on 34 minutes as he rifled home Daryl Janmaat’s pass. The forward fluffed his header, but it rebounded off Valon Behrami and Rashford made no mistake from the rebound.
But that’s what happened, after Ibrahimovic’s header was kept out of the net by Gomes.
Zuniga who replaced Capoue put Watford 2-1 up on 83 minutes after powering home into the far corner off Pereyra’s cut back. With the amount of pressure United mounted and the defensive approach that Watford had, no one could have seen that coming.
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They were not done there either, with another substitute – Isaac Success – helping Zuniga to win a penalty under Fellaini’s challenge in stoppage-time. It was a good start but Mourinho has had a big stumble in his second month itself.
