Young magic helps United see off Watford: 3 things we learned
Ashley Young inspired Manchester United to a big win away to Watford on Tuesday. Here are three takeaways from the Premier League match.
Manchester United beat Watford 4-2 at Vicarage Road on Tuesday thanks to two first-half goals by Ashley Young. The Hornets fought well in the second half to bring the score back to 3-2, but Jess Lingard’s solo goal sealed the win for the away side. Here are three takeaways from the match.
Ashley Young, superstar
Not many people expected Ashley Young to be a key piece in Manchester United’s would-be title challenge this season, but the Englishman has emerged as the club’s first-choice left-back over the past couple of months, and excelled again against his old club.
Watford were in control when Young gave United the lead in the 19th minute, drilling a pinpoint half-volley past Heurelho Gomes at his near post. The finish was excellent, but it came completely against the run of play.
Young’s second, a curling free-kick from 30 yards, was even better, and equally harsh on the Hornets, who again were the victims of a moment of individual brilliance. That it came from Young, as opposed to any of United’s bona fide stars, couldn’t have made it feel any better.
Young has been something of a punchline at times this season — a poor man’s, or an old man’s, Fabian Delph, if you will — but as tiresome as it can be to watch him cut onto his right foot, this was an emphatic reminder of the quality he possesses.
It wasn’t the first time this season Young’s right foot has made the difference for United in a close game either — it, with a big deflection of Lewis Dunk, also led to the breakthrough against Brighton on Saturday — but this was certainly the most eye-catching.
Watford’s defending leaves much to be desired
Somewhat lost in the praise showered on Marco Silva and his Watford side during their excellent start to the season is a seriously leaky backline. The Hornets have now conceded 25 goals in 14 games, the worst record in the league outside the bottom six.
In their defense, 12 of those goals have been scored by Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs, but not in their defense, they left a lot of space for United to play in on the break, just as they did against City and Liverpool.
We tend to overlook these shortcomings when it comes to smaller, overperforming clubs, but given the attention Silva has received, and some of the jobs he’s been linked to, it’s worth noting that for as much as he’s improved this team, they remain unbalanced.
Perhaps the problem is simply a lack of quality. Center-backs Sebastian Prodl, Adrian Mariappa and Christian Kabasele have had some inauspicious moments in their time at Watford, even if some of that can be put down to previous managers.
Moreover, Silva’s work at Hull last season, where his first step in attempting to save them from the drop was improving the defense, suggests he’s capable of making a team difficult to beat. Still, as Watford chase seventh place, keep an eye on how Silva manages the defense.
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Did United play well?
Heading into this match, many expected United, in so-so form for the past month, to struggle. After all, Watford were in eighth place and had already taken points of Liverpool and Arsenal this season. As it was, Young’s two goals put the result to bed early on, even if Silva’s side did their best to wake it up again in the second.
Watford’s two goals are testament to their character as a team, but more than anything a reflection of a United side who simply relaxed too much having taken such a commanding lead. Maybe the players had already turned their attentions to their next two matches, against Arsenal and Manchester City.
Either way, Jose Mourinho will not have been pleased with the way his side closed out the game. The two goals they allowed were only their seventh and eighth of the season. That’s not the sort of defensive record a team can sustain if they lose focus in games like this, even if they’re leading them 3-0 at halftime.
All in all, it’s hard to judge exactly how well United played. They created very little in the first half, and took the lead only thanks to a couple of moments of individual brilliance (and a Watford mistake). They also allowed very few good chances, and their game plan made sense given how happily the Hornets stream forward.
Compared to their match against Brighton at the weekend, United were good, but again they started slowly against inferior opponents. If they weren’t eight points behind City, we might talk about this as a typical champions performance, winning and ugly. As it is, unless they improve, it’s hard to feel great about their chances in the Manchester derby.