Manchester United survive against Watford: 3 things we learned

Manchester United captured three points in a hard-fought affair against Watford. Here are three things we learned from Saturday’s game.

Manchester United have experienced an up-and-down start to their 2018-19 season, with two wins and two losses through four games. Today they faced a Watford team in excellent form, and came away with a well earned, hard fought victory.

The writing may have been on the wall for Jose Mourinho, but after two wins in United’s last two games (and the Champions League group stage looming), it seems that he’s brought himself a bit of job security.

Here are three things we learned from United’s win over Watford.

United finally show a killer instinct

The game seemed to be destined for a scoreless first half until Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring ten minutes before halftime. A cross sent in by Ashley Young only needed the slightest touch from the Belgian to give Manchester United the lead. The lead would be doubled only three minutes later by an unlikely source in Chris Smalling. Smalling smashed home an impressive half volley to give United a 2-0 lead and breathing room heading into the break.

It’s been a struggle for United to string goals together under Jose Mourinho, and this performance should bring some optimism regarding their attacking prowess. It seems that, at least for today, the mentality of the players has finally caught up to the talent. A team with players like Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez should be scoring — and looking to score — and that’s exactly what United did today.

Under Jose Mourinho, the Red Devils have garnered a bit of a reputation for parking the bus. The phrase refers to their tendency to rest on their laurels after acquiring a 1-0 lead and attempting to defend for the rest of the game, at all costs. While defending with a lead can be effective, it also can come at the expense of attacking players. The object of the game is to score more goals than your opponent, and it seems that United are finally realizing that. Even after going up 2-0, United were still making an effort to go forward. When you have so many players that are capable of scoring and creating goals, that kind of mentality will eventually pay off.

Watford come back down to Earth

It’s been a dream start to the new Premier League season for Watford, as they won all four of their games to open the season. In a league as competitive as this one, points are at a premium. Getting 12 points to start the year, especially for a team slated to finish in the middle of the table, is no small feat. Finding a spot in the top four after the first month of the season is an even bigger accomplishment.

They were never going to win all 38 games though, and today saw the Hornets suffer their first taste of defeat. Watford played well in the first half, defending earnestly and creating a few chances of their own. United’s pressure eventually became too much to overcome, and the visitors took a commanding 2-0 lead before the end of the first half. Watford would play valiantly in the second half as well, equalizing on a lovely goal from Andre Gray. Unfortunately for the Hornets, they were unable to find a second goal and would come away from the game with a loss at their home ground.

They’ll understandably be upset about the result, but Watford should still be in good spirits. They can return to their early winning ways sooner than later, with a few favorable fixtures on the way. Games against struggling Fulham and an evenly matched Bournemouth bookend a tough game against Arsenal. If the Hornets can capture points in two of those three games, they’ll have done very well.

Mourinho can relax — for now

Three weeks ago, it seemed Jose Mourinho was destined to end his time at Manchester United. The club had suffered two embarrassing losses, first away at Brighton and then a complete dismantling at Old Trafford at the hands of Tottenham. Mourinho seemed to be visibly upset and agitated, a mood that was evident in his dealings with the English media.

The manager’s tactics and ideology were under question, both from pundits and supporters.

United responded by essentially saving their manager’s job with a 2-0 win against Burnley. The win was a definite response to the adversity the club was under. For a moment, just a brief moment, Jose Mourinho was safe. Despite the win and the fashion in which it came, questions were still there.

Could they keep it up? Can they string wins together? What will the team sheet look like?

Today’s win against Watford answers those first two questions with a resounding yes. United were able to win a tough game against a team more than ready to compete with them. They created chances and were clinical enough in front of goal to ensure the win, two aspects of their game that had been problem areas.

There was drama in the end: Nemanja Matic was sent off with a second yellow card, and David de Gea was forced to make a few spectacular save. Despite the theatrics, the result remained the same: a much needed win for Manchester United, and breathing room for Jose Mourinho.

If United are able to perform well in the Champions League (no easy feat considering they share a group with Italian champions Juventus), and can continue their recent form in the Premier League, Mourinho may very well earn the right to stick around for the long run.

If not, the rumblings of his departure (forced or otherwise) will begin again.