Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
The momentum is with Manchester United at present with no defeat in their last 10 league games. Had it been a clean sweep of victories then they would have been sitting second behind Chelsea, a spell of three consecutive draws has proved costly but another win this Afternoon would thrust them in the mix for a top four place.
Today they play host to a Watford side that have already managed to claim the scalp of United earlier in the season with a 3-1 win at Vicarage Road. That Sunday Lunchtime saw a malfunctioning Mourinho side struggle to fit all the pieces of the jigsaw together but not it’s fair to say that the kinks from their all star lineup have been ironed out.
Last Sunday saw them breeze past champions Leicester with a 3-0 win at The King Power. A quickfire blitz of goals either side of the break saw them cause more trouble for Claudio Ranieri while cranking the Red machine up a notch as they search for a return to the Champions League next season.
That win was a very welcome one especially after the aforementioned three successive draws. With the 5 teams below Chelsea seemingly fighting for the three left over spots you do have to wonder how costly those dropped points come the end of the season could be.
But Today they will be looking to not only get maximum points but also exact some revenge after that defeat at Vicarage Road in the first half of the season. That day saw Troy Deeney become a real handful for the United defence and he makes the trip to Old Trafford in a rich vein of form.
Key goals against both Arsenal and Burnley last week have helped Watford earn back to back victories which have not only seen The Hornets move back up to the top half of the table but have also eased the pressure on Italian boss Walter Mazzari.
After a a run of 7 games without a win the knives were reportedly being sharpened by the Pozzo Family who own the club, but thankfully for former Inter Milan boss Mazzari those wins have made the outlook at Vicarage Road a little brighter over these past few days.
Watford were busy in the January transfer window last month and one of the new signings made an immediate impact last Saturday. That’s because on loan striker M’Baye Niang scored a well taken header to all but wrap up the three points on his home debut.
Niang rose perfectly to meet the ball and arrow it past Burnley ‘keeper Tom Heaton to open his Watford account and if he can score a few more like that between now and the end of the season then he will certainly endear himself to fans of the club.
It’s attack where Watford needing freshening up, the partnership of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo which served them well last season is now a thing of the past but you get the feeling with the addition of both Niang and Mauro Zarate to the club they will be better for it.
They will make the trip to Manchester full of confidence after back to back wins and also not forgetting they have already got one over them. Can they do an unprecedented double this Afternoon, well that remains to be seen especially with United in such great form.
And I think it’s their imperious form which may well just be the difference later Today. Slowly but surely United are finding their groove, the title may have eluded them but I think Champions League Football next season is a distinct possibility. Even more so with a win in front of their own fans. Maximum points for United in my opinion.
