[Annihilate Now!]

Curiously enough, that would be +2 points than last season.

Glass half full aye? I like your style.

 

[Random Task]

Can see us drawing both this and the Arsenal game.

Very little confidence around the caf for this encounter, not sure why in all honesty. Watford are still Watford, they are performing ok but nothing that should worry a team like United. We outclass them in practically every position.

 

[Android1974]

Predicted 4-3-3.

David
Valencia - Smalling - Rojo - Young
Matic
Herrera - Pogba
Lingard - Lukaku - Rashford.​

Could be. But do you think Mourinho will stick to 4-3-3 against Arsenal too? If we were playing well under the 4-2-3-1, I understand sticking to it or the closer 4-3-3, but now…

 

[el3mel]

Could be. But do you think Mourinho will stick to 4-3-3 against Arsenal too? If we were playing well under the 4-2-3-1, I understand sticking to it or the closer 4-3-3, but now…

Mourinho will probably match Arsena's 3-4-3 system by using his own 3-5-2 as usual.

 

[Android1974]

Very little confidence around the caf for this encounter, not sure why in all honesty. Watford are still Watford, they are performing ok but nothing that should worry a team like United. We outclass them in practically every position.

In every position, maybe, but as a whole team we don't look better than them right now.

 

[Damien]

Anyone else concerned that this game is going to be more difficult that the arsenal one at the weekend?

The next three matches are a real test of our ambitions for the season. Is 5 points from the next three a good return?

Depends what our aim for the season is. If it is to finish top four, then yes 5 points is a good return. If it is to win the league, then no.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Very little confidence around the caf for this encounter, not sure why in all honesty. Watford are still Watford, they are performing ok but nothing that should worry a team like United. We outclass them in practically every position.

Pessimism is my default United setting. Hell I thought before the game that we'd draw with Huddersfield Town... so if anything I'm too optimistic.

 

[Android1974]

Mourinho will probably match Arsena's 3-4-3 system by using his own 3-5-2 as usual.

So why don't we do it tonight also, since we're going to this game surely not as favorites and facing another 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 system from Watford?

 

[el3mel]

So why don't we do it tonight also, since we're going to this game surely not as favorites and facing another 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 system from Watford?

Didn't know Watford actually plays with 3 in the back. If that's the case he may very well go for the 3-5-2 tonight.

 

[Hellboy]

The next two games will make or break our season in the league. The maximum we can hope after Arsenal is to be 8 points behind citeh i guess.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

On bt sport 1 tonigh isn't it?

 

[tomaldinho1]

Massive game tonight, can see this kick-starting a decent December run if we play well.

 

[AndyJ1985]

If we're as shit as we have been in the last couple matches there's every chance we could lose this. We need our attacking players to get their act together and start scoring some goals, especially Lukaku

 

[Sassy Colin]

We couldnt beat stoke.

Or Huddersfield.

Or liverpool.

Or Chelsea (who lost to Crystal Palace)

Who we beat 4-0, so what's your point?

 

[BusbyMalone]

I don't understand the logic in saying that "It's only [insert name of team here], we should beat them easy"

Have you not watched enough football over the years to know that this isn't always the case. I don't care what the name of the club is, let's go a bit deeper than that and have a look at their recent results and performances.

Watford have been very good this season with some tremendous performances. I know they have the ignominy of losing to Everton, but it was a bit of a fluke tbh. They also lost at Stamford Bridge but certainly didn't deserve it. They were fantastic in that game.

I'm not trying to paint them as world beaters here, but this will be a really tough game. I hope i'm wrong and we thump them 5-0. But i don't see that happening.

This arrogance that we should simply beat them because of who we are is also particularly strange when you consider our performances have been all over the shop; you have no idea which United is going to turn up.

So i'm a little pessimistic, but hope to god we batter them!

 

[Android1974]

Didn't know Watford actually plays with 3 in the back. If that's the case he may very well go for the 3-5-2 tonight.

Well, they already did it with Mazzarri when they've trashed us last season. In the last games, they've oscillated between mostly that and then 4-3-3 with Stoke (h) and Everton (a).

 

[Android1974]

I don't understand the logic in saying that "It's only [insert name of team here], we should beat them easy"

Have you not watched enough football over the years to know that this isn't always the case. I don't care what the name of the club is, let's go a bit deeper than that and have a look at their recent results and performances.

Watford have been very good this season with some tremendous performances. I know they have the ignominy of losing to Everton, but it was a bit of a fluke tbh. They also lost at Stamford Bridge but certainly didn't deserve it. They were fantastic in that game.

I'm not trying to paint them as world beaters here, but this will be a really tough game. I hope i'm wrong and we thump them 5-0. But i don't see that happening.

This arrogance that we should simply beat them because of who we are is also particularly strange when you consider our performances have been all over the shop; you have no idea which United is going to turn up.

So i'm a little pessimistic, but hope to god we batter them!

More so, that logic is the complete antithesis of Mourinho's humble approach.

 

[BusbyMalone]

More so, that logic is the complete antithesis of Mourinho's humble approach.

Sure, Mourinho always shows respect to the opposition (some would say too much respect in some cases).

 

[Random Task]

In every position, maybe, but as a whole team we don't look better than them right now.

Our points tally and current league position would indicate otherwise, just saying.

 

[Zoo]

On bt sport 1 tonigh isn't it?

Yeah

 

[The Red Roman]

.... VS....

Date - Tuesday, November 28 2017
Kickoff Time - 2000 Hrs GMT
Venue - Vicarage Road, Watford

League standings and form guide

2. Manchester United: LWLWW

8. Watford: LLLWW


Previous Meetings

Manchester United 2–0 Watford

Watford 3–1 Manchester United

Manchester United 1–0 Watford

Watford 1–2 Manchester United

Manchester United 4–0 Watford


All-Time Record

Manchester United wins - 13
Watford wins - 3
Draws - 4


Pre-Match Pressers

José Mourinho



Marco Silva



Team News

Manchester United

Michael Carrick, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Luke Shaw and Marouane Fellaini ruled out. Eric Bailly and Phil Jones doubtful.

Watford

Tommie Hoban, Craig Cathcart, Nathaniel Cahobah and Isaac Success ruled out. Younes Kaboul and Miguel Britos ruled out.


Know the opposition

Watford Football Club (nicknamed The Hornets, The Golden Boys, Yellow Army, and The 'Orns), are a professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. Watford Rovers was formed in 1881 by Henry Groverand, who went on to play for the club as a fullback. Rovers, originally composed entirely of amateur players, held home games at several locations in the town of Watford. The team first competed in the FA Cup in the 1886-87 season, and in 1889 Watford won the County Cup for the first time. Renamed as West Hertfordshire in 1893, Rovers joined the Southern Football League in 1896, and started to pay professional footballers in 1897. West Hertfordshire merged with local rivals Watford St. Mary's in 1898; the merged team was named Watford Football Club.

After spending almost half century in the lower divisions of The Football League, Watford enjoyed its greatest era of success following Graham Taylor's appointment in 1977, rising from the Fourth Division to the First Division. The team also finished second in the First Division in the 1982/83 season, competed in the UEFA Cup in 1983/ 1984, and reached the 1984 FA Cup Final where they faced Howard Kendall's Everton. Watford's most prominent rivalry is with fellow South-Eastern English club Luton Town, and they have been playing their home games at Vicarage Road since 1922.


Referee

Jonathan Moss.

​

This is a tricky game, but it's one United have to get three points from if we want to win the league this season. With Arsenal and City coming up back-to-back in the league dropped points here would put us under pressure in those matches. It's an important game and United have to show resilience because Watford will be under little pressure and have plenty of confidence after recent run of good form overall which is why they will be a dangerous side for us. Watford’s best performances this season have come on the road, when they’ve been allowed to play slightly more defensively than at Vicarage Road, but they can play that way at home aganist United.

It will be interesreting to see how United approach this game tactically, much of the praise for Watford's season should go to Silva and the way he's organised his side in a 3-4-3 system reminiscent of the way Antonio Conte formatted Chelsea last season. This system is very much capable of causing problems against sides playing two banks of four so it is possible Mourinho will change the shape of the side here and use a back three. He did this against Tottenham and Chelsea two other side who use three centre-backs. The main problem teams have had with Watford is their movement down the flanks. Will Hughes and Richarlson will drift inside to open up space for wing-backs Femina and Zeeglaar to overlap. Changing to a back three would mean United can go man for man and it may help them deal with that threat easier. Watford’s midfield zone has functioned well this season. Tom Cleverley and Abdelouaye Doucoure have a fine relationship, covering space intelligently and breaking forward in turn, but United shouldn't have too many problems in this zone with Matic and Pogba. In fact I could even see Herrera or Fellani coming into the side, Pogba and Matic were slightly overrun in midfield against Brighton because United played with four attackers leaving Pogba and Matic outnumbered 2v3. Will Hughes and Richarlson will drift into pockets of space on the outside of them so an extra player in midfield will help United compress their space. In attack there might be a case in terms of form for Ibrahimovic to start but Watford have immobile centre-backs, a duo of Rashford and Lukaku makes more sense if we change to 3-5-2 so we can potentially expose them on the counter-attack. Watford will be wary of keeping a very high defensive line when United have possession, but if we can catch them up the pitch and then hit them on the break we are pretty devasting. Watfod haven’t looked particularly secure when defending set-pieces this season so this could be another area where United could expose them.

De Gea
Lindelof, Smalling, Rojo
Valencia, Herrera, Matic, Pogba, Young
Rashford, Lukaku.

Subs - Romero, Darmian, Fellani, Mkhitaryan, Mata, Martial, Ibrahimovic.

 

[Random Task]

Who we beat 4-0, so what's your point?

That was before September the 30th (Doomsday to those unaware), a period where our players were able to perform at a reasonably high standard. Post Doomsday, as you can imagine, not so much.

 

[#07]

Not looking forward to tonight's game. Silva has made Watford a solid side that can counter at blistering speed. We need to make sure we control the ball and make sure we don't get hit on the transition. If we win this 1-0 after an edgy game I will be delighted.

 

[Android1974]

I might be wrong, but I wouldn't tempt fate with Lindelöf here. He'd be looking at Richarlison like a deer in the headlights.

 

[GM K]

Can people just chill in here?

Watford has beaten us only once in about 30 years and they are meeting our strongest squad in the last few years. We are taking this.

I just hope Jose stops playing Rashford and Martial from the start. I think we lack a bit of balance when they both start. They are undoubtedly talented, the two, but IMO, the key to playing them together for 90 minutes is having better full backs and a much better, quicker, more decisive attacking midfielder / number 10.

 

[pauldyson1uk]

Glad Fellaini won’t be involved. I’d rather not see that game from us, looking forward to him hopefully leaving.

100% dont agree with you , he has been better than Herrera.

 

[peridigm]

I might be wrong, but I wouldn't tempt fate with Lindelöf here. He'd be looking at Richarlison like a deer in the headlights.

fixed

 

[Pexbo]

Prediction:

They'll score a fairly early goal and we'll struggle to break them down before pulling one back in the second half and nicking a win late on.

 

[sunama]

Pessimism is my default United setting. Hell I thought before the game that we'd draw with Huddersfield Town... so if anything I'm too optimistic.

 

[King.of.Red]

I have good feeling and believe we can beat watford. For this game I hope we play with 3-5-2 formation. Drop Lukaku, play Martial & Rashford as two strikers with Ibra behind them.
De Gea
Lindelof Smalling Rojo
Valencia Pogba Matic Young
Ibrahimovic
Rashford Martial

 

[sunama]

Glad Fellaini won’t be involved. I’d rather not see that game from us, looking forward to him hopefully leaving.

Fellaini is injured?
We need this guy. For a team like Watford who could play dirty/physical, Fellaini is an absolute requirement.
If we were playing Barcelona, Fellaini would be terrible, but for Watford, he is ideal.

 

[Android1974]

fixed

Thanks.

 

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

I love the air of doom, destruction and despair here!

 

[sunama]

Martial and/or Rashford need to step it up bigtime. Can't afford another shite game from them like on the weekend.

I think that when they start together, they tend to perform poorly.
I'd start with Rashford. Tell him to tire out their RB. Then on 60 mins, bring on Martial to have a go at their tired RB.
If Ibra starts, this should also cause physical damage to their defenders. Either way, by the end of the match, their defenders will need a long rest.

 

[Dobba]

Fully expect we'll make a right pigs ear of it.

 

[RedDevil@84]

I love the air of doom, destruction and despair here!

After effects of the no-show in the Brighton match. Everyone were up beat on beating Brighton comfortably at home. But the team did not turn up for whatever reasons. It was disappointing to say the least.
Watford is tougher and this is away match. Does not surprise me that many dont expect a win.
We are not in that kinda form now.

 

[Ramshock]

not looking forward to this

 

[Hugh Jass]

I have good feeling and believe we can beat watford. For this game I hope we play with 3-5-2 formation. Drop Lukaku, play Martial & Rashford as two strikers with Ibra behind them.
De Gea
Lindelof Smalling Rojo
Valencia Pogba Matic Young
Ibrahimovic
Rashford Martial

Would love to see that formation.

 

[MonkeysMagic]

Whilst I don't like to be pessimistic before a game or a merchant of doom, I'm sure it hasn't gone unnoticed by some that any match involving Utd and refree'd by Jon Moss starts alarm bells ringing! He isn't fit enough to be a top level ref and consequently guesses half the time as he's not up with play. I really hope there are no contentious decisions come full time, but given his history I have a horrible feeling there will be!

 

[Darkhorsez]

I am really struggling with my line up selection for this game. Not that I am very good at it. Must have changed 5 times. Going to be fun to see what Mou goes for in view of the upcoming games.