Derby day defeat is behind Manchester United now. There’s nothing they can do about it. But they must be wondering what’s more galling, the fact they were so thoroughly outplayed by City for 40 minutes, or the fact that after that they could quite possibly have won the game.
Half-time substitutions did the trick for Jose Mourinho, and with Ander Herrera’s introduction to provide a more disciplined presence in front of the back four, Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini were able to get up the pitch further without fear of leaving their defence exposed.
Not that Pogba seemed to fear that too much before Herrera’s appearance.
But whilst the switch to 4-3-3 clearly helped United against City last weekend, Jose Mourinho’s preferred formation seems to be a 4-2-3-1 with Fellaini and Pogba sitting in front of a back four.
That’s caused debate around whether Paul Pogba can play in a two-man midfield or whether the discipline needed to play in a defensive midfield role stunts his attacking ability too much. United didn’t pay £89m to stick him in the Makelele role, after all.
But Mourinho clearly has a plan for Pogba that does involve playing him in a midfield two, as we’ve seen so far, and apart from in the derby, it’s worked so far.
So in order to prove a point Mourinho may well play that way again versus Watford. He may well benefit from playing that way, too. Watford shouldn’t be as tough to play against as City, and perhaps a 4-2-3-1 with Pogba and Fellaini won’t be so easily deconstructed by Walter Mazzarri’s side.
With that in mind, here’s a Manchester United XI – in a 4-2-3-1 formation – that will beat Watford this weekend…
David De Gea
The stalwart. There’s no one better than this man between the sticks in the Premier League, and only Manuel Neuer can realistically challenge him on a world scale.
If last week’s derby showed us anything, it’s the importance of having a good goalkeeper – if Claudio Bravo hadn’t dropped that catch, perhaps United would have been nowhere near a comeback. Instead it gave them momentum, though i the end it wasn’t enough.
Antonio Valencia
Over the past few weeks, Antonio Valencia has performed quite admirably as a full back.
There have always been doubts over his defensive solidity, but of course his attacking play is simply fantastic. It makes a lot of sense to keep him there, though. Although United will probably have to invest in a right back for the longer term, for the moment Valencia is providing great attacking support on the overlap, and long may that continue.
Eric Bailly
Since his arrival at United, Eric Bailly has shown himself to be a composed and solid central defender. So far, he’s been great on the ball, he’s been good in the air, in one-on-one situations, and also when having to make important tackles.
He’s taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, and looks like money well spent.
Chris Smalling
Daley Blind was chosen as Bailly’s central defensive partner against Manchester City, and as good a player as Blind is, one of the criticisms of his ability to play at centre back is his height.
Against City, that might not have mattered so much, given their lack of size, but perhaps in other games he could get found out against physical strikers.
On top of that, he was at fault for City’s first goal as he wasn’t quick enough to the ball, allowing Kevin de Bruyne to slip through on goal.
Smalling may well get the nod as an ideal solid partner to Bailly.
Luke Shaw
Only one man at left back.
Luke Shaw was left out of Manchester United’s trip to Rotterdam for the Europa League game against Feyenoord, but you get the feeling that’s only so he can be fit again for the weekend.
Shaw’s ability going forwards as well as backwards are an asset to Mourinho, and his athleticism will be a big bonus when it comes to stopping counter attacks against Watford’s wingbacks if they play 3-5-2.
Marouane Fellaini
He’s fast becoming a stalwart under Jose Mourinho, and you can sort of see why. A midfield two of Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba is about as physical as it gets, even in the Premier League.
Mourinho likes to keep things solid defensively whilst attacking with pace on the flanks and power and height in the middle. And in Fellaini he has the perfect box to box midfielder for that style.
Paul Pogba
So perhaps he can’t play in a 4-2-3-1 when it comes to the bigger games of the season, but Paul Pogba certainly can if United are dominating the game. Against Watford, you’d expect United to be in the ascendency, and an extra attacking threat will be much needed.
Marcus Rashford
Against the back three – likely a back five against United if they’re under pressure – that Watford have played so far this season, the onus will be on Manchester United not just to try to create space, but to try to find space behind the full backs and in the gaps left between defenders. A player with the dynamism of Marcus Rashford could be crucial to United in a game like this. His ability with the ball at his feet as well as his willingness to make runs and stretch defences could be vital in pulling defenders out of position or exploiting the spaces left by other dummy runs.
Juan Mata
If you’re trying to play intricate passes between lines, you need a man who can provide the pass. And Juan Mata – not sold after all by Jose Mourinho – could well be a secret weapon for United in games where they’ll dominate the possession.
Mata’s knack for creativity is obvious, and if Wayne Rooney loses his place after not featuring on Thursday night, perhaps it will be Mata who takes advantage.
Anthony Martial
Just with Rashford on the other side, the pace and directness of Martial could be exactly what United need to exploit the gaps in Watford’s defence.
Old-fashioned wing play isn’t exactly the order of the day against a back five, given the lack of space out wide, but quick one-twos taking on defenders and dragging them out of position is exactly what United will need. Both Martial and Rashford fit that bill perfectly.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
He’s scored five goals for United so far in all competitions, and no other player has managed more than one.
He’s already becoming the talisman for the team, Mourinho’s trusted general on the pitch. Zlatan is well on his way to proving that he can do it in the Premier League.
