Pogba finds his role: Five things learned as Man Utd see off Watford with 2-1 win

In a bruising heavyweight encounter, Manchester United held out against Watford to win 1-2.

It was Watford’s first loss of the season (in fact, the first time they failed to win at all) and it represented a huge second consecutive win for José Mourinho’s struggling Manchester United. What did we learn?

1. United were right to pay Fellaini

In the summer Manchester United entered into a genuine bit of contract brinksmanship with Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian was playing hardball on a new deal despite ostensibly being just a squad player, and generally not a well thought-of one amongst neutrals. United ended up paying him what he wanted, and many jokes were thus made.

But this game (and the Burnley win) show exactly why Manchester United were right to pay Marouane Fellaini. He is such an incredibly unique player that if you can have him on your team, why wouldn’t you? It’s almost impossible to handle him offensively, even if the gameplan is incredibly obvious. And then defensively he adds genuine height and ability to cope with long balls.

Of course, he’s not without his issues. His first-touch is woeful and he is easily pressed out of possession if he takes more than one or two touches. Moreover he doesn’t have the positional sense of a defensive midfielder as witness on Watford’s goal where he dropped in amongst the centre-backs, leaving André Gray unmarked.

But his strengths are just so, well, strong. He obliterates everyone in the air, and gave United such a dominance over Watford. His presence was key to Romelu Lukaku running free on the first United goal, and it was him who sent the ball back into the danger zone for Chris Smalling to score United’s second. On the defensive end he cleared almost everything and made countless blocks and interceptions to stop Watford as they waltzed by the woeful Nemanja Matic in front of him.

2. Glorious Goalkeeping

Manchester United won 1-2, and whilst that could be easily seen as a stick to beat José Mourinho with for being too comfortable with a 0-2 lead, but, well, for once it’d be unfair to say that because Manchester United should have scored more goals. Obviously they wasted half-chances, but they still had chances.

It’s just Ben Foster kept those chances out. United had 8 shots in the first half and Foster kept all but two of them out. Repeatedly denying the Red Devils as they sought to build an insurmountable lead. He kept Watford in the game in the first half, and the Hornets’ attempts at a comeback were only thwarted because of David De Gea.

Yeah, the Spaniard was back on his game at Vicarage Road with big saves to hold off the Watford assault, most especially at the death when he palmed a stoppage time header away from goal to ensure a United victory. This was an open end-to-end game that should have had a hockey score, but the goalkeepers were too good.

3. Pogba’s diamond display

Paul Pogba has always been at his best for Manchester United when playing in a clearly defined tactical role. The diamond formation that Manchester United deployed today at Watford provided him with exactly that. And the World Cup winner turned in a fine display for as long as the diamond retained its sense of coherence.

Pogba’s swaggering brilliance was fully on display here, with a litany of crossfield passes stretching Watford at the seams. Dynamic dribbling carried the ball up the field and he even unleashing a couple of rocket shots at goal.

What was so telling was the way that Pogba’s performance fell away as United’s shape became more ragged and ill-disciplined. The diamond got looser and looser with United’s substitutions and Nemanja Matic’s woeful display, and as that happened Pogba lost control of himself too. But while the system was tight, Pogba thrived in a central midfield role behind two strikers and a floating no. 10 in Jesse Lingard.

4. Kabasele shows his class

In addition to Ben Foster, there was another man who helped keep United at bay: Christian Kabasele. The Belgian international centre-back more than match Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sánchez whenever he had to contend with them.

Whatever United threw at him, Kabasele was more than equal to it. He was solid in the air and his closing speed on the ground helped to cover with many of United’s forward forays. And that was important as United’s counter-attacking had the potential to rip the Hornets apart.

And on the other end, Kabasele almost had a hugely decisive impact on the game. It was his towering header that David De Gea palmed away in stoppage time to ensure United’s victory. Had that gone in, his stock would have shot up. As it is, he will remain bizarrely underrated for the Hornets until the next time he pulls off a masterful display against a top team.

5. United’s momentum is building

Manchester United have now won two games in a row. And whilst that may not seem like an impressive achievement, they have been two tricky away games against Burnley and a previously 100% Watford. Moreover, both wins have come in a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond system, featuring Jesse Lingard in a key role.

The diamond gets the most out of Paul Pogba, it also will allow United to play Marcus Rashford in his preferred position of striker. It finds a way to use Marouane Fellaini as more than a gimmick. Moreover, United appear to have found a reasonably solid centre-back partnership in Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof. And Luke Shaw will be fit for the Champions League midweek.

Perhaps most importantly; David De Gea is back in the saddle making miracle saves on the regular. And when the Spaniard is in that kind of mood it adds an extra layer of unbeatable stubbornness to United’s play.

They’re far from perfect, but keep an eye on Manchester United. Something might be building there…

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