Jamie Jackson was at Old Trafford, and his report has landed. Clickity click, my old MBM friends, and enjoy. Thanks for reading this live blog. Stay safe. Nighty night!
Xisco Munoz’s turn. “I am proud of my players ... they worked very hard ... we had a good performance ... we pressed up ... they worked hard ... today is the first step, we need to work hard, the little details ... I have had a little time here and we need to continue work.” Then a cheery ciao, a friendly smile and a handshake for BT Sport’s Des Kelly. Aw sweet. He seems a good sort, this chap.
Ole’s verdict. “We started really brightly, played some nice football, got in behind them, created chances, got the first goal ... and after 15, 20 minutes it seemed the balloon popped ... it gave them confidence and they gave us a good game ... we started giving them the ball back easily, we tried to complicate it ... when you’ve got Gray or Sarr running at you, you always have your heart way up here [smiles and gestures under his chin] ... we’ve always trusted our young men coming through and Scott has the DNA of Man United in him ... Jesse has been out for a while and started brightly, and as you’d expect got a little tired ... Eric Bailly’s head is fine, it’s his neck, there’s no concussion ... I think we’re the only game with a midweek game last week and a midweek game this week, so we had to rotate and the boys got us a result.”
The matchwinner McTominay talks to BT Sport. “We started really well ... we were really good, moving the ball, our combination play with the front boys was really good ... we didn’t find it after the first half hour ... the second half we didn’t play to anywhere near our level ... but with the boys coming into the team it’s difficult ... it’s a credit to the boys ... when the manager told me I was captain it was a surreal moment, I’ve been at this club since I was five so basically 18 years ... it’s a huge honour, I love this football club, it’s been my whole life ... I need to start scoring more headers, I’m six foot three! ... I’ve got a soft spot for the manager and I’ve got a lot to thank him for ... Jesse’s had a tough time recently and I’m pleased for him today.”
Scott McTominay’s early header proved decisive, then. United were scintillating in attack for the first 20 minutes of this game, not so much for the rest of it. But they did enough, and many a successful FA Cup campaign has started with an underwhelming third-round performance. Watford did well to work their way into the game, and looked dangerous on a few occasions, but never transferred those positions into gilt-edged chances, or forced Dean Henderson into evasive action. The Championship side will be disappointed, of course, but once it all comes down they’ll be happy enough with a performance that’ll stand them in good stead during the rest of their promotion push. Maybe that long wait for a second win at Old Trafford - 1978, Luther Blissett, all that - will end next year in the Premier League.
FULL TIME: Manchester United 1-0 Watford
Navarro slams it witlessly into the one-man wall of Martial, and the hosts are in the bag for the fourth round!
90 min +3: Mata hoicks it deep into the Stretford End. Watford go up the other end, Hughes grooving down the left. McTominay barges into his back, and here’s a free kick that represents Watford’s last chance.
90 min +2: Phillips tugs at Martial’s shoulder as the striker dribbles down the middle of the park. A free kick just outside the D.
90 min +1: The first added minute passes without incident. On the United bench, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks relatively calm. His team have been made to work for this, but for all the half-chances Watford have created, Henderson hasn’t had to make too many crucial interventions.
90 min: There are four extra minutes between Manchester United and the fourth round.
89 min: Sema makes it easy for the hosts, floating the free kick harmlessly into the arms of Henderson.
88 min: Hungbo drives down the right and runs slap-bang into Matic. Six and half-a-dozen, but the decision goes to the young Watford attacker, and it’s yet another chance to load the box and test United’s occasionally shaky set-piece defending.
86 min: Maguire clears the corner with a no-nonsense header.
85 min: Sema strips McTominay out on the left, and sprays a pass out right for Hungbo, who sashays infield and has a dig from the edge of the D. His shot is deflected out for a corner.
83 min: Chalobah has done his hamstring. He’s replaced by Phillips. The captain’s armband goes to Hughes.
81 min: And continues to remain elusive. Rashford zips off down the left, getting the better of Wilmot, and he’s one on one with Bachmann, albeit from a tight angle on the left. Rashford opens his body in the hope of steering into the bottom right, but it’s too close to the keeper, who snaffles.
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80 min: A free kick for United out on the left. Telles loops it long. Maguire wins a header at the far post, but can’t get anything on target. The second goal that would put this tie to bed remains elusive for the hosts.
79 min: United make their fourth change of the evening, taking off Lingard and sending on Matic to shore things up a little bit.
78 min: Mata’s delivery is no good. Watford deal with the free kick easily enough. United are making a meal of this.
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77 min: Martial is heading down a cul-de-sac just to the right of the Watford box. Ngakia needlessly hauls him down, and this is a free kick in a dangerous position.
76 min: Watford make another double swap. Wilmot comes on for Troost-Ekong at the back, while the debutant Zinckernagel, blowing hard, is replaced by Hungbo.
75 min: Navarro curls in from the right, towards Pedro on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. A flick-on would cause United all sorts of heartache, but he tries to beat Henderson at his near post, and the direct header sails harmlessly wide right.
74 min: United are having to do some defending here. Navarro makes his way down the right and whips a testing cross into the centre. Maguire passes that test, clearing United’s lines.
73 min: It’s not clear whether Sema’s delivery is a cross or a shot. Either way, it’s no good, sailing harmlessly wide of the top-left corner.
72 min: Pedro tiptoes along the right-wing tightrope, keeping the ball in at high speed and drawing a foul from Telles, who earns a yellow for his cynicism. A free kick just to the right of the United box. Danger here.
71 min: Maguire makes up for his error by bashing the corner clear. But Sema comes at United again, winning another corner on the right. Take two. Pedro guides a fairly tame header into the arms of Henderson from the edge of the box.
70 min: Watford swarm around a poor Maguire clearing header, allowing Gray, Chalobah and Sema to combine down the right and win a corner. Sema to take.
68 min: United make a double change of their own. Rashford and Martial come on for James and the disappointing Greenwood.
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66 min: Tuanzebe is booked for barging Zinckernagel to the floor. Or was it for kicking the ball away as he conceded the free kick? Either way, he was mopping up McTominay’s mess, the United captain miscontrolling an easy pass and letting the Danish debutant make off with the ball. The resulting free kick is a chance for Watford to load the box, and proves to be a waste of time.
64 min: United stroke it around for a bit, though their tempo has decreased significantly. Watford look happy enough at the minute.
62 min: Mata makes like Sema, 60 seconds earlier, looking to release James down the inside-right channel with a wonder pass. Bachmann anticipates the danger, racing from his area to blooter clear. Somewhere in the multiverse, it’s been a quickfire couple of goals and it’s 2-1. The small margins.
61 min: Sema’s first act is to thread a delightful long pass down the inside-right channel, nearly releasing Pedro on goal. Maguire does extremely well to read the danger, and intercepts just in time.
60 min: Ngakia’s first act is to concede a corner out on the right. Mata pulls the set piece back for Greenwood, who tries to steer a shot into the right-hand side of the goal from 12 yards, but can’t get any oomph behind it. Bachmann claims.
58 min: Watford make a double substitution, replacing Masina with Ngakia at left-back and Sarr with Sema on the wing. Sarr, who has been very impressive, looks extremely disappointed but trots off without complaint.
56 min: A deep cross from the right by Zinckernagel. Pedro wins a header at the far post, beating Williams, but this time it’s power rather than precision that’s lacking. An easy catch for Henderson.
55 min: Zinckernagel scoops the free kick into the mixer. Pedro wins the header, though only manages to send the ball miles over the bar. Another scare for United, though. They’ve not looked comfortable defending the set piece at all.
54 min: Lingard clumsily barges Hughes to the ground out on the right. Free kick, and another chance to cause United some set-piece bother.
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52 min: James and Telles nearly open up Watford down the left with a one-two, but James’s fast feet write a cheque the rest of his body can’t cash, and just as he threatens to break into the box, the ball hectically clanks out for a throw to Watford. He’s been lively, though.
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51 min: So having said that, both teams effectively take a breather for a couple of scrappy minutes.
49 min: Some space for James down the inside-left channel. He’s given time to line up a curler towards the bottom right, but doesn’t quite get the pace or whip on his effort and it’s an easy snaffle for Bachmann. Both teams continue to look well up for this.
47 min: Sarr brushes McTominay off the ball with ease, and sends Watford breaking upfield. Masina shifts infield from the left, teeing up Pedro, who lashes wildly over the bar from the edge of the box. Awful finish but a fine move by the visitors. Sarr is going to be an awesome player. He’s not far off already.
Watford get the second half underway. No changes by either side, though of course Maguire took the place of the unfortunate Bailly right at the end of the first half.
Half-time entertainment. A retro Manchester United podcast presented by two of your favourite Guardian scallies. Enjoy, enjoy.
Episode 5 of United Rewind is out now!
— United Rewind (@unitedrewind) January 6, 2021
Rob Smyth and @DanielHarris look back at the raucous FA Cup third round tie at the Etihad in January 2012, when the Ginger Prince came out of retirement to help United to a 3-2 win...
Listen now!https://t.co/d2WJnEDGjI#MUFC #MUNMCI pic.twitter.com/fVrky5j9Nd
HALF TIME: Manchester United 1-0 Watford
Nothing comes of the corner, and there goes the whistle. Well, that was a half of two halves, United owning the first 20 minutes or so, Watford bossing the rest. But the home side will be happier, having parlayed their period of dominance into that Scott McTominay header. This is a good, free-flowing, entertaining contest. More, please!
45 min +4: However there’s time for Watford to come again, and Sarr causes all manner of bother down the right again, before teeing up Chalobah for another whack from distance. Watford will get a corner this time, and United opt to take no chances with Bailly, sending Maguire on in his stead.
45 min +3: Bailly looks like he wants to continue, but in truth he looks a little groggy. He’s helped off the pitch. No sub, but there’s only one extra minute to go, and it appears Watford aren’t getting their corner, though I’m not sure why.
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45 min +2: The stretcher comes on, but happily, Bailly is soon able to get back up under his own steam. They’re still checking his neck, though. Better safe than sorry.
45 min +1: Before that corner can be taken, the physio comes on to attend to Bailly, who hasn’t moved much since taking that whack upside his head.
45 min: From the throw, Sarr is clipped by Lingard. The free kick is sent high into the mixer. Henderson punches clear with power, albeit at the expense of Bailly, who takes a whack. Pedro picks up the rebound and wins another corner on the left, Watford’s fifth of the game.
44 min: United hearts in mouths as Sarr romps after a long ball down the right, and Henderson comes haring out of his box hoping to intercept. The goalie gets there just in time to hack out for a throw. Timed to perfection, he’ll tell you. Wow, that was risky, against a player as fast as Sarr.
43 min: Bachmann saves one-on-one from Mata, who was set up by a sensational backheeled pass down the inside-left channel from Van de Beek.
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42 min: James skitters down the left and wins a corner off Hughes. Telles sends another fine one in, but Sierralta beats Bailly and McTominay to the jump and Watford clear their lines.
41 min: Telles has a whack from distance out on the left. It’s an easy snaffle for Bachmann.
40 min: Watford go big on the corner, sending seven forward, but United deal with it this time. Hughes clatters into James from the side as the United man tries to break upfield. A free-kick, though not a booking, but it stopped a dangerous counter with Watford light at the back.
39 min: Sarr and Gray exchange cleverly down the right, Sarr instigating the one-two with a gorgeous little backheel. The move earns yet another corner.
38 min: The first booking of the match is picked up by Sarr, who cynically tugs on the shoulder of Lingard as the 2016 final hero tries to attack up the left flank.
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37 min: Hughes swings it in. Troos-Ekong jumps higher than Bailly, but can only waft a header comfortably wide right. Goal kick.
36 min: Watford’s confidence continues to flourish. Pedro wins another corner out on the left.
35 min: Zinckernagel takes, the debutant curling in dangerously. United half clear. The ball breaks to Chalobah, who chests down and drags a shot wide left from the edge of the D. United don’t look comfortable defending set pieces at all.
34 min: Sarr is causing all sorts of problems. Now his presence down the right draws a foul from Telles, and here’s a chance for the visitors to load the box.
33 min: The second corner leads to nothing. But that was so much better from Watford, who have finally found a foothold in this game.
32 min: From the resulting corner, the ball breaks to Sarr, who tries to prod home from the penalty spot. The ball breaks off Tuanzebe’s trouser arrangement, then off Bailly’s hand, and out for another corner. Before that can be taken, VAR takes a look at the handball shout, but quite correctly decides that nothing’s doing.
31 min: That’s given Watford a much-needed injection of confidence, and now Pedro wins a corner down the left with some silky ball control.
29 min: Chalobah nearly slips a cute pass down the right to release Sarr, but Telles steps in to intercept. Just in time, too, as Sarr would have reached the byline. Then another Watford attack, as Sarr outstrips Telles with an absurd blast of the jets. Henderson rushes rashly off his line, and is beaten to it by Sarr, who hooks into the centre. The goal’s unguarded, but Gray and Pedro confuse each other at the far post and Bailly is able to clear.
27 min: Mata dribbles in from the left, looking to work space to shoot. Watford close down all avenues towards goal. The visitors have steadied the ship a little, after a torrid first 20 minutes or so.
25 min: United stroke it around at speed, and with a pleasing aesthetic, Van de Beek, Mata, Telles and Lingard all involved. To no real effect, but nobody’s complaining about a little art for art’s sake.
23 min: Although having said that, Watford go close(ish) again. Masina sends a diagonal pass towards Sarr on the right. Sarr crosses to the near post, where Gray wins a header, albeit getting no power behind it. So they’re making chances.
22 min: Gray wins Watford a little respite by backing into Tuanzebe on the halfway line, the Harry Kane Gambit. Small mercies at the moment for the visitors, who simply need to stay in the game and see how things develop later.
21 min: Lingard has a dig from a tight angle on the right. Then Telles hits a cross-cum-shot into the area from the left. Both are blocked, but United are coming at Watford from all angles.
20 min: Telles sends a fierce outswinger towards Bailly, just to the left of the penalty spot. Bailly tries to steer his header across Bachmann and into the bottom right. It’s inches wide. What a delivery by Telles!
19 min: A fine run by Telles down the inside-left channel. He eats up yards and yards before slipping inside for Mata, who aims for the top left. Deflected. Corner.
17 min: United re-establish their dominance by streaming up the other end, James hoicking a speculative long-distance effort over the bar. Not far away at all. James has been dynamite so far.
16 min: Yet after all this, Watford nearly equalise! A free kick is swung in from the left. One simple flick on, and Masina is free, just to the left of centre, 12 yards out. He swivels and guides the ball past Henderson, all in one smooth movement. But there’s no pace on the ball and Tuanzebe can hack off the line. That may give Watford some much-needed succour.
15 min: Some pinball in the Watford box. Mata and Greenwood both have decent half-chances to send slap-shots goalward from close range, but Troost-Ekong throws himself around to block.
13 min: Lingard rolls a ball inside for nobody in particular. But the ball threads its way through a gaggle of players before finding Mata, who has a dig from the edge of the D. It’s blocked by Masina.
11 min: The first showing of the dangerous Sarr - constantly linked with a move to United - as he breezes down the right. But he’s got nobody in the middle to aim for, and is forced to turn tail by Tuanzebe. Still, a little better from Watford, who have been utterly dominated so far.
10 min: James and Telles combine down the left, but the latter’s cross is easily dealt with by a Watford defence under no penalty-box pressure at all. United are causing havoc down this flank. Speaking of which: “Watching James dancing down the wing brings back happy memories of Hill and Coppell.” Justin Kavanagh there, lost in reverie. “Alas watching Ighalo brings back not-so-happy memories of Garry Birtles.”
8 min: Mata slips a ball down the inside-left channel for Greenwood, who slices wide while trying to whip goalwards from a tight angle. United are well up for this.
7 min: A bit daft to say, given the stage of the match, but that had been coming. Give plenty of credit to James, who had put Watford thoroughly on the back foot with a couple of searing burns down the left. A stroke of fortune in the goal, perhaps, given the arc of the ball, but McTominay attacked the header with purpose and you make your own luck.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Watford (McTominay 5)
Another day at Old Trafford, another early goal for Scott McTominay! Telles sends an outswinger into the mixer. United’s latest captain rises highest, heading down. The ball loops up, spinning over the head of Bachmann, off the right-hand post, and into the top-corner.
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4 min: United have started brightly, and have quickly imposed themselves. James cuts in again from the left, at high speed, and reaches the area. He pearls a rising shot goalwards, though it’s straight at Bachmann and an easy tip-over. Corner, though.
2 min: A high-tempo but scrappy start as both teams have a wee feel of the ball. Then suddenly James scampers with purpose down the left, a real twinkle-toed run that gets him into the box. His dink infield is to nobody, sadly for United, but that’s a lively start from the young winger.
Here we go, then! United get the ball rolling, after the knee of solidarity, respect and love is taken. No room for racism. Watford will kick towards the Stretford End in this first half.
The teams are out! United, wearing their famous red tops, take to the Old Trafford stage, soon followed by Watford in their second-choice away shirts. This is the one, according to the local poor-man’s-Byrds combo pumping out of the PA. We’ll be off in a minute!
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also cuts a relaxing figure. “It’s the start of the FA Cup and you always enter to go as far as you can. As a club we have had many, many successful nights. Donny van de Beek is a very good player. Tonight is a good chance for him to show again. He’s had to be patient but I’m looking forward to seeing him. Jesse Lingard has always been bright and bubbly, training well. I told him to keep his head up, and let’s see where this takes us. Odion Ighalo has done really well. If we need a goal, he’s a striker to have in the box. Hopefully we won’t need a goal and he can get out there and enjoy it. Watford are a top Championship side and Premier League last season, so this will be a top challenge, but we hope to dominate them.”
A very cheery Xisco Munoz speaks to BT Sport. “It is a good moment. I am happy for this game. We know we have in front a very good team, so the most important thing is to play hard, try and enjoy, and start thinking about our tactics. We have very good players. Step by step, we have time. I am happy with the guys. High intensity is the most important. It will be the identity of our club. Attractive football.”
Manchester United make a slew of changes to their starting XI. Only two players named for the 2-0 League Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City retain their place: goalkeeper Dean Henderson and Scott McTominay, captaining the side for the first time. There’s a rare sighting of £35m midfielder Donny van de Beek, who makes only his ninth start in a United shirt, while former Watford striker Odion Ighalo takes a place on the bench.
Watford welcome back their 19-year-old Brazilian striker Joao Pedro from injury. Danish winger Philip Zinckernagel makes his debut after signing for the Hornets on New Year’s Day.
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The teams
Manchester United: Henderson, Tuanzebe, Bailly, Williams, Telles, McTominay, van de Beek, James, Mata, Lingard, Greenwood.
Subs: de Gea, Maguire, Martial, Rashford, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, Ighalo, Wan Bissaka, Matic.
Watford: Bachmann, Navarro, Sierralta, Troost-Ekong, Masina, Zinckernagel, Chalobah, Hughes, Sarr, Joao Pedro, Gray.
Subs: Foster, Ngakia, Wilmot, Sema, Dalby, Hungbo, Crichlow, Philips, Barrett.
Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire).
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Preamble
“I don’t believe in underdogs. At least not in the Cup. You respect the opposition, but it is a terrible trap to be overawed by them. The players must believe they have as much right to be on the field as anybody. Once they do, it’s just 11 men against 11.” The legendary Watford manager Graham Taylor there, in January 1982, after his promotion-bound Second Division side beat First Division title-chasing giants Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup.
Their 1-0 victory came courtesy of a first-half Jan Lohman goal. The 18-year-old John Barnes man-marked an uncharacteristically ineffective Bryan Robson out of the game. Lou Macari had a header cleared off the line, and Garry Birtles had a couple of raspers saved by Steve Sherwood, but otherwise it was all Watford. “No complaints,” shrugged Ron Atkinson. “They were better than us in every department.” Watching on was Hornets chairman Elton John. “It was one of my greatest moments,” said the composer of Rocket Man, Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. “Tremendous cup tie.”
That’s the only time Watford have beaten United in the cup, though. On the other four occasions - 1950, 1969, 1970 and the 2007 semi - the Red Devils have made off with the spoils. It’s one of a few reasons why Xisco Munoz’s Championship side will need to take on board all those things Taylor said 39 years ago. Others include Watford’s failure to win at Old Trafford since 1978, losing on their last nine visits, and the fact United have won 33 of their last 35 third-round ties.
Watford are looking good for a promotion push again, just like the boys of ‘82, while United are in the title hunt once more, just like ... yep, the more things change, huh. But that one was at Vicarage Road, and so Xisco’s kids have it all to do if they’re to create a seismic shock this evening. Kick off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
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