United's Power Play Promises Much

Something stirred at Old Trafford last weekend and it did not go unnoticed by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

Some 26 minutes had passed against Watford with the visitors still on level terms when the Reds appeared to click into gear. The intensity of the passage of play that, ultimately, led to an inevitable opening goal six minutes later was simply outstanding.

It reminded me of United in our pomp - perhaps the spell before earning a penalty against Chelsea in the 1994 FA Cup final, if not quite the remarkable burst at Norwich City in 1993 that yielded three goals and remains the most breathtaking bit of football I've ever seen. 

This was the kind of power play that used to swamp visiting teams at Old Trafford from the outset in the early years of the Premier League. When opponents would struggle to stay afloat with Ryan Giggs, Andrei Kanchelskis and co. attacking from all angles with searing pace, while Eric Cantona was the central hub.

Mourinho's current line-up has Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the spearhead with others buzzing around him to great effect. As the Swede dropped deeper on Saturday, Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Anthony Martial made hay and stretched the Hornets defence.

The blitz started when Ibrahimovic chested down a Mata through-ball and volleyed off target. It was a let-off for Watford but, within 60 seconds, they were carved open again. Paul Pogba met Antonio Valencia's cross in the box and forced a diving stop out of Heurelho Gomes. Still, the Reds kept pressing as Daley Blind latched onto an Eric Bailly pass and opted for a cut-back to Ander Herrera. The Spaniard produced a full-blooded effort but it flew over the bar.

As we hit the half-hour mark, Mkhitaryan should have scored following good work by Mata as he again fired too high when the East Stand prepared to welcome a goal. Covering the match live, I wrote: "It's coming, though, for the dominant Reds," even if the next chance, created in less than a minute, saw Gomes pull off a point-blank stop to thwart Ibrahimovic. "The decibel levels rise significantly as the fans smell blood," I commented in our match blog in response to this remarkable save.

And this was the crux. United have been guilty of spurning chances in home games and dropping costly points this season. It was even the case in the goalless draw with Hull City, our last outing at the Theatre of Dreams. Yet the fans were not exasperated with the possibility of a similar tale unfolding, instead they welcomed this relentless attacking onslaught and noisily voiced their approval and encouragement.

The positivity could only benefit the players and so it proved as the hosts instantly made the breakthrough, following another incisive move, as Martial's cross evaded Ibrahimovic at the near post but was converted by Mata. Old Trafford erupted as the popular Spaniard celebrated and it felt like a significant moment. Fans and players united, all convinced things are gelling with challenges to come on all fronts.

After the game, Mourinho confessed he had been charmed by this passage of play - and the crowd's interaction with it. He has often spoken about the supporters needing to play their part in making the ground a fortress and, even though we've only suffered one home defeat all season (a luckless one in our second fixture at Old Trafford this season against Manchester City), it still feels like a work in progress. However, the signs point to the fact that such an aim is becoming increasingly attainable.

"It was beautiful," purred the boss. "The period before the first goal was amazing. The crowd were so happy and so enthusiastic because of the quality, the chances, the beauty, the football, the movement, the chances, the saves. It was absolutely amazing. It would have been a football crime if we didn't score a goal in that period."

Usually, these "kitchen-sink" spells are reserved for the closing stages of games when a goal is desperately required. The fact it arrived in the opening 45 minutes of a match, after last term when there were a lot of goalless opening 45 halves, led to a real buzz and sense of satisfaction during the break. There is no doubt Mourinho's side is coming together and there is great anticipation to see the team in action again on Thursday, against Saint-Etienne.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com