It seems Manchester United might be done with the past, but it is not yet done with them as old issues came back to haunt them in what became an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to Watford. The ghosts of managers past can not seem to be shed, as the problems that plagued Jose Mourinho’s predecessors now do the same to the Portuguese, with a first defeat to the Hornets in over three decades.

Marcus Rashford’s equaliser with a half hour to go gave them hope, but it was all for nothing when Juan Camilo Zúñiga followed Étienne Capoue’s first half strike by strolling into the box just like the Frenchman did to put the hosts back in front. Not only that, he did it with his first touch. Marouane Fellaini despite a partially solid display threw it all away when he gave away a penalty that made it 3-1. It was nothing short of a disaster.

Not short of talking points now, as the club head into what can be described as a mini-crisis, and Fellaini didn’t disagree in his interview with French Television station SFR “It’s a little crisis, you could say, because Manchester United cannot lose three games,” Fellaini is quoted as saying. “But we have to lift our heads. It’s still early, it’s the start of the season still. We haven’t even played 10 games yet, but we absolutely have to win.”

They do, and they need to turn it around fast because Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are now six points ahead in mid September.

Defensive Struggles Persist

Chris Smalling kept his place ahead of Daley Blind after a reasonable performance in the Europa League, but he nearly made that look like a terrible decision when he didn’t listen to call to catch from David De Gea and barged backwards into his keeper. Had Odion Ighalo not done his best Edinson Cavani impression by missing terribly, they would have been a goal down.

Throughout the encounter the defence lacked stability and Antonio Valencia’s bright early start this season had not lasted. Eric Bailly’s form has been mostly good, but he is not a number one centre back yet. Meanwhile the scapegoat of Daley Blind remains on the sidelines, and is probably unfairly sitting despite he not being a true centre back. United missed his build up play.

Luke Shaw also despite some bright moments was culpable in the defeat, and Mourinho touched on this post match:

“The first Man City goal and this second goal against Watford — you can find an incredible similarity, which is [Aleksandar] Kolarov has the ball in a difficult situation in the corner and my players, instead of going up to press they decide to give space.

And here for the second goal, [Nordin] Amrabat receives the ball and our left-back is 25 metres from him instead of five metres. But even at 25 metres, you have to jump and go and press, but no, we wait.”

Fellaini Continues His Polarising Ways

Nobody can quite figure out Marouane Fellaini. The towering Belgian started well, protecting the defence ably, winning the ball and disposing of it tidily. In fact, he did that again yesterday. The question now worth asking is that enough to justify his place? Does he offer enough in the role to be a first XI player?

His blame in all three goals is certainly clear. He was out of position both times in open play, not covering the top of the box and not even close to being so when Capoue and Zuniga hammered the Hornets ahead twice. He then fouled Zuniga and brought him to the ground, and Troy Deeney hammered home the third goal and final nail in the coffin.

Morgan Schneiderlin is not perfect, but he seems to be a much better partner on paper for Paul Pogba and perhaps Ander Herrera in midfield. A three man midfield in this set up needs to be dynamic and adaptable – Fellaini is not that. So where to from here?

Wayne Rooney Remains Symptomatic of the Club’s Issues

He might be the Captain of Club and Country but he’s also the awkward elephant in the room. Wayne Rooney was an utter disaster yesterday, and became the subject of mockery when a highlight reel of all his mistakes went viral on social media after the game.

Certainly the worst player on the ground, the Englishman couldn’t complete basic passes, couldn’t help the team in attacks or in the counter attack and spent more time back chatting linesman than genuinely contributing. His decline is not only startling, but also confusingly obvious to the public. So why can his managers not see it?

Yes, the player is a commercial juggernaut but he has also been supplanted in that aspect by his new teammates. He’s not the team’s best striker, nor the team’s best number ten and he is not a midfielder. His best days have passed him by, and it appears more and more obvious that his presence not only holds back the club, it hurts them too.

Rooney joins Fellaini as a likely symptom and ongoing problem for a club. When will their manager realise this and make the decisions necessary? Guardiola moved on Hart knowing the club needed better, it’s coming high time Mourinho did the same.

Mourinho Moves Into the Firing Line

The club’s manager has his dream job and now he will be put fully to the test after three losses in just eight days. He appears short of options and even shorter of solutions. A man who seemingly relies on specialists appears to have a squad ill-fitting to those requirements. Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia are not specialist right backs, and Fellaini is hard to define as a defensive midfielder whilst we all know Wayne Rooney is not a midfielder.

A mere two and a half months are this claim, Rooney is now back in midfield:

“Maybe he [Rooney] is not a striker, not a No. 9 anymore but for me he will never be a No. 6, playing 50 metres from the goal. You can tell me his pass is amazing but my pass is also amazing without pressure.

“To be there and put the ball in the net is the most difficult thing. For me he will be a 9, a 10, a nine-and-a-half but never a 6 or even an 8.” – Jose Mourinho, July 5th 2016.

The Special One has never shied away from making big decisions, such as dropping Iker Casillas and Bastian Schweinsteiger – what separates his Captain from the Spaniard or German? It really is utterly baffling. Meanwhile tactically is another problem.

In earlier games the team appeared to be suffering growing pains in their new set up under Mourinho. Now it appears they are merely playing the way they are directed. Their defensive discipline or lack there of has costed them goals against Manchester City and Watford as a result of not pressing defensively. This allows their opponents to pass at will, and it’s proving costly.

Mourinho seems to lack his usual conviction or state of general defiance post match, and that will worry some who took notice of it.

“This is a tactical but also a mental attitude. It’s something that doesn’t become perfect in a couple of weeks. I can split these defeats into three factors — one, the referee’s crucial mistakes are not in my control, there is nothing I can do about that.

Secondly there is [being] lucky and unlucky. It’s part of the game. The third thing is what is my hands, which is the improvement of the team and the individuals. Try to stop with the defensive mistakes. I knew that I had a task. So we have to improve, no doubt, individually and collectively. And that’s my job. Lady luck you don’t control and referees mistakes you don’t control.”

They’ve got to improve soon. City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham are now ahead of them. The Premier League doesn’t allow for passengers, and the increasing fear is that United do indeed carry a few. Mourinho is not a weak manager by reputation, but the decisions he’s making or rather isn’t making make him resemble a weak manager.

United’s Fringe Players Are Letting Them Down

When the key players have a bad game or are struggling, depth is supposed to shine through. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, and it appears that Manchester United have a few. Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia both played significant parts in the defeat and just didn’t offer enough to give their team any chance.

Paul Pogba did not have a good day in midfield although he rattled the crossbar with a thunderous long range strike, but asking him to shuttle the ball between Fellaini and Rooney is like partnering a Formula One racer with two pushbikes. It remains startling that Manchester United’s best players in midfield and attack are not being built around.

The club has a lot of top end quality, but the deadwood around them is nullifying their most potent weapons.

Creativity Still Lacking In Attack

The attack was not at all fluid in what was a stuttering display. Anthony Martial struggled and was the unfortunate victim of a ugly head clash with Daryl Janmaat. Not long after he appeared dazed when he was tackled (whether you believe it to be rightly or wrongly executed) in the lead up to Watford’s opener. He was substituted straight afterwards and hopefully is recovering well.

Without Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata (until the last half hour) the team looked devoid of creativity and still has issues attacking with real vest and verve. It is just too far between when it happens. Marcus Rashford improved the attack moving in behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the second half for periods, but the team just appears to lack drive in the final third.

Jose Mourinho and his team head into the clash with Northampton Town midweek in the EFL Cup with more questions than answers. Is it time to give the likes of Michael Carrick, Memphis and others a chance to cement their claim?