Watford outclassed in the Super League

Taylor had been scouting out the opposition in the next round of the UEFA Cup and had concluded that Sparta Prague would be a very tough nut to crack.

Hearing that on the train, heading for Old Trafford, I turned to Tony and said: "There must be something more to this season. It can't just peter out in Prague. We'll reach the FA Cup Final or something."

It was an interesting insight into the belief that was around during that era and the greed for still more success. In Graham's first spell, you became used to expecting something to happen, and it did.

That season we did reach the Cup Final.

From The Watford Observer, Friday, November 25, 1983

Manchester United 4 (Stapleton 9, 31, 83, Robson 72)

Watford 1 (Callaghan 88)

MANCHESTER UNITED: Bailey, Moses, Albiston, Wilkins, Duxbury, McQueen, Robson, Muhren, Stapleton, Crooks, Graham. Substitute: Whiteside not used.

WATFORD: Sherwood, Palmer, Sims, Franklin, Sinnott, Taylor, Rostron, Callaghan, Johnston, Barnes, Jobson. Substitute: Richardson not used.

REFEREE: G Napthine (Loughborough). Attendance: 43,111.

FREE KICKS: Watford 17, United 17.

CORNERS: Watford 2, United 19.

GOAL ATTEMPTS: on target (off target): Watford 6(5), United 15(10).

WATFORD GOAL ATTEMPTS by: Callaghan 3, Johnston 2, Rostron 2, Palmer 1, Taylor 1, Jobson 1, Barnes 1.

BOOKINGS: Sims (68) foul on Stapleton.

WATFORD played in the super league on Saturday and had first-hand experience in the difference of class between the elite and the ordinary Division One mortals. That is Graham Taylor's view and one endorsed by weekend comments from such diverse sources as Ron Saunders and Lawrie McMenemy.

The trio of managers all agreed that the best players can only be afforded by the top four richest clubs United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs while other so-called big city clubs have put themselves in hock in an attempt to keep up with the big four.

Certainly Saturday's result at Old Trafford represented the difference in transfer expenditure between the two sides. United's line-up included four players who were products of the youth scheme, which in itself is quite a costly item. But if one forgets the large signing-on fee enjoyed by Arnold Muhren in his free transfer from Ipswich, the cost of the remaining seven players on duty for the Reds was £4,325,000. Watford's line-up cost £789,000.

On the relative values of the two sides, United should have won 5-1, and indeed they could have, for the gap in class was amazing.

It was perhaps Watford's biggest drubbing since a cold day at Hull a few years back when the Hornets were ripped to shreds with scant hope of pulling a goal back.

Not even at Aston Villa in a league game last season were Watford so completely outplayed: "We were mesmerised," said Taylor.

"If you can bounce back from such an experience then it is quite good for the players. They saw class football and there is nothing like experiencing it first hand."

Watford were outclassed in every department as United went to town. But for some fine saves by Steve Sherwood, they would have been buried long before the interval.

Yet, ironically, it is the first time that United have really been able to show their superiority in technique and ability in their meetings with Watford. It was odd to reflect that Watford, as a Third Division side playing 4-2-4, won at Old Trafford five years ago, but were unable to make the slightest impact as a struggling Division One side.

Watford were so much second best that their goal at the end must have been an acute if welcome embarrassment.

There was much about this game to remind one of a previous blitz, suffered in that league game at Aston Villa last season. Graham Taylor recalled it when attempting to remember when another Division One side had given the Hornets such a thorough roasting.

At Villa Park last September, Watford had their moments, even though Patching was struggling with Morley and Withe was dominating Terry. On Saturday Watford did not have one real moment. They were taken apart.

But the Villa game was another example of Watford persevering with tactics, which appeared to need revision before the game was half an hour old. After the Villa game I asked why the Hornets did not attempt to modify their style, close up to a 4-3-3 and stem the tide. Taylor pointed out that to change would be "to panic" and that one must stick to playing your percentages.

On Saturday, Watford played a 4-2-4 formation against three of the best midfielders in the British game and came badly unstuck. A three-quarters match fit Les Taylor plus Wilf Rostron, who is not at his best in a two-man midfield, were plainly overwhelmed by the combined talents of Robson, Muhren and Wilkins. Their cause was hardly enhanced by the ploy of kicking the clearance straight to the head of McQueen, who was able to nod it straight down to the midfield, where Watford were outnumbered.

Barnes and Johnston tried to contest McQueen's domination but the United man had the height.

After watching an unsuccessful half hour of this, I certainly "panicked" and looked for Jobson to be brought back to augment the midfield. Nothing of that nature happened, and the game went on to a conclusion with not only United appearing to have a man extra but Watford seeming to be one man short.

Of course that other, perhaps most significant quality, was lacking in Watford's game. . . confidence. They were indeed mesmerised and none more so than Callaghan, Barnes and Palmer, who had extremely poor games, reduced for long spells to mere spectators.

In attack, Watford offered nothing but some glimpses of quick reaction and speed of thought by the new signing, Maurice Johnston. Again I attempted to put myself in Taylor's place, trying to evaluate whether Johnston was worth a bid. The service he had was atrocious but there was enough evidence from this display that, had he played for the opposition on Saturday, he may well have netted a goal or two.

Johnston made Watford's goal and provided the only real problem for the home side. While Taylor and Rostron chased shadows, Sinnott emerged from the afternoon with credit, and both Steve Sims and Paul Franklin coped manfully with the odds. Sherwood did well and any doubts about his part, or lack of it, in United's second goal was dispelled by Stapleton.

"The keeper had no chance. It took a deflection away from him and bounced badly for him. As for my other two goals I hit them as hard as I have ever hit a football", said United's hat-trick hero, who was once again described by Taylor as the "best centre forward in England."

If any doubts remained over the direction of this season, then they dissolved at Old Trafford. The name of the game for this season is survival, although I still believe that next May we might reflect upon it as a season of consolidation, and remark how much better it all proved to be than we feared in the autumn.

Rostron fought and battled against the red tide in midfield for the first few minutes, but United outnumbered them, and whenever progress was denied through the middle, they hit their wide men with unerring accuracy.

After Muhren had driven wide from a fair position, United took a ninth-minute lead. Robson drew Sims in the centre circle, and Palmer, as if hypnotised, came inside as well, leaving Stapleton with a chance to break wide. Palmer recovered but showed Stapleton so much of the line that he was committed, and adrift, as the Irishman came inside and unleashed a fearsome shot, which beat Sherwood for pace and power as it crashed into the net by the far post.

"When a team is playing as United did, you do well to hang in there, and that's what we did," said Taylor.

Sherwood then came into his own, frustrating first Stapleton and then Muhren at the expense of corners, but could only watch with relief as the burly McQueen leapt to a free header from a free-kick and sent the ball wide.

On the half hour, Stapleton made it 2-0. Wilkins and Graham combined in this move, which had Watford backing off as Stapleton moved in on goal. Stapleton's shot took a deflection en route to the far corner a slightly fortuitous bounce and deflection helped his cause. But United were good value for their lead. Their one-touch and two-touch football had cut the Hornets to shreds.

A few minutes before the interval, Wilkins was frustrated by another Sherwood save, but the goalkeeper could not hold a subsequent shot from Graham and the ball spooned out for Sims to hack away for a corner.

United looked certain to open the second half with a goal. Muhren and Stapleton scythed through the Watford defence with a one-two and it took the intervention of Sherwood to thwart the Dutchman the ball bouncing off his feet for a corner.

Crooks, who killed the ball superbly with his first touch throughout the afternoon, headed over at the far post from Wilkins and Stapleton saw his header saved by Sherwood.

Watford's one brief moment of hope was when Barnes moved in on to an Albiston back pass and Bailey who had always advised against such a pass, was forced to come out and concede a corner.

"That is one of Watford's trademarks, cutting off the backpass" said United boss Ron Atkinson.

Sims, who had coped manfully with the flood of United attacks, was eventually booked for a foul on Stapleton, but in the 71st minute Johnston showed his nose for goal when he took a pass from Barnes and attempted a snap-shot which was blocked.

A minute later United went into a three-goal lead. Stapleton collected a pass from Crooks and sent over a cross which Robson reached out to meet with his hand. The ball bounced off his hand and back on to his head and then into the net. There is perhaps some excuse for the referee missing the handball offence, but between the linesman and referee such things should be picked up. Watford appealed to no avail and the goal stood.

Sims deflected a Crooks' headed attempt for a corner, and an awkward bounce at the other end meant that a half-chance eluded both Barnes and Johnston. But in the 84th minute, United completed their quartet. Stapleton cutting in from the right, swayed like a cobra before mesmerised Watford defenders, and then unleashed a ferocious shot from 12 yards out which seared into the net.

Two minutes from time Watford gained a consolation . Johnston collected the ball on the halfway line, dummied and turned McQueen, and then slipped the ball through for Callaghan to move unchecked towards goal and score with a low drive which Bailey got his hand to but could not stop.

But again United came close to increasing the score Sherwood fumbling a shot from Graham and the rebound was scrambled clear.

Then came the final whistle and and end to the most dominant 90 minutes any Division One side has ever enjoyed in a competitive match with Watford.

March 13, 2002 17:30