MU 4 -0 Watford

Yesss.... MU menang pagi tadi. Sayang aku tak dapat tengok sebab waktu main dalam pukul 4 pagi tadi. Mata mengantuk sangat. Yang bestnya, Ronaldo ngan LArsson score, sambil Rooney tambah koleksi jaringan peribadi.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney orchestrating, United were always in control of this match as the Reds maintained the six-point lead over Chelsea with a comprehensive 4-0 win over struggling Watford.
Despite a slow start, United took the lead through a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, but it was a ten-minute second-half spell which gleaned an own goal and one apiece for Wayne Rooney and substitute Henrik Larsson.
Sir Alex made five changes to the team that beat Portsmouth 2-1 in the FA Cup on Sunday, most notably promoting United’s two-goal hero Wayne Rooney to the starting line-up along with Cristiano Ronaldo, back from a week-long holiday. Gabriel Heinze, Kieran Richardson and John O’Shea were also called upon as the Reds boss rotated his squad, while Tomasz Kuszczak retained his place in goal ahead of Edwin van der Sar.
Watford, still rooted to the bottom of the table, were without influential goalkeeper Ben Foster, who could not play against his employers due to Premier League rules. They also lacked the pace in attacking areas of Ashley Young, recently departed to Aston Villa for nigh on £10million. There were clear signs of the problems facing Hornets boss Aidy Boothroyd, who had to select 37-year-old left-back Chris Powell in central midfield.
United’s early play was neither slick nor incisive in the first ten minutes, but the Reds began to assert more pressure on Watford as the half progressed. Rooney sent a header looping narrowly wide on 13 minutes, before Michael Carrick so nearly found the striker unmarked in the area with a drilled pass.
Sir Alex’s side were given a helping hand on 19 minutes when Watford defender Jay Demerit tugged Solskjaer back in the area. Referee Mike Dean had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and Ronaldo had no problems beating Richard Lee with a well-placed and powerful spot-kick – his 14th goal of the season, all of which have come in the Premiership.
United are capable of playing at a frenetic pace at times, but this was a more patient first-half display, the Reds rarely venturing out of second gear. So, it was almost a surprise when on a rare attack Powell’s skewed cross had Kuszczak back-peddling frantically. It looped over the Polish goalkeeper and came back out off the post.
The Reds always appeared capable of moving up the gears. Ronaldo and Rooney were central to every United attack. But it was the aerial threat of Nemanja Vidic from a corner that almost brought about a second Reds goal. The Serbian, unchallenged in the penalty area, was close to his fourth goal of the season as he arrowed a powerful header just over the bar. Vida went close again five minutes later with another header.
Vidic was then bizarrely booked after clashing heads with Darius Henderson. It can only be assumed that the United defender’s reaction to the injury was deemed, somewhat harshly, an overreaction.
It was a strong end to the half for the Reds, and Kieran Richardson almost doubled the lead on the stroke of half time with a right-footed shot that was deflected millimetres over. United were good for the lead, but after a slow start could be slightly disappointed not to have made more of the team’s goalscoring opportunities.
United continued to make numerous chances in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Rooney was a whisker away from seeing his drive nestle in the far corner of the net, while Solskjaer and Richardson both miscued shots from inside the area.
On the hour mark the Reds finally made the team’s pressure and possession pay, but again at the expense of a defensive oversight from Watford. Richardson latched on to Rooney’s pass out on the left winger and aimed his cross at Ronaldo, but in trying to block the centre, Hornets defender Lloyd Doyley headed into his own net.
The Reds continued to pepper the Watford goal and soon stepped up the tempo. Ronaldo had a header saved by Lee, who threw anything and everything into stopping the Portuguese winger’s header from Rooney’s inch-perfect cross.
With just over 25 minutes remaining, Henrik Larsson replaced Solskjaer up front, and it took him just five minutes to get on the scoresheet. The Swede exchanged passes with Rooney, who found his strike-partner’s run with an expertly disguised pass. Larsson clinically did the rest, side-footing past Lee to make it 3-0.
Two minutes later a fourth arrived as the momentum carried United forward. Ronaldo burst forward and dinked the ball over the Watford back four for Rooney, who in turned lofted his shot over Lee for his fourth in three games.
At the end, United’s fans were “ole-ing” as the Reds kept possession for virtually the entire three minutes of added time. Watford could barely even get near the ball, a metaphor for the game itself.
Team Line-ups
United:
Kuszczak; Neville (c), Ferdinand, Vidic (Silvestre, 75), Heinze; Ronaldo, Carrick (Brown, 75), O’Shea, Richardson; Rooney, Solskjaer (Larsson, 64).Subs not used: Van der Sar, Park.
Watford:
Lee; Mariappa, Demerit, Doyley, Stewart (c); Bangura, Francis, Bouazza; Smith (Williamson, 72), Henderson (Kabba, 76).Subs not used: Chamberlain (GK), McNamee, Hoskins.Attendance: 76,032

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