Jose Mourinho looked monstrously clueless as Manchester United slumped to a third successive defeat as they were deservedly overhauled  by  a gritty Watford team on Sunday. United players were heavy and lacked passion in the game in which the host ran away with a 3-1 victory.

Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo failed to register his name on the score sheet but he was in the thick of the Watford coordinated attacks which paid off with three goals.

The defeat puts United six points behind leaders Manchester City and reflects the colour of football in the great city of Manchester, the city of good football. Instructively, it was City who defeated United at Old Trafford two weeks back before the Europa League away defeat at Feyenoord in Holland.

The decisive goal came from substitute Camilo Zuniga who slammed home with a powerful first-time shot in what was his first touch – and 53 seconds – after coming on to record Watford’s first win over United in 30 years. Captain Troy Deeney added an injury-time penalty to cap it off.

United’s 18-year-old Marcus Rashford scored a consolatory goal for the visitors, a goal that gave hope to United after it pegged the score line at 1-1. But rallies from  Zuniga and Deeney dashed all hopes for the Old Trafford contingent leaving Mourinho with a dour face.