Javi Gracia Says Watford 'Dominated' Man Utd But Admits it 'Wasn't Enough' to Win the Game

Watford manager Javi Gracia has said he was pleased with his side’s performance despite the result, after they lost 2-1 to Manchester United on Saturday

Watford manager Javi Gracia has said he was pleased with his side’s performance despite the result, after they lost 2-1 to Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.

The Hornets were beaten by goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, as they fell to their third away defeat in a row. Although Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a late consolation, it wasn’t enough for the visitors as they were beaten at Old Trafford.

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Speaking after the game, Gracia gave his thoughts on his side’s performance. As quoted on the club’s official website, he said: “We had a good performance. It’s true, it wasn’t enough to get the points but I’m happy with the performance.

“We need to finish better, we need to improve in the [final third]. We tried until the end. We believed but it wasn’t enough.”

Watford were very unlucky not to get anything from the game, especially after their 90th minute goal. Despite dominating the majority of the game and having a lot of huge chances, they couldn’t capitalise and were defeated in a bitter pill to swallow.

“I’m very happy and proud of my players. It’s just some little details that mean we didn't get the points.”

The boss is left with mixed feelings after today's defeat.

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— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) March 30, 2019

Gracia added: “We created chances, we had more shots, more shots on target and more corners. We dominated and played a lot of time in the opposition half. When you don’t kill the game against these teams with high quality, you know you can lose in any moment.”

The result sees Watford drop down to tenth in the Premier League table, as Leicester and Everton moved above them following wins on Saturday. The Hornets will be eager to climb back up the table, having been seventh in January.

Watford have now lost three of their last four league games, with their last away win coming back in February. However, Gracia still believes in his players, and showed his delight at his side’s performance despite the result.

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Gracia said: “We took control again in the second half and I’m very happy and proud of my players. It’s just some little details that mean you don’t get the points. We took risks, we tried to play offensive and we created chances.”

Watford have just a few days before their next game, when they host Fulham at Vicarage Road next Tuesday. The Hornets then have a well-deserved trip to Wembley to look forward to, when they meet Wolves in the FA Cup semi-final on 7 April.