Watford: Jose Mourinho's Manchester United reign is quickly unravelling, with his new team condemned to a third successive loss by Watford on Sunday.
Watford 3-1 victory exposed the brittleness of Mourinho's expensively assembled team and tasted success over the record 20-time English champions for the first time in 30 years.
The United job was a chance for Mourinho to rehabilitate his career after being fired last year for a second time by Chelsea. But after a bright start to the campaign in August, Mourinho's United has lost to Manchester City, the Europa League opener at Feyenoord and now Watford within nine days.
Although 18-year-old Marcus Rashford marked his first start of the season for Mourinho by canceling out Etienne Capoue's opener, Watford surged back in front in the final seven minutes at Vicarage Road.
Substitute Camilo Zuniga scored from his first touch and Troy Deeney netted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
It was a tepid display that recalled the worst moments of Louis van Gaal's reign and Mourinho believes his players are suffering from a lack of belief that takes an extra toll whenever an important moment goes against them.
"We started the season very well and had good results. I feel the first moment we had a defeat, a difficult situation, some of the boys are having a bit of difficulty coping with the negativity," Mourinho said.
"You see Ashley Young, his mentality, the happiness and confidence he brought to the game is something more players need to have."
It is the first time a Mourinho team has lost three in a row since he was in charge at Porto in 2002. But Mourinho isn't about to panic because he believes United's woes are only partially self-inflicted and he expects a revival once their luck changes.
"I reflect on three factors from the match, but only one of them I can improve," he said.
"The first factor depends on ourselves, it relates to our individual mistakes and collective mistakes as individual players and as a team. We have to improve something, it is in our hands."
"The second factor is the referee and I can't control their mistakes. The story of the game is the result and not the ridiculous situation of the first goal."
"The third factor is luck, we didn't have it. We were the best team when we lost. Heurelho Gomes made a phenomenal save from a Zlatan Ibrahimovic header."
