What is going on at Watford?

Cast your mind back to the 7th of March at around 6:30PM. Watford had just defeated Wolves at Wembely in the FA Cup Semi-final, following a magical comeback and a Gerard Deulofeu wonder goal. It was a magical, momentous and an emotional day.

Five months later, and I don’t think anyone would have predicted the state we are in at the moment. It is only fitting, that having just been defeated by Wolves, we look at what on earth has happened to this Watford side, with Javi Gracia no longer at the helm and the fan base seemingly in disrepute.

The contrasting emotions following that historic day at Wembely and the awful display away at Wolves is almost impossible to narrow down to one thing, however, I believe there are three main reasons why we are where we are currently; at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Recruitment:

Mr Giraldi has to take a long hard look at himself after the signing of Craig Dawson. Spending 6M on a defence we all knew was the weak point in the team was effectively an accident waiting to happen, which of course has happened.

Questions will be asked of Giraldi and the whole recruitment team, and understandably following the poor start to the season, and it will be interesting to see if the Pozzo’s take action on Giraldi.

Yes, the policy of scouting has worked, through the signings of Vydra, Ighalo and Doucoure to name a few, but does it still work as a club tries to progress into the top half? I think the simple answer is no. We aren’t going to break into the Premier Leagues elite without spending big on defenders, and as much as I credit the Pozzo’s, the transfer policy has to be adjusted in January, or we will be in big trouble come May.

A lack of belief:

Last season, when things at points looked down, there were always points in games where as fans, we were able to look and think that there was a spark in there to turn things around. This season? Nothing. It’s poor at the back, in the middle and upfront and this disbelief from the fans has evidently spiralled onto the pitch.

With exception to the Arsenal game, when Watford have gone a goal down, they simply haven’t looked like scoring; the ref may as well have ended the game there and then. A lack of fight, creativity and belief were all on show away at Wolves and if this doesn’t change quickly then relegation is a real possibility.

With exception of Tom Cleverley, there have been no consistently positive performances, and this is resulting in heads dropping at this early stage of the season; shocking and telling of the league position we are in.

A new injection of confidence is needed or it is going to be a long season.

Arrogance:

For this third and final section, I couldn’t narrow it down to a specific issue, but I think the underlying issue is players thinking they are better than they actually are.

The likes of Deulofeu and Doucoure are at Watford for a reason. Yes, it is understandable they want to move to “bigger” clubs but while they are at the club, they must perform for the fans who pay their wages.

We didn’t get Europe last season, we didn’t win the cup last season and some players didn’t get their dream moves last season, but that is no excuse for certain performances of late; besides, they aren’t really doing themselves any favours for the transfer window coming, assuming the big clubs will want them on large wages playing like the way they are.

The talent from last season haven’t dissolved and it’s about time the players fix up sooner rather than later.

I do believe we can get out of this mess we are in, but it is largely down to the players to start believing again in the project the Pozzo’s have been working towards, and I have every confidence they will.

By Sam Ucko
@Sam_Ucko

Everton VS Watford preview

Round three of the Marco Silva derby takes place this Saturday afternoon on Merseyside, with the Golden Boys looking to rectify their embarrassing opening day defeat at home to Brighton.

The defeat came with a large sum of concern from Watford fans; an awful defensive display along with a toothless attacking performance left Watford fans questioning what on earth the players were up to during pre-season, a period which normally results on Watford starting the season well.

There will be no better way though than for the players to redeem themselves than with a victory at Goodison Park against Silva the snake and of course, 50 Million pound man Richarlison.

Last seasons victory against them at the Vic was one of the more welcoming three points over our time in the top flight, with substitute Andre Gray grabbing the winner with an assured display all round from the Golden Boys.

The main thing I personally remember from that game was when Richarlison seemed to be through on goal with Ben Foster, however, a half fit Jose Holebas managed to sprint back and catch up with the Brazilian. For me, this exemplifies everything the Hornets were about last season; fitness, attitude and desire, and these key attributes were all missing from the performance against Brighton.

If the Hornets are going to push on and try to claim a European place, it goes without saying they will have to look back on the Richarlison and Holebas battle to try and reach similar heights of performances last season. In other words, an improvement is needed or there will be more talk of nerves amongst Watford fans.

There is also the added incentive of defeating Marco Silva yet again; a manger with potential that he hasn’t quite lived up to yet, but with investments into the likes of Kean and Alex
Iwobi, there will be few excuses if Everton fail to live up to expectations this season.

The attacking enforcements will further allow Silva to play his attacking style of football which we all know to well from his time at Watford, either working a treat or coming back to the team to bite them. With the signings over the summer, it is evident his philosophy won’t change; you score four, well score five and so on. This will be perfect for the likes of Gray and Deulofeu to profit on, particularly with their pace and physicality,

Gracia was adamant a reaction will be on its way from the Golden Boys, making it clear his view on the Brighton game as unacceptable, but also a one off. Looking back on last season, the Bournemouth defeat at home seemed to be a fluke, and the players proved this by going out in future weeks and winning again. In contrast to this, over Silva’s reign, those “fluke” performances seemed to be his demise, with the 4-1 home defeat against Huddersfield materialising into multiple poor performances and eventually leading to his sacking.

The players on self reflection will be desperate to return to the form of last season rather than the Silva saga, and I think we can be sure of a reaction, and ultimately a good performance at Goodison, regardless of the result.

It’s a big one, but let’s keep the faith. It’s early days.

COYH
By Sam Ucko
@Sam_Ucko

Watford VS Brighton preview

Watford open their 2019/20 campaign with a home game against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Both the Hornets and the Seagulls endured fantastic ends to the transfer window, with Brighton securing the signings of Maupay and Mooy, while the Golden Boys signed Welbeck and Sarr. This does therefore set up for an interesting opening day, particularly with new Brighton manager Potter making his bow in front of the travelling fans, so he will be desperate to pick up a result.

The press have not been to kind to the Seagulls in pre-season; perhaps a slight agenda due to the harsh dismissal of Chris Hughton but the boys in Blue and White are not only heavily tipped to go down, but also are the bookies favourites to finish bottom.

In many ways, this could play into the advantage of Potter. A scenario not far off the start of Sanchez- Flores’s reign at Watford, but with the pressure seemingly off due to the sides Premier League status seemingly thrown into turmoil, could warrant in the higher chance of players expressing themselves and playing with more freedom, a worry perhaps for the Golden Boys.

A different type of pressure will arise upon Javi Gracia’s men though, with there being an expectation amongst Watford fans to surpass last seasons achievements in the league and break into the top half of the table.

It appears Gino Pozzo and Scott Duxbery also have this vision with the squad being improved over the summer, not only with the record signing of Sarr, or the experience of Dawson and Welbeck, but with the improvements in the games of the likes of Hughes and Deulofeu. A full season with them playing at the high standards they achieved last season should almost definitely result in Watford pushing for Europe.

Arguably the best bit of business for Watford over the summer though, was the retaining of midfield giants, Doucoure and Capoue. With these two performing to a high standard again this season, Watford can also be guaranteed to boss 90% of the teams in this league in the middle of the park; a key to the success of the Golden Boys last season.

It will be key for these two to show up in order to nullify the threats that Mooy and others possess, and if they do, the Golden Boys are likely to make a winning start.

Prediction:

I have a good feeling for the opening game following a decent pre-season for the Hornets, and I just feel with the new signings and excitement amongst the fans, we will have simply too much for Brighton, so I will go for:

Watford 2-0 Brighton

By Sam Ucko

19/20- what can we expect?

Take yourself back to this time last year. A summer of uncertainty, followed by a bang average transfer window had us as Watford fans looking over our shoulders. The insecurity surrounding the job of Javi Gracia magnified the sinking ship that was perhaps inevitably going to end up in the Championship following the poor loyalty of Marco Silva. How times have changed.

A first FA cup final since 1984, a highest ever top flight points tally, and some fantastic individual performances inscribed Gracia into the hearts of Watford fans. Defying expectations, silencing the critics and constantly improving has been the way that Javi has transformed Watford Football club over the last 18 months, and if things continue like this, what can we expect from 19/20?
Another European push:

The transfer window has been very deceiving. While Leicester and Wolves have brought many more players that have strengthened their squad, Watford have only acquired a centre back in Craig Dawson, leaving many fans frustrated by the inactivity in the window.

If you think about it though, where else was necessary to strengthen? Capoue and Doucoure will be relied on to dictate in the middle again, as well as the ever dependable Troy Deeney, Jose Holebas and Ben Foster still playing out of their skin.

A centre back was always the one position the Hornets were lacking in and having strengthened there, I genuinely believe we will push for Europe again. With the signing of Sarr seemingly imminent as well, we can only improve on last season and we could be looking at Watford’s European tour again very closely again in the coming months.
Interest in Javi Gracia:

With the pressure already on the likes of Emery and Solskjaer, it will be interesting to see which clubs draw an interest in the Watford manager next season. His next job is almost bound to be a big club, and with interest from Chelsea denied over the summer, Javi will have a chance to fight for even bigger and better things in the future.

We can also be sure that his head won’t get turned by these attractive offers, unlike Marco Silva who threw his toys out the pram when he couldn’t go to a “big club” at Everton. With consistent performances, the Spaniard will be close to the top of any bookies list to take the big jobs in the future, and with another season like last, could Javi attract more interest?

Capoue and Doucoure:

Rarely can a midfield duo outside of the top six impress like this, but in typical Watford way, the two Frenchmen seem to be defying the odds week in week out.

Whether it be Capoue’s excellent challenges and interceptions, or Doucoure’s driving runs forward, the pair seem to carry the ‘Orns to their victories at every opportunity, and very rarely do either of them bottle it or go missing on the bigger stages.

Watford’s European push will largely be down to the successes of the midfield, and we won’t be let down, hopefully taking Watford around the globe in 2020.
Continued growth from the fan base:

Over the last few seasons, the fan base has got bigger, better and louder, and in the coming season we can expect nothing less. With the singing section moving behind the goal, fans will be able to support the Golden Boys in more concentrated areas of the Vic, making Hertfordshire a more intimidating place to visit.

As well as this, the Pozzo vision is to grow as a brand globally, so it is perhaps without surprise that there are more African and Asian Hornets supporting the team from their living rooms, giving Watford are larger recognition and ultimately more revenue.

This may not sound like a lot but a growing fan base can take a club like Watford a long way in terms of budget and persuading a player to join the Pozzo project, and that is exactly what the club will hope to achieve in the coming season.

Consistency:

On the whole last season, Watford were largely consistent. I still genuinely believe we would have achieved Europe if we didn’t have the small distraction of an FA Cup final, but even if we do get there again this year (let’s hope), the players will be more accustomed to such a large prospect in front of them.

With Gracia being more experienced in the relentless Calendar of English football, consistency will be key to the Hornets success next season.

So next season we can expect a few different things from Watford. However, we can still be guaranteed to have those frustrating games as always with the Golden Boys but let’s be honest, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Bring on 19/20.
COYH

By Sam Ucko
@sam_ucko

Javi Gracia- How a man has galvanised a whole Football Club.

With Watford sitting 8th in the Premier League and having secured a place in the FA cup last eight, it is perhaps an opportunity to reflect on the miracles Javi Gracia has worked since arriving at Watford.

When Marco Silva left Watford in January 2018 the club was a mess; the fan base, the transfer policy and the players were all in a state of regression, and looking back on it, relegation was a real possibility. On the same day that Silva’s exit was revealed, the club announced the appointment of Javi Gracia, a stranger to the ears of many fans and a man who easily got confused with the former Manchester City midfielder Javi “Garcia”.

While many on the outside of England were describing Gracia to be a humble, kind man as well as a detailed tactician and fantastic man manager, many Watford fans, including myself began to turn the blame onto the Pozzo family themselves. Yes, they had carried us away from those dark days of debt and lies under Bassini, but did they know what they were doing? Would they stop chopping and changing at every opportunity?

Well, thank god these views now seem to be borderline delusional, as Gracia has been perfect.

A gentleman by definition and a genius in management, Gracia seems to be taking Watford on a journey which seemed impossible 12 months ago. So, from that famous hammering over Chelsea, to those gritty wins against West Ham and Everton, why has Javi achieved so much in his time so far at Watford?
A change in tactics and steadying the ship
Javi had only been at the club for less than a week when he was exposed to the toxic atmosphere surrounding the team at that moment. Following a horrendous display away at Southampton in the cup, the fans were far from happy. The most memorable incident that occurred on that bitter afternoon was when Ben Watson dragged Jose Holebas away from fighting a fan as his last act for the club, a sad way to go for a player that gave so much to us during the promotion season.

The following weeks though gave Watford fans a breath of fresh air. Instead of wanting to kick Jose Holebas, fans quickly longed to hug Jose Holebas as his performances drastically improved (I’ll be going into more detail later on). With Andre Gray and Troy Deeney simply not firing upfront, Javi implemented a new philosophy which was a direct opposite to Silva; Javi believed if we weren’t going to score, we may as well not lose, and the ‘orns tightened up at the back immediately, with a resolute 0-0 draw away at Stoke.

This change in tactics has payed dividends for the team in the long run as well. Last season Javi guided the Hornets to safety with some defensively excellent displays against Everton and West Brom and not only did Watford become increasingly hard to breakdown, but it gave the players such as Will Hughes and Roberto Pereyra a platform to build on, as they began to flourish under the new regime.

There was also a famous win at home against Chelsea, and that game epitomises everything Javi has been for Watford. Watford that night was hard to breakdown, quick on the break, and despite a late blow from Eden Hazard, the Hornets refused to say die and went on to score 3 goals in a matter of minutes.

In the space of a few games, the Golden Boys were already showing signs of progression from the Silva era, with less goals being shipped and the Vic in general had been given a lift. Was it perfect? Not by a long way, but that pre-season, “Javi ball” was fully put into practice….
Pre-season
Pre-season. Players are known to turn up overweight, tired, unfocused and following on from last season’s uninspiring outcome, many would think the players would be exactly that. However, Gracia wasn’t having any of it. As Troy Deeney has said in many interviews, the drills set up by the coaches improved sharpness, fitness and technique and had an evident effect on the whole team with the Hornets winning all of their opening 4 games, including a battling comeback at home to Spurs.

As well as this, since Watford have been back in the top flight of English football, they have had what has become known as the “Watford Christmas slump” where results have gone completely against the ‘Orns after New Year’s Day. This season though, with Javi yet again working wonders, the slump hasn’t happened and performances since Christmas have if anything got even better.

The players have constantly said this run of form has been down to the hard work of pre-season and yet again, Gracia’s methods.

The rise of the flops, key signings and man management
As I wrote earlier, Jose Holebas has been a new player under the Spanish manager. Defensively and going forward he has been much much better (even if his set pieces are still poor) and Jose is a giant compared to the one he was 18 months ago, and he has captured the hearts of most Watford fans too.

The same goes for Etienne Capoue. Before Javi came in, fans rightfully complained the Frenchman was lazy and didn’t work hard enough, but he is now arguably the most improved player in the Pozzo era. His running, tackles and interceptions have been key in the away games at West Ham and QPR, and Etienne is quickly becoming a contender for Hornet of the season.

However, he will have to beat the most underrated keeper in the League if he is to pick up the award. It was obvious Watford needed to sign a goalkeeper at the end of last season and it’s fair to say that in Ben Foster, Watford have found the right man.

The homecoming for Foster has been nothing short of sublime. Having saved Watford at least 15 points this season, Foster not only should win the Watford player of the year award, but he should arguably be in the Premier League team of the season as well.

Foster is another player who truly personifies Javi Gracia and his morals; calm, composed, and always giving his all in every game. The perfect goalkeeper, in an almost perfect team with the perfect manager.

It is also hard to not notice the improvements of players such as Bobby Pereyra, Craig Cathcart, Kiko Femenia and even to an extent the improvement of Troy Deeney. Javi’s man management has been key to the way this team have been performing and I believe Javi was the attraction for Gerri Deulofeu to join in the summer, and the catalyst for Doucoure signing a new contract. To summarise, it is evident that Javi is the dream manager for a player to work under.

Javi’s smile and positivity
Yes, this sounds a little ridicules but Javi’s attitude towards the game and life in general has given Vicarage Road a real lift.

Firstly, win, lose or draw, have you ever seen Javi not hug his players or walk into his post-match interview without a huge grin on his face? Ever seen a picture of Javi on the training ground without a smile on his face? Well, this not only shows how happy Javi is to be at Watford, but this feeds off onto the players, giving them the confidence to take risks and try new things. The players, like the fans love Javi.

Secondly, Javi’s approach to Giraldi’s transfer policy is a lesson we can all take into our day to day lives. He looks at his squad as half full rather than half empty. No matter how bad the players are, how many injuries the squad has, Javi will happily work with what he’s got, muchly contrasting to his predecessor in Marco Silva. Again, this evidently feeds off onto the players as they now feel trusted by the manager and appreciated no matter how badly they are playing.

Overall, Watford fans can finally look to the future with great hope. This manger is humble and willing to work hard to achieve results and this is mirroring onto his players.

We can only hope Gracia will be around for years to come, where we will hope to go on the European Tour and maybe even win the FA Cup this season.

In Javi and Gino we trust

COYH
By Sam Ucko
@Samucko123

 

Watford VS Chelsea Preview

 

Watford will hope to maintain some festive cheer, as they welcome Chelsea on Boxing Day.

 

It’s fair to say it has been nothing short of a fantastic season so far as we approach the halfway mark, and with talks of the “European Tour” getting hotter, Javi Gracia and a few Watford players have warned Watford fans to keep their feet firmly on the ground, and not to take any fixture lightly, particularly the upcoming game against the Blues.

 

While Chelsea’s performances have largely dropped off lately, it is impossible to avoid the talent that Sarri’s team possesses, with the likes of Hazard, Rudiger and Kante all expected to line up for the London boys. Their defeat on Saturday at home to Leicester was described as embarrassing by Chelsea fans, who are all desperate to see a change in fortunes at the Vic on Wednesday.

 

However, if their performance is anything close to how they played last season away in Hertfordshire, then they may as well hand Watford all three points already. It was an astonishing night at Vicarage Road in those freezing conditions when the Hornets ran out 4-1 winners in what was Javi Gracia’s first game in charge at home. It’s fair to say he has captured the hearts of Watford fans since.

 

Javi is in for a Christmas headache in terms of team selection though, with the Spaniard being rumoured to make lots of changes tomorrow night. Personally, as this game is a “free hit” I would bring Quina, Cleverley and Success all back into the line-up ahead of Doucoure, Sema and Troy Deeney in order to keep morale high within the group and keep squad fitness levels up.

 

The one man who is un-droppable, no matter what game or cup is Etienne Capoue. As he proved away at West Ham, the team simply does not work without him in the middle. He is the only Watford midfielder that is able to protect the back 4 for the entire game, and when he plays, he brings a new level of confidence to the team, something which nobody else at Watford can provide.

 

The Golden Boys sit 7^th in the Premier League table as it stands, and while this may not be highlighted as a game where the Hornets will pick up all three points, if they reach their usual heights that they have set this season then I am positive that all Watford fans are in for a very special boxing day.

I think Watford will edge this one with a 2-1 win and Deulofeu to grab the winner.

COYH

By Sam Ucko

@samucko123

Watford 3-2 Cardiff City

Watford managed to pick up all three points at Vicarage Road, despite a late scare from the visitors Cardiff.

 

The first half was all Watford, who enjoyed the majority of the possession in our own half and in the final third. Many fans still had the concern though that it would be the same old story as previous weeks, as possession and chances for the Golden Boys haven’t always translated into points, but Gerard Deulofeu managed to silence these fans early on, when he finished off a lovely solo run past the helpless Etheridge.

 

Ben Foster was largely untroubled in the first half, and the Hornets did miss some great chances to increase their lead, most notably a Bobby Pereyra shot which Etheridge managed to clear away quite comfortably. The Cardiff goalkeeper was in inspired form all afternoon, and just before the half time whistle blew, he managed to get his fingers onto another Pereyra effort and keep it out the net.

 

The second half started in fine fashion for Watford, with Jose Holebas grabbing his third goal of the season after some lovely interchanging play between the ‘Orns. It came to the Greek full-back on the edge of the box and he calmly slotted it beyond Etheridge and into the top corner.

 

The Hornets continued to pile on the pressure, and eventually added to their growing tally as Domingos Quina finessed his first goal for Watford into the corner. Quina is now Watford’s youngest ever goal scorer in the top division, and after a fantastic composed display from the youngster, we can be sure that over the next few years we will see much more of this from him.

 

As Watford fans though, we all deep down know that we can never win as easily as this (with exception of Huddersfield earlier in the season). Junior Hoilett, who in all fairness looked increasingly dangerous throughout the game managed to cut inside and curl it into the top corner past the helpless Ben Foster.

 

Bobby Reid managed to intensify the Watford nerves around the Vic, after he slotted home from a goalmouth scramble, and with 5 minuets of added time at the end, many fans understandably feared for the worst with Cardiff hoisting balls into the box.

 

Tom Cleverley, making his first appearance since January came on as JaviGracia’s last sub, and expertly helped to see the game out. The full-time whistle went, and Watford had picked up their first win in a month, taking this seasons tally to 24.

 

Cardiff by no means were easy opposition and the Golden Boys face an even toughertest next week away at West Ham.

 

It was a huge three points and hopefully the Hornets can build some momentum going into the festive period.

 

COYH

By Sam Ucko

@samucko123

Everton VS Watford Preview

Watford will be hoping to atone for their recent run of poor results away at Everton on Monday evening.

Many fans have voiced their discomfort towards the past few weeks, as many seem to be preparing themselves for the annual Watford Christmas slump. However, Javi Gracia seems adamant that this year will be different, as the Golden Boys haven’t necessarily been playing badly recently, but rather have been missing key opportunities to win the game. As well as this, the Spanish coach has also made it clear that he feels the likes of Success, Pereyra and Deulofeu will return to their usual heights, despite being largely off the pace lately.

There were plenty of positives to take out of Tuesday nights fixture with Man City, as the Hornets fell to a 2-1 defeat despite a brave push towards the end. The main thing that we all learnt about this Watford team though is that they will never be defeated until the final whistle, muchly contrasting to Watford’s trip to Everton in November 2017.

The Hornets were leading 2-0 against the Toffees thanks to goals from Richarlison and Kabasele and then after a chaotic last ten minutes, Watford were defeated 3-2 having missed an injury time penalty. The main thing that marked that cold November afternoon though, was the start of the Marco Silva downfall.

We all know the story of how the “Silva the snake” saga unfolded, but we can all be guaranteed that the young Portuguese manager will be desperate to get one over his former employers, the Pozzo family as well as Javi Gracia and the Golden Boys on Monday night. Life at Everton for Silva did in fact start slowly, however with the emergence of a few key players, fortunes have begun to turn on the Blue half of Merseyside.

Firstly, it will be an interesting battle to see how Abdoulaye Doucoure copes with the in-form Andre Gomes. The central midfielder on loan from Barcelona has been pivotal towards Everton’s form of late; his desire to control the middle of the park and create things is immense and if Watford are to return to winning ways, this a threat that the coaching staff will HAVE to nullify in order to win the midfield battle.

The second man who has in many respects saved Everton a lot of points this season is a Brazilian we all know too well here in Hertfordshire. Richarlison has been on fire this season for the blues, having already beaten his goal tally from the whole of last season. He currently sits proudly as one of the leagues top goal scorers when against Newcastle he netted his 7th of the season already.

If Javi and the rest of the Watford players have good memories, they should all remember that a key weakness to the youngster’s game is that when he lacks support, he can be very wasteful upfront, so if Kabasele and Cathcart can isolate him, it will help the Golden boys a lot and give them a platform to build on going forward.

As far as team news is concerned, Watford will again be without Etienne Capoue who is serving the second game of his suspension after his red card at the King Power last week. Apart from this, Javi has a fully fit squad at his disposal, with Janmaat, Cleverley and Penaranda all declared as available for selection. However, it is again clear that Javi does not want to rush any of his players back from injury due to the hectic festive period that has just taken kicked off in the Premier League and with this in mind, it would be wise not to rush any of these players back from injury.

It will be fantastic if Watford can grab a victory tomorrow in the very tough conditions at Goodison Park and I fully back the boys to go and do so, in a 1-0 win with Doucoure netting the winner….
COYH
By Sam Ucko
@samucko123

 

 

Watford VS Liverpool Preview

Watford return to action on Saturday with the hard task of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at hand.

The Golden boys will be at home for the first time in around a month and the Vic has never been an easy to place to come to or the Reds. Since being back in the Premier League, the Hornets have picked up a victory, a draw and a narrow defeat against Liverpool and many have a feeling that Watford could cause a couple of issues for the Scousers over the weekend.

Roberto Pereyra returns to England after a brilliant display against Mexico over the International Break where the Argentine picked up his first ever Man of the match award at International level. Bobby will be hoping to put in a similar performance and hopefully create some chances against a stubborn Scouser defence.

When Watford beat Liverpool 3-0 back in December 2015, it’s fair to say that newly appointed manager Jurgen Klopp did not have much to work with. However, three years on and the Reds have one of the most solid defences in world football, with the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Alexander-Arnold all flourishing under this revolutionised Liverpool side.

Meanwhile going forward, Salah and Mane have slowly started to pick up the pace, but could we see a rested Liverpool side due to their trip to Paris midweek? Well, some Liverpool fans have been calling for the recall of Sturridge to the first team after Firmino’s poor start to the season so don’t be surprised to see some changes in the Liverpool line-up before the game.

It is a similar situation for Javi Gracia in terms of his team selection as Etienne Capoue returns to the fold and a lot of Watford fans have been calling for the Frenchman to return to the 11 in place of Chalobah, who wasn’t at his influential best against Southampton before the International Break. I would personally bring Capoue back in as while Chalobah as while the Englishman may be match fit by Javi Gracia’s standards, he isn’t showing full faith in his body, so I would personally save him for the December games when squad rotation will be heavily increased.

Gracia also confirmed that Daryl Janmaat is making a strong recovery from a knee injury, however the Liverpool game may have come a week to soon for the Dutch full back. Tom Cleverley could make a return to the bench after an injury packed 2018 has limited him to just one game under Javi Gracia, but again Javi made it clear in his press conference the importance of maintaining a fully fit squad ahead of the festive fixtures, so we may not see Tom just yet.

A huge boost for the Hornets is that Adalberto Penaranda has finally received his work permit, as confirmed by Scott Duxbery at the fan’s forum midweek. The striker who partnered Isaac Success upfront at Malaga will be hoping to join the Nigerian upfront, and as many of the coaching staff have said, Penaranda’s time will come but the young player will have to be patient and give his all on the training pitch.

When a big team comes to Vicarage Road, the Golden Boys normally end up on top when they win the midfield battle, so this week’s key area to focus on will be the middle of the park where Abdoulaye Doucoure will be hoping to overrun the likes of Fabinho and Wijnaldum for the Scousers.

Watford’s next 5 fixtures is arguably their hardest spell of the season, so the fans at the Vic on Saturday will need to try and get the place bouncing and allow it to continue being a fortress.

This game is very hard to predict as while Liverpool are unbeaten, their performances have been very inconsistent, so if the Golden Boys can start on the front foot, we could be in for a very special day at Vicarage Road, therefore I think the Hornets will grab a 2-1 win on Saturday with Issac and Bobby grabbing the goals.

COYH
By Sam Ucko
@samucko123

 

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Southampton 1-1 Watford

Watford came from behind on the South Coast to pick up a draw against Southampton.

It was a familiar tale for the travelling Golden boys, in a game that so could easily have been won if not for so many wasted chances. Just like Fulham and Newcastle, Watford could have been winning by a comfortable margin if not for a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal, starting with Deulofeu yet again missing a great chance in the opening exchanges.

Deulofeu is still in a way making his way back from an injury which kept him out for the opening ten games, and we can be sure that once the Spaniard gains more match experience, he will be able to hopefully put some of these chances away, such as the ones he missed against Huddersfield, Newcastle and Southampton.

It was the other wide man though who uncharacteristically had a very poor game. Argentine Roberto Pereyra has been firing on all fronts this season for the Hornets, however he did not manage to make a huge impact and remained isolated throughout large periods of the game.

To make matters worse for Bobby, he was largely at fault for the goal that Watford conceded as well. After a corner that the Golden Boys failed to clear, Pereyra got the ball stuck under his feet before Danny Ings managed to poke the ball away from the winger, for Gabbiadini to calmly finish past the helpless Ben Foster.

It was a game to forget for the little South American, and I’m sure he will be back to his best after the international Break with Argentina.

Will Hughes limped off injured for Watford before half time and Troy Deeney came on to replace the winger, with the Watford captain making his first appearance since he picked up a knock in Training a few weeks ago.

Troy lifted the team as he normally does, with Watford coming out to the second half with much more of an attacking edge to them. Shooting towards the fantastic away support behind the Saint’s goal, many thought Chalobah was about to equalize when he was brought down blatantly by Ryan Bertrand. However, referee Simon Hooper simply blew his whistle and pointed to the corner flag, leaving Watford players and fans furious.

It is decisions like these that ultimately can make or break a team’s season, and luckily Southampton were also on the end of a poor refereeing decision, when Charlie Austin fired home Nathan Redmond’s cross. After some wild celebrations around St Mary’s, Hooper blew his whistle again and disallowed the goal, with the reason being that Yoshida was offside and was thought to be impeding with Ben Foster’s line of vision.

It was the wrong call by the Ref again and tensions seemed to rise on the pitch, as the ‘Orns began to pile pressure on the tiring Saint’s defence.

The equalizer finally came in bizarre fashion, with Gray magnificently holding up Deeney’s pass before laying it off to Doucoure, who’s attempt was cleared onto the back of Deulofeu, allowing Jose Holebas to fire it home from the edge of the box after a few deflections. It was a scrappy goal, however on the balance of play it was definitely deserved, particularly for all the travelling away fans who got absolutely soaked in the rain.

The final ten minuets were all Watford really, with the Hornets coming extremely close through Mapps and Gray although eventually time ran out and both teams had to settle for a point.

The pressure still largely remains on Mark Hughes who had to listen to boo’s around the stadium at full time, and I won’t be surprised to see a change there over the International break.

It was a mixed performance from Watford who again gave us so many positives going forward and a decent defensive performance, however the players don’t seem to be learning how to defend set pieces and why you can’t turn off for a single moment in the Premier League. I’m sure Javi will be desperately practicing this on the Training ground with them.

Anyway, the Golden Boys come up against Liverpool at the Vic after the International Break and that is sure to be a tough game so we should all get behind the lads in two weeks.

COYH
By Sam Ucko
@samucko123

Player Ratings:

Foster- 6.5

Holebas-6.5
Mapps-7
Cathcart 7
Kiko-7

Pereyra-5
Doucoure-7
Chalobah-6.5
Hughes-6

Deulofeu-6.5
Success-7

SUBS:

Deeney-7.5 (MOTM)
Gray- 6.5

Javi Gracia- 6.5