da pinnacle： Watford are in trouble. And if they don’t address their problems, next season could be their Premier League swansong.
da bwin： The Hornets have only won three times since January in the league and can count themselves lucky the first half of their season was so impressive – they are not in the relegation battle on the back of this.
Watford began 2015/16 as one of the surprise packages, looking like an already established Premier League side in midtable. Odion Ighalo was flying in the scoring charts and Heurelho Gomes looked like a goalkeeper reborn, shaking off the blunders that had plagued him at Tottenham. It’s testament to that early form that they are still 12th despite their dismal 2016 record.
Watford now, though, are showing all the signs of a side running out of steam. So, what can they do to halt this slide and build ahead of the 2016/17 campaign?
Well first of all new players are needed. Watford do not currently have the depth to deal with the rigours of a season at the highest level for its full duration.
Two key positions I have already mentioned need adding too. Gomes in goal has had a fairly good season, but, at the age of 35, the team from Vicarage Road need to be looking for younger options. Watford’s current back up is Costel Pantilimon. The 6 ft 8 Romanian has failed to convince at every Premier League side he’s been at, and after his antics in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend, a new man between the sticks should be a high priority.
Equally, Ighalo and Troy Deeney up the other end of the pitch need some regular competition for their starting spots. The two have dovetailed nicely for most of the season and were a big part of Watford’s early form. However, they must know that they’re going to play every game and this breeds problems. Firstly, complacency sets in with their places in the side not under threat – similar questions have been asked of Olivier Giroud at Arsenal.Another issue, which I think we have seen distinctly at Watford, is burnout. Deeney has started 32 of the 34 games Watford have played this season in the Premier League, appearing in the other two as a sub. Ighalo’s stats read similarly, 32 appearances, and another one as a sub, highlight the reliance the Hertfordshire side have placed on their forwards. A new striker that can share the burden is an obvious must that can also provide good competition for a spot in the side.
Finally, there have been questions recently about manager Quique Sanchez Flores’ future at the helm of the club. The Daily Mail have reported in recent weeks owner Gino Pozzo has become concerned at not just the dip in form but also some of his training methods. Pozzo is not afraid of dismissing managers for what he may see as a benefit of the club, he sacked previous manager Slavisa Jokanovic who guided Watford to promotion ahead of this season and Pozzo may be thinking about another change. The saving grace may be that Flores reportedly retains the support of his players and if he can make some good signings in the summer this blip will be forgotten about. If new players aren’t brought in, however, Watford could be in for a tough time next year.
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