With the Premier League season well underway, Richard Jolly provides a progress report of the three promoted teams. Here, he focuses on Watford.
Part I: Premier League progress report: Which way are Norwich City headed?
The start
Very solid. A return of four wins, four draws and four defeats, with 11 goals scored and 12 conceded, is a recipe for a mid-table finish.
Watford have shown a level of solidity that is rarely the hallmark of clubs where much has changed but, despite signing 15 players in the summer, they began with three consecutive draws.
Their four defeats have been against clubs in the top eight, suggesting they are unlikely to be beaten by their peers. New manager Quique Sanchez Flores has, like several of his recruits, settled in seamlessly.
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Reasons to be optimistic
The defence. Only the Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham, who may be the end-of-season top four, have conceded fewer goals.
Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was culpable for both of Leicester’s goals, 11 days ago, but he had been superb before then.
The back four have been dependable but the real key has been the defensive-midfield combination of Etienne Capoue and either Valon Behrami and Ben Watson.
Sanchez Flores has given Watford a structure. His experience and tactical expertise seem major assets, his unfamiliarity with a new league has not been a drawback and Watford’s resilience is reflected in a tally of just two away defeats to date.
The other great positive is striker Odion Ighalo, who has been outscored only by Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy so far.
Reasons to be pessimistic
The lack of goals. Take Ighalo away and Watford have managed only four. and one of those came from Miguel Layun, who is now on loan at Porto.
Captain Troy Deeney has combined well with Ighalo and exerted an influence in a deeper role, but he has scored once in open play.
Sanchez Flores has accommodated two strikers, but it has restricted his options for midfield creativity. The Spanish No 10 Jose Manuel Jurado, who is now injured, failed to build on a bright debut and Watford’s struggle to score has been especially apparent at Vicarage Road, where they have drawn four blanks in six matches.
Watford probably also need to get points on the board now: they have a potentially difficult run of 10 games starting with a meeting against Liverpool on December 20.
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The X-factor
The unused signings. While Watford have a large squad, Sanchez Flores has a settled side. Newcomers have vanished but, once they adjust to a new club and his way of working, could provide some mid-season impetus, if they are introduced.
Obbi Oulare, a giant, £6 million (Dh33.5m) striker, is yet to make his league debut. Victor Ibarbo, the Colombian forward borrowed from Cagliari, has played only 42 minutes of football. Alessandro Diamanti, the inventive Italian, has mustered 65 and Steven Berghuis, the £4.6m Dutch winger, has 86 minutes in the Premier League. None has started yet.
They represent untapped potential for Watford and each could add another attacking option. If not, there is the possibility they will be active buyers in the January window. They were last year.
Ighalo. His glorious 2015 has continued, despite a change of division. The Nigerian has scored 23 league goals in the calendar year already and, after starting the season on the bench, he forced his way into the team with an opening-day equaliser at Everton.
His seven goals have been worth nine points already and his pace and quality of finishing suggest he is no flash in the pan. Yet the fact that Ighalo has scored 64 per cent of Watford’s goals underlines their reliance on him.
Prediction
Staying up. Watford looked the best-equipped of the promoted teams before a ball was kicked, providing a new manager and recent signings could gel. They have. Their defensive record means Watford are harder to beat than many potential relegation rivals. If they can pick up more home wins — and the 2-0 victory against West Ham on October 31 was a sizeable step in the right direction — they should be fine.
NEXT: Bournemouth
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